Now What?

With it now being E-Day+1, we should turn our focus to the age old question of "What's next?".

National

The last few weeks we have seen and heard a few stories that had "key" Republicans saying things like now might be a good time for compromise.  President Obama will not moderate.  He is a radical with views so far out of the mainstream that his party just took a pretty good thumping.  This is NOT the time for compromising with that.

Repeal Obamacare

This one piece of legislation is responsible for most of the reasons why the GOP had such a good night.  This law needs to be repealed in whole.  While I do believe that health care reform is a concern of the American people, they are not willing to surrender their freedom in order to have "free" health care that costs jobs and devastates the economy.

Cut Spending

This country is in a fiscal crisis of its own making.  We have been writing checks that our treasury can't cash and that will ultimately become a national security problem if it hasn't already.  The nation needs to be put on a fiscal diet and the Republican majority in the next Congress must be disciplined in this regard.

Pledge to America

As a statement of principles, the Pledge touches most of the hot-button issues.  My fear is that the Pledge will survive about 100 days and then go in to a drawer somewhere.  The Pledge needs to be a "good start" and not just a publicity stunt.

Ohio

Like much of the rest of the country, this state is in crisis.  We've lost hundreds of thousands of jobs.  We've got an $8 billion hole in our budget.  And we've suffered from a significant number of people voting with their feet and leaving Ohio.

As the new administration takes over, the challenges are as great as the expectations to overcome those obstacles.  John Kasich and the statewide team have a LOT of work to do to lower the burden on the business climate and attract jobs so that the unemployment rate will come down to Earth.

We need to fix it.  And unlike when Ted Strickland campaigned to Turn Around Ohio, Team Kasich simply must restore the faith and actually get something done and show results as quickly as possible.  Expectations are high and failure is not an option.

Once again, Republicans run the table in this state and now is the time to advance our agenda.  There are no excuses.  We've seen what the Democrats did when they were in charge.  We must guard ourselves against the creeping statism and elitism that plagued this state for the last ten years or so.  We have to restore fiscal sanity and return Ohio back to its former glory.

Competence Matters

Republicans need to redeem themselves for the mistakes of the past and Ohioans will once again have faith in their government.  To do that, mistakes have to be minimized.  Government will need to be reduced to essential services that are delivered on time and with appropriate customer service.

Ohio can't afford to have another run of playboys like Marc Dann or the scandal-plagued staff choices of Ted Strickland.  The people that Republicans choose to serve in this administration must be properly vetted and understand that public service is not about themselves.

Elections Have Consequences

It is on us now...  The Ohio Republican Party says that they have learned their lesson and are now ready to lead.  Let's hope that they are because we have serious problems to tackle and this time it is personal.  If we blow this, it will be a very long time before the electorate will trust us again.

One of the things that I noticed is a significant amount of participation by the Libertarian Party in these elections.  They are gaining momentum and are fueled by those who have lost confidence that the Republicans were willing and/or capable of reviving fiscal responsibility and their commitment to limited, smaller government.

Better Days Are Ahead

Ohio's best days are ahead not behind.  Good things are on the horizon.  We can get there.

EDITORIAL: "Listening to You to Set an Agenda to Move America Forward" by Rep. Jean Schmidt

The House Republican Conference recently released its “Pledge to America .” This pledge is blueprint of our agenda to set this nation back on the path to a government that makes sense.

After nearly two years of controlling the executive and four years in charge of the legislative branch of government, the current majority has used its large majorities in Congress to turn your government into a portrait of themselves. Whether Congress was considering the so-called stimulus bill, cap-and-trade legislation, or the bill to overhaul healthcare, or increasing the size of government and federal spending, the majority failed to listen to the voices of the American people. So in each of these circumstances, the Democrats have substituted their priorities for the concerns expressed by the American people. This failure to listen has led to the feelings of frustration and cynicism that many Americans share.

Realizing that backroom deals and important decisions being made by only a small handful of people have led us to this point, the House Republican Conference embarked upon an ambitious endeavor. We want to make sure we are doing the work that the American people want us to do, so we set out to hear their priorities and ideas.

During the Spring and Summer, I held meetings and listening sessions throughout the Second Congressional District as part of this effort. My colleagues did the same things in their districts. The message I heard was no different than what other Members of Congress heard. Grow the economy without massive government spending programs. Cut spending and reduce the deficit. Pass real healthcare reform that actually lowers costs and allows you to keep your plan if you like it. And, reform the way Congress does its business.

The “Pledge to America ” is the result of listening to the American people. It reflects the priorities that I have heard in conversations all across the Second Congressional District. The Pledge will help to get the economy moving again by ending the economic uncertainty emanating from Washington , DC ; immediately reduce both federal spending and size of the federal government; repeal and replace the recently enacted healthcare law; and, it will change the way Congress conducts the business of the American people. It will require that all legislation be publicly available for at least 3 days prior to a vote and it will actually ensure open debates on the spending bills that Congress considers each year.

A lot has changed over the last two years and one of the most egregious changes has been Washington ’s unwillingness to listen to the priorities and ideas of the American people. The “Pledge to America ” offers a way forward consistent with the priorities of the American people

Rep. Jordan on Pledge to America

Letter:

Two weeks ago, I have to admit that I was a bit skeptical about the soon-to-be released "Pledge to America" document from Congressional Republicans. As one of the most conservative Republicans in Congress, my concern was that the document would not be bold enough to address the economic and moral challenges facing America.

Having now read the document, I can tell you that I am pleasantly surprised!
It lays out a series of principles (low taxes, limited spending, strong national defense, and traditional American values) that I believe are necessary to get America back on the right track.
It appropriately focuses on job creation, but does not rely on more of the big new spending programs that have failed to create jobs over the past two years. Nor does it seek to help the economy recover by creating more public sector (government) jobs. Rather, it calls for reducing non-defense federal spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels, so we can begin to work towards balancing the budget and paying down the national debt.
It also details legislation to give small business owners and private sector job creators what they desire most right now: certainty. Job creators will tell you the biggest factor that is holding back private sector economic growth is that, simply put, they don't know what the federal government is going to do next. Here are some quick examples of what I mean:

The tax cuts of 2001 are set to expire at the end of this year. Will Congress extend them or allow them to expire? That decision will affect the bottom line of most small business owners for years, and they need to know Congress' answer before they decide if they can hire people back or not.

Will Congress pass the cap-and-trade bill during the post-election "lame duck" session? If they do, energy prices in Ohio will likely double, dramatically increasing the cost of doing business and hurting their ability to hire new workers.

Though the health care takeover bill has already passed, most small business owners are still trying to figure out exactly how much more the new mandates in the bill will cost them, from higher health care costs to new requirements like the one that forces businesses to report to the IRS (on Form 1099) everyone they do more than $600 dollars worth of business with during the year.

There are other seemingly minor, but significant changes included, such as the pledge to cut the budgets of Congressional offices - an idea that is long overdue! This will force Members of Congress to be first in line in accepting the "sacrifice" of government spending cuts.
Perhaps most importantly, the document also specifically lays out the value of promoting a Pro-Life agenda in Congress, beginning with repealing the Obama-Pelosi language in the health care law that allows for taxpayer funding of abortion, and never allowing taxpayer money to take the life of an unborn child again.
Other parts of the document speak for itself, like the following quote from the preamble "...we pledge to honor families, traditional marriage, life, and the private and faith-based organizations that form the core of our American values."
I often say that of the three big challenges facing America today (economic uncertainty, the terrorist threat, and the battle for the culture), that we need to win the "battle for the culture" if we are going to have the resiliency to beat back the other two challenges!
Do I think this is a perfect document? Of course not! But I do think it is a dramatic step in the right direction.
I have been critical of both Republicans and Democrats when they promote policies that tax too much, spend too much, fail to prioritize the security of our nation, and fail to promote the traditional American values that made our country great.
Despite the overspending of Congressional Republicans in the past, President Obama and Speaker Pelosi have charted our country on a disastrous course that we must change.
Congress is spending like there is no tomorrow, piling up an insurmountable debt that must be repaid by our children and grandchildren. They are expanding the federal government into our personal lives in unprecedented ways. Even worse, they are trying to change the culture to diminish the principles and values that make America the greatest nation in history.
I encourage you to read the document for yourself, and feel free to send me feedback about what you think. Moving forward, if Republicans do indeed take the majority back in Congress, it will be important for you to lend your voice and hold them accountable, to make sure that they do what they said they would do.
Sincerely,
Jim Jordan

Senator Voinovich on Pledge to America

Release:

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator George V. Voinovich (R-Ohio) today released the following statement on “A Pledge to America,” a new governing agenda focused on addressing the American people’s top priorities. The pledge is the culmination of a months-long engagement with the American people in which House Republicans sought their ideas and priorities for Congress:

“I am very pleased that House Minority Leader John Boehner and his team have taken a bold step forward and outlined the Republican plan for the change Americans are demanding. For the past two years, the voices of the American people have been ignored. Our president and the Democrats have been on the stump talking about change, but statistics show that they have been in a bunker when it comes to creating jobs, stimulating the economy, and improving the quality of life for families across the country.
“The only issue Democrats haven’t been in the bunker on is spending. Over the past two years our national debt increased by almost $4 trillion while Democrats passed a $2 trillion health care bill and a stimulus bill now estimated by the Congressional Budget Office to cost $860 billion. We borrow more than 41 cents of every dollar we spend, but in spite of all this people are still asking, ‘Where are the jobs?’


“Things are more challenging now for our nation than at any point in my lifetime. Americans are worried about our nation’s future and their own personal well being – and this uncertainty reveals itself in the answers to two questions I often ask when I speak to citizens. The first question is, ‘Do you have a better standard of living than your parents had?’ I almost always hear yes. I then ask whether they believe their children will have a better standard of living than the one they have. Most say no.

“As Ronald Reagan said, America is a shining city upon a hill, and the Republican Party refuses to let our light extinguish. It is time to tackle our massive national debt which threatens the prosperity of our children. It is time to support proposals such as a paid-for, multi-year highway bill – a proven job creator – rather than continuing to throw borrowed money at special interests. It is time to honor the will of the people and protect the American health care system. And, it is time to tackle tax and entitlement reform – something I have supported for more than a decade and will continue to fight for even after I leave the Senate.


“Americans are paying attention, and they cannot endure any more of Washington’s misguided agenda. Having heard the voices of the American people, Republicans are well-prepared to move America forward and champion the principles of our Founding Fathers. ‘A Pledge to America’ demonstrates that John Boehner will make a distinguished Speaker of the House – a leader that offers concrete solutions to our nation’s problems, and turns challenges into opportunities.”

P.S. I am thrilled that I will not be here to have to answer to this conservative agenda...

Rep. Latta (OH-05) on Pledge to America

Release:

WASHINGTON – Congressman Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) released the following statement after House Republicans presented A Pledge to America, a new governing agenda focused on addressing the American people’s top priorities. The Pledge is the culmination of a months-long engagement with the American people in which House Republicans sought their ideas and priorities for Congress. The agenda offers concrete solutions that can be implemented immediately to tackle the issues that are most important to the nation, including job creation, spending restraint, national security, health care, and reform to Congress itself. The full agenda, A Pledge to America, can be viewed here.

“For too long, the voices of the American people have been ignored in Washington. While Americans have been speaking out, those in power have carried out a job-killing, big-spending agenda that doesn’t reflect the priorities of the people. House Republicans have been listening to the American people and understand that the nation’s focus is on issues like creating jobs, reining in spending, and changing a dysfunctional Congress. It’s time that the priorities of the people once again set the agenda in Washington, so we are offering a Pledge to America. Through this pledge we are presenting a set of bold solutions, renewing a commitment to our founding principles, and offering a new way of doing business in Washington.
 “With Americans looking for job creation, we are offering a jobs plan to end the economic uncertainty for American small businesses and make America more competitive. As massive debt threatens the prosperity of our children, we have a credible plan to rein in the budget deficit. To keep America safe from threats abroad and on our border, this pledge offers a commitment to national and border security. To honor the will of the people and protect the American health care system, we have a plan to repeal the new health care law and replace it with solutions to bring down costs. And as Americans increasingly view Congress as a broken institution, we offer a plan for reform to provide real accountability and transparency.”

Senate Republicans on Pledge to America

Release:

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Senate Republican Whip Jon Kyl (R-AZ), Senate Republican Conference Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senate Republican Policy Committee Chairman John Thune (R-SD), National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (R-TX), and Senate Republican Conference Vice Chairman John Barrasso (R-WY) released the following joint statement in support of “A Pledge to America.”

“Americans are speaking out and we are listening. The proposals put forward today by House Republicans reflect what Americans are saying. They want to us to focus on jobs first, fight wasteful Washington spending, repeal and replace the health spending bill and shrink an exploding deficit. Americans want a smaller, less costly and more accountable government.
“We strongly support this effort, and together, House and Senate Republicans will continue to fight for these principles. While the White House will retain the veto pen, House and Senate Republicans will focus on making America more competitive, reducing the size and cost of government, keeping our nation strong and secure, and reining in the massive health care costs and mandates imposed by the Democrats’ health spending bill.”

House Republicans Issue “A Pledge to America”

Release:

STERLING, VA – House Republicans today put forth “A Pledge to America,” a new governing agenda built by listening to the American people and focused on addressing their top priorities – including creating jobs, cutting spending, and changing the way Congress works. This new governing agenda was unveiled during a press event at Tart Lumber Company, a family-owned small business located in Sterling, VA. Republicans stressed that this governing agenda could be implemented right now if President Obama and Democratic Leaders would allow it, and called for action before Congress adjourns.

“Across America, the people see a government in Washington that isn’t listening, doesn’t get it, and doesn’t care. Today, that begins to change,” House Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said. “This new governing agenda, built by listening to the people, offers plans to create jobs, cut spending, and put power where it belongs: in the hands of the people. 'A Pledge to America' offers a new way forward that hasn’t been tried in Washington: an approach focused on cutting spending instead of accelerating spending, and eliminating uncertainty for the private-sector innovators and entrepreneurs who create jobs. These are the solutions the American people are demanding, and Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Reid should act on them before Congress adjourns for the fall.”
“A Pledge to America” – which can be downloaded in PDF format at http://pledge.gop.gov/ – is the byproduct of the America Speaking Out initiative, which Republicans launched in May to listen and engage the American people in the creation of a new governing agenda.
As opposed to a broad policy platform or long-term agenda, “A Pledge to America” is based on the need for urgent action to address the American people’s priorities – priorities that continue to be ignored and even openly mocked by Washington Democrats.
Prior to today’s unveiling, House Republicans held a roundtable with local small business owners to talk about the challenges they are facing in today’s tough economic climate.
NOTE: The preamble to “A Pledge to America” reaffirms Republicans’ commitment to principles of smaller, more accountable government; economic freedom; lower taxes; fiscal responsibility; protecting life, American values, and the Constitution; and providing for a strong national defense. This new governing agenda is comprised of five specific policy plans that could be implemented right now if President Obama and Democratic Leaders would allow it:

Creating Jobs. “A Pledge to America” reflects Americans’ demand for immediate action on policies that will end uncertainty for small businesses and help our economy get back to creating jobs. This new governing agenda contains a plan to create jobs, end economic uncertainty, and make America competitive – including stopping all tax hikes, reining in red tape, and repealing ObamaCare’s ‘1099 mandate.’

Cutting Spending. “A Pledge to America” embodies Americans’ rejection of the now-thoroughly discredited notion that we can simply tax, spend, and borrow our way to prosperity. This new governing agenda contains a plan to cut spending and reduce the size of government – including cutting government spending to pre-‘stimulus’, pre-bailout levels, imposing a hard cap on future discretionary spending, and ending TARP once and for all.

Reforming Congress. “A Pledge to America” acknowledges that we cannot get our arms around the issues of the day when we have a government that refuses to listen to the people and ignores their priorities. This new governing agenda contains a plan to reform Congress and restore trust – including implementing ‘read the bill’ reform, allowing for more open and fair debate, and requiring that every bill contain a citation of Constitutional authority.

Repealing and Replacing The Job-Killing Health Care Law. “A Pledge to America” recognizes that the American people continue to squarely oppose the government takeover of health care, with its higher costs, higher taxes, job-killing mandates, and Medicare cuts to pay for a massive new entitlement. This new governing agenda contains a plan to repeal and replace the job-killing health care law with common-sense reforms focused on lowering costs and protecting American jobs.

A Strong National Defense. “A Pledge to America” reinforces Congress’s responsibility to help provide for a strong national defense and fashion a coherent strategy to confront and defeat the terrorist threat. This new governing agenda contains a plan to keep our nation secure at home and abroad – including passing clean troop funding bills, keeping terrorists off American soil, and fully funding missile defense.

DOCUMENT: A Pledge to America

A Pledge to America

Reaction has been mixed.  Erick Erickson from Red State is not a fan saying that it isn't bold enough, but the National Review folks seem to like it.

UPDATE:  I have skimmed the document while engaged in other work that actually pays...  It is filled with high-minded rhetoric that strikes a lot of the right chords, but the melody is a bit off.  Does it have too many notes?  Maybe.  I didn't see anything in it that had steam shooting out of my ears, but there were some things that I expected to see and didn't (Balanced Budget Amendment, for example).