GOP needs to Realize that Protests are about them too

The Associated Press is reporting that "House Republican leader John Boehner says nationwide protests known as 'tea parties' are the result of push back against Democrats' spending." Yes, this is true, but equally guilty are Republican members of Congress who have supported a gradual approach to socialism. This is the same type of spending that has no support in the Constitution and gives the left its justification for going all the more further in its agenda. The rationale is simple...illegal spending is illegal spending, regardless of the amount. You might as well go for the gusto if you are going to pursue it at all.

The AP goes on to note that "Boehner says his Democratic colleagues are 'bankrupting' the country." This is true and there is no doubt about that reality. The GOP's problem with the situation, however, isn't the bankruptcy, but the fact that they are no longer over seeing it. Much of Republican complaints seem to be about who is in charge and not the damage being done.

The Minority leader also notes that "People are demonstrating and attending town hall meetings because...'we're in the midst of a political rebellion in America.'" I know the Congressman would love to put himself in the "us" side of the classic "us vs. them" conflict. Sorry Mr. Boehner, you are "them." You supported President Bush's bailout in September and am a convert of convenience when it comes to the proper role of government today.

It should not be a surprise that the Congressman gave these remarks at an event like the annual gathering of the the Values Voter Summit in Washington. These were, in his mind, "his type of people." These are among those who are the loudest about the dramatic decline in America's moral and economic standing.

Boehner indicated that he attended a tea party over Labor Day weekend near his West Chester, Ohio home that that drew 18,000 people. He says the crowd told members of Congress that "enough is enough." The thing I do not think that he and many of his GOP colleagues understand is that the comments are directed to both sides of the aisle in Congress. If the shoe fits, Mr. Boehner, by all means wear it.

Ironically, this article that discusses John Boehner's view of the Tea Party still sticks with the story of "tens of thousands of protesters fed up with government spending" that "marched to the Capitol." The media ignores the real numbers because they are afraid that acknowledging them will have an adverse effect on the political establishment they are devoted to. The media is guilty of under estimating the number of people in this movement. I am afraid the GOP under estimates how far this movement's anger reaches.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business, the longest running show on AM 650 (M-F at 11 am) in Houston, Texas and on AOL Radio. His articles often appear in Chicago Sun Times, Reuters, USA Today, and other national media. Steve Moore of the Wall Street Journal calls Price the “best business talk show host in the country.” Find out why and visit his blog at www.BizPlusBlog.com and his show site at www.PriceofBusiness.com. You can also find Price on Strategy Room at FoxNews.com.

Republicans are Soul Searching

With the elections over, the Democrats are celebrating and the Republicans begin the long recovery process. The Republicans haven't been in such a minority status since the 1970s. You remember how wonderful those days were. Recently I heard interviews with several Republican congressional leaders and you can hear the pain in their voices as they begin some serious soul searching.

The Democrats and mainstream media are full of advice for Republicans. They are arguing that the party failed because it isn't like the Democrats enough. It has failed to fully embrace big government, isn't socially tolerant enough, and hasn't made enough concessions to foreign adversaries. The reality is, John McCain advocated border "reform" that undermines our sovereignty, campaign finance reform that weakens the First Amendment, and simply didn't understand the role of tax cuts in generating revenue and prosperity (no, not Obamas welfare plan in the form of tax cuts, but actual wealth generating fiscal policy). I have a contrarian view from the media and Democrats, I believe the GOP didn't act Republican enough. There is no question the Republicans need to make some changes. Here are a few suggestions:

• Restore the three legged stool. Ronald Reagan was the most successful Republican in modern history and his message was powerful but simple. He promoted traditional family values, economic freedom (less taxes and government), and a strong national defense. These themes -- often seen as "polarizing" by the mainstream media -- made the Republican Party the majority party through the 1980s and led to the restoration of its prominence in 1994 with the Contract with America led by Newt Gingrich. The GOP needs to restore these principles in its message.


• Appeal to the rank and file. Although my main passion today is economics, I got interested in the Republican party while in high school for different reasons. I became a Christian at the age of 16 and believed that my faith should play a role in every aspect of my life. The Republicans were strongly pro-life and that was clearly the Christian worldview, in my opinion. The stronger the GOP was in that arena, the more involved I wanted to be. The softer those positions, the weaker my interest. It is the same with other positions. Strong defense, free markets, and limited government. The more passionate the GOP is, the more passionate that base will be.


• The GOP needs to clean House (and Senate). Just this week the House elected new leadership and in a surprising move they kept John Boehner as Majority Leader. Until the final months of '08 Boehner had been the king of the "get along" gang and he went to extraordinary lengths to be accommodative with the liberal majority rather than represent the interest of Republicans. There was some good news at the House Republican Conference with conservative Mike Pence taking over that position. In his acceptance speech he indicated that he was going to do what he could to move the party back to its roots. Also, conservative Eric Cantor of Virginia becomes the new Minority Whip.


• Republicans should build on its strengths. The one silver lining in this electoral disaster is that the vast majority of the Republicans who lost were moderates. I would rather have a smaller group of conservative Republicans in the Congress than a larger one dominated by moderates. These moderates who lost should send a firm message to other members of what doesn't work for Republicans. If the voters have a choice between Democrats and Republicans who act like Democrats, they will always choose the former. We need real Republicans and need to promote a conservative agenda in Congress.


• The new GOP chairman needs to be a true conservative. There is a great deal of discussion about Michael Steele (former Lt. Governor of Maryland) running for the party's top post. Steele is treated as a serious conservative by the mainstream media. The reality is that Steele is eloquent and smart and very conservative by Maryland standards (I know, I lived there before). We need someone who is conservative by every standard. I love having someone like Steele on our side, but I would like to see a chairman who believes recruiting conservatives to run for office is a top priority. I am concerned that Steele won't share that objective.


• Efforts should be made towards ending open primaries that allow independents vote for candidates in the winter and spring whom they will vote against in November. If you had to be a Republican to vote in the New Hampshire primary, it is highly unlikely that McCain would have been the Republican nominee. We would have had a true conservative which would have improved our odds.

This list is just a beginning. The GOP needs to do an inventory of what works and what does not work and I am sure the latter would be quite long. The single most important thing it should do is be highly selective of where it gets its advice and should simply choose to ignore the opinions of the mainstream media and the Democrats, which both want the Republican party to stay the minority.

Kevin Price is a syndicated columnist whose articles frequently appear at ChicagoSunTimes.com, Reuters.com, USAToday.com, and other national media.

Kevin Price is Host of the Price of Business (M-F at 11 AM on CNN 650) and Publisher of the Houston Business Review. Hear the show live and online at PriceofBusiness.com. Visit the archive of past shows here.