The Spirit of 94!

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who masterfully ran the campaign which vaulted Republicans into control of the House of Representatives for the first time in 40 years, has proposed a similar approach to the upcoming November elections. He suggests these priorities:

1. Jobs, jobs, jobs.
2. Balance the budget.
3. An American energy plan.
4. Appropriations reform.
5. Litigation reform.
6. Real health reform.
7. Every child gets ahead.
8. Protect religious liberty.
9. Protect Americans, not the rights of terrorists.
10. Defending America is job one for government.

Not a bad list, to be sure, yet there are areas and ways in which he should be careful. If he means we must create an environment where jobs are created through market forces, that's good. If he means government stimulus jobs programs, which is doubtful, that's bad. The same with energy plans: if they are of the kind and type which promote private initiative via the market, good. If they promote untested 'green' ideas, that's bad.

'Every child gets ahead' sounds too much like 'No child left behind', and we see what a debacle that has become. We need to get the federal government out of the education business, period.

The bottom line is simple: flesh it out. Show some details, and we'll go from there. But it is good to see the GOP recognizing that it must energize the electorate by appeal to it, and that the best way to do that is a return to the solid, hard core values of mainstream America.

The Spirit of 94: pass it on!