Republican Ideals: June 2008 Archives
From RedState:
The GOP is the Party of Freedom of Choice
The Party that Believes in Your Right to Direct Your Life
Charles Manson stole this song from the Beatles – now, we’re stealing it back.
The GOP is the Party of Freedom of Choice
The Party that Believes in Your Right to Direct Your Life
Charles Manson stole this song from the Beatles – now, we’re stealing it back.
The Republican Party has always embraced a wide range of ideological beliefs – and this diversity of thought has sometimes inspired conflict, as it has also led to great achievement. Yet through all debates, despite all regional or political concerns, the foundation of Republicanism has been the same since its inception: the freedom of the individual, and the value of every human life.
These principles have guided the party from its origin as a political force to destroy slavery, to the long fight against communism, to the ongoing battle for the sanctity of the unborn, to the present war against the forces of Islamism. Those principles will guide the Republican Party through the twenty-first century, and beyond. And we believe the GOP must rededicate itself to the idea of individual freedom – of being the party that believes not in government mandated parity, which wields the power of the bureaucracy to force a false equality of outcome, but in a level playing field for all Americans regardless of race, class, or creed – ensuring an equal opportunity to compete, succeed, and thrive.
The Republican Party must reclaim its rightful mantle as the leading champion of Freedom of Choice.
People must be free to decide how to direct their lives for themselves, and then be responsible for their choices.
On education, Republicans believe you must be free to choose how you want to educate your children. Government should not stand in the way of your choice, whether in the form of home schooling, government schooling, charter schools, vouchers to leave a failing school for a thriving school, or other opportunities.
On healthcare, Republicans should embrace an end to regulatory regimes that prevent citizens from buying healthcare across state lines. Republicans should embrace reforms that allow the free market to play a greater role in health care, not a lesser role. Republicans should embrace total portability of health insurance so workers can be free to choose a new job without fear of losing their insurance.
On taxes, Republicans should embrace the Republican Study Committee plan for an alternate flat tax. If you want to go through the regular 1040 process with itemized deductions, etc., do it. If you want to bypass that route, file a postcard return based on a flat tax — the taxpayer’s choice.
On energy, Republicans, including our Presidential nominee, should embrace every option. You want nuclear power? Republicans should favor that choice. You want to use the resources we have instead of buying it from our enemies? Republicans support legislation to allow us to drill here and now. You want methanol and other biofuels? Republicans should break down trade barriers that prevent the importation of ethanol and Republicans should break down subsidies that raise the price of food stuffs in the name of producing corn based ethanol and other biofuels. Republicans should be in favor of letting consumers decide which light bulbs consumers want for their own homes.
On Social Security, Republicans should favor greater investment options for individuals’ retirements. If an individual wants to keep the current social security regime, we should let them. If an individual wants greater control investing their social security, we should let them have it. And above all else, because the government has already made certain choices regarding social security and medicare withholdings, Republicans should not use FICA/FUTA revenues for anything but social security and medicare/Medicaid payments respectively, in the current year.
When individuals are allowed to choose for themselves, they take an ownership interest in their choices. One of the greatest failures of the present administration has been not aggressively communicating and supporting the President’s idea of an ownership society, which contains at its core the revolutionary undercurrent that motivated America’s founding: that each individual holds within themselves the capacity and right to self-government.
This is an enormous contrast with the Democrats. In almost every area of their agenda, they are opposed to self-government. They advocate less freedom for the individual to direct their lives – they remove the Freedom of Choice from the American citizen, and give it instead to bureacracies and agencies and the many eddies and tidepools of the federal government, all managed with the efficiency and responsibility of your local Department of Motor Vehicles.
Continue reading Musings on a Republican Message.
Laconia Daily Sun (P. 9)
Barnstead legislator raising funds to install a MikeWhalley memorial bench in Representatives Hall
ALTON — It was Rep. Mike Whalley’s encouragement that brought Janet Allen to the state’s House of Representatives six years ago. In honor of Whalley’s leadership, Allen thought it would be most appropriate for a memorial to the former Republican leader to be present in the House’s Chambers.
Whalley, who was the House Republican leader, was under treatment for brain cancer and died in March from complications from a fall, and Allen is beginning a campaign to raise funds for a bench to be placed in his memory in the House Chambers.
“Mike spent a great deal of time in Rep’s Hall, speaking at the [Speaker’s] Well, or sitting on the bench waiting for his turn to speak,” said Allen. She thought the best way for her to memorialize her friend and colleague would be to replace the aging bench where he spent so much time sitting and thinking about what he would say when his turn came.
Allen has been working with the House Historical Committee, which has given the concept its backing. That committee will also review the fi nal plan to ensure that the bench will be an aesthetic complement to the room.
Allen fi rst came to know Whalley when they were both members of Bishop Brady High School’s Class of 1971. They both attended UNH after graduation, but differing interests and their respective family lives cause them to drift apart, until Whalley, who had been a representative from Bow, moved to Alton.
His new address put him in House district number 5, which includes Barnstead, where Allen lives. When Allen learned of Whalley’s intention to run for one of the seats six years ago, she offered to be his campaign manager. Whalley had a better idea, and the two of them both ran, and acting as each other’s campaign manager, they both won. The same strategy produced the same results for the next two election cycles.
Allen and Whalley worked together on bills, and from 2004 to 2006, Allen was the Clerk of the Election Law Committee, which Whalley chaired.
“He was our leader, he was a natural born leader,” she said. “Mike was a great compromiser. He always felt that if two parties left the table and they were both a little unhappy, that was a good compromise.”
Barnstead legislator raising funds to install a MikeWhalley memorial bench in Representatives Hall
ALTON — It was Rep. Mike Whalley’s encouragement that brought Janet Allen to the state’s House of Representatives six years ago. In honor of Whalley’s leadership, Allen thought it would be most appropriate for a memorial to the former Republican leader to be present in the House’s Chambers.
Whalley, who was the House Republican leader, was under treatment for brain cancer and died in March from complications from a fall, and Allen is beginning a campaign to raise funds for a bench to be placed in his memory in the House Chambers.
“Mike spent a great deal of time in Rep’s Hall, speaking at the [Speaker’s] Well, or sitting on the bench waiting for his turn to speak,” said Allen. She thought the best way for her to memorialize her friend and colleague would be to replace the aging bench where he spent so much time sitting and thinking about what he would say when his turn came.
Allen has been working with the House Historical Committee, which has given the concept its backing. That committee will also review the fi nal plan to ensure that the bench will be an aesthetic complement to the room.
Allen fi rst came to know Whalley when they were both members of Bishop Brady High School’s Class of 1971. They both attended UNH after graduation, but differing interests and their respective family lives cause them to drift apart, until Whalley, who had been a representative from Bow, moved to Alton.
His new address put him in House district number 5, which includes Barnstead, where Allen lives. When Allen learned of Whalley’s intention to run for one of the seats six years ago, she offered to be his campaign manager. Whalley had a better idea, and the two of them both ran, and acting as each other’s campaign manager, they both won. The same strategy produced the same results for the next two election cycles.
Allen and Whalley worked together on bills, and from 2004 to 2006, Allen was the Clerk of the Election Law Committee, which Whalley chaired.
“He was our leader, he was a natural born leader,” she said. “Mike was a great compromiser. He always felt that if two parties left the table and they were both a little unhappy, that was a good compromise.”
