Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Posted by: John Campbell at 2:58 PM
Many of you have posted comments pointing out that Republicans committed many of the same fiscal sins when we were in control that are now being committed by the Democrats.
 
You are absolutely correct. And Republicans lost the majority in no small part because we said we were fiscal conservatives, but we didn't act like it.
 
When the Democrat's swept into power, they said they would be committed to reforming earmarks and being fiscally responsible. They are doing neither. They have clearly not changed from the tax and spend days of old. My previous posts on this blog speak to the lengths they have gone the past couple months.
 
Now, that does not excuse Republican fiscal transgressions. I would love to tell you my colleagues have learned these lessons. But that is not true. However, many of us never lost that fiscal compass. It is we in the Republican Study Committee that have kept the fiscally responsible flame burning on Capitol Hill, however, dimly.
 
If you care about lower taxes, curtailed spending, and less government in your lives, the Democrats will never deliver for you. First, we must expose their hypocrisy in that regard. Then we must return a Republican majority to Congress with the renewed fiscal discipline of 1994. That is my mission. I hope you will join me.



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dogjudge writes: Thursday, April, 12, 2007 8:51 AM
Let's see
Let's see, the country gave the Republicans over six years to control the purse string and we got what?

The Democrats have controlled the purse strings for what, 90 days?

So where has the Republican push been to make earmarks transparent? Has the Republican leadership gone to the White House to convince THEM to pull back THEIR opposition to the transparency of earmarks?

How has the Republican party tried to work WITH the Democrats to make the SYSTEM better?

The Republicans have been feeding at the trough for a very long time. Now they are complaining about the Democrats doing it.

As the Republicans we so fond of pointing out, "Where's the Democrats plan to end the Iraq War?"

So where is the Republican plan to change the SYSTEM?
sparko_one writes: Thursday, April, 12, 2007 10:54 AM
hmmmm
so when has either pary been fiscal conservatives? All i have ever seen from either party is "tax and spend", and "borrow and spend". so what happens Congressman Campbell in a few years from now when my generation, "baby boomers", want to start to retire and hang it up? where is the money then since all there is IOU notes all around the Federal Gov. And not to even think of all the unfunded funds in State gov,s for future pensions> Hmm seems like the Congress and state gov,s will again say, "Hmm guess time to raise taxes up the yazoooo". Yea right and i really believe the younger generations are going to bend over backwards on that one. I wonder if any of them have read the book by Buckley on saying to a old time geezer baby boomer to just knock themselves off for the good of the country?

I think i will look into taking my money overseas to escape the coming nite mare.
Betty writes: Thursday, April, 12, 2007 7:20 PM
WA-WA-WA-WA!!!
He may as well have posted this:

"We wanna be re-elected. Really, we do. And if you TRUST US again, we'll show some modicum of fiscal restraint....no, REALLY.....trust us....would this face lie?"

Pfft. We gave you the House and Senate for 12 years......and the White House for 6 of those 12.....and that got us what, exactly?

Medicare Part D, No Child Left Behind, NO FUNDAMENTAL TAX REFORM, NO SOCIALIST INSECURITY REFORM, An open border coupled with a Comprehensive Immigration (READ: AMNESTY) plan.

No thanks. I'm not buying what you're selling. May you and your brethren spend many years out of power contemplating your sins. GAME OVER.
RickV writes: Thursday, April, 12, 2007 8:29 PM
Ditto
I think the damage done by Bush is not going to be undone. I don't hear Republicans talking about undoing anything they've done in the past six years. You can't talk about lower taxes now that government is significantly larger than it was before Bush. Taxes, or inflation, can never truly be lower than it was then. The Republican party, one would hope, is finished, but unfortunately, the Democrats I'm sure will give people reason to foolishly put them in the majority again. It's a choice between arsenic and strychnine, what do you do?
empress519 writes: Friday, April, 13, 2007 8:05 AM
Re: dogjudge
"Let's see, the country gave the Republicans over six years to control the purse string and we got what?"

Uh, lower taxes which produced the best economy we've seen in years!

"The Democrats have controlled the purse strings for what, 90 days?"

And already they're trying to implement the largest tax hike in US History! Which means start waving bye-bye to a flourishing economy--and your paycheck.

"So where is the Republican plan to change the SYSTEM?"

There's no way a single party can change an entire system. (Especially if one believes that party possesses serious shortcomings.) If the people of the US want a system over-haul, that can only happen if THE PEOPLE band together, step-up and do the changing.

Most complainants I've seen from conservatives regarding the Rep. party reads as if they somehow expect Republicans to be perfect and single-handedly save the system. Which is ironic, because the main problem with the way our system is today is that the common man is not represented. And yet the common man expects a party it obviously doesn't believe in to somehow go through this miraculous transformation and save the day. As history will show in any civilization, that kind of change only happens after the PEOPLE do the changing. But perhaps this country's standard of living and society has led to people who aren't willing to roll up their sleeves and do *something* themselves. Instead, it breeds people who want to lay back and simply whine.
justpaul writes: Friday, April, 13, 2007 8:48 AM
Try something new
Isn't this post by Mr. Campbell an acknowledgment that neither party is capable of real fiscal restraint?

Maybe it's time we tried something new, like funding each year's expenditures on last year's tax revenue, rather than next year's wishful thinking. Yes, they'll spend every dime they get, but at least they won't be able to run up any bills that have to be paid for by future generations not yet conceived.

Remember folks: The people who run for Congress truly believe that they are smarter than you and that they can spend your money more wisely than you can. No matter what they tell you, spending your money is always their primary motive.
empress519 writes: Friday, April, 13, 2007 8:50 AM
Re: betty
"WA-WA-WA-WA!!!"

Oh, so you're saying he's whining...sorta like a lot of the conservatives in lieu of actually doing something....

"No thanks. I'm not buying what you're selling. May you and your brethren spend many years out of power contemplating your sins. GAME OVER."

Reminds me of the 4th grade. "Little Suzy didn't do what I wanted, so I'm gonna pick Bobby instead. That'll show 'em!"

Now, granted, our system allows us to vote out and replace our representatives if we don't feel as if they're doing what we ask. But somehow people think that even though the system and BOTH parties have serious issues (and are both ignoring what we need) that voting one out will "show 'em!" Meaning, somehow the Republicans will go through this miraculous change and "save the day!"

Yet the fact remains that we ALL know they'll be voted back in anyway, because where Republicans make mistakes, Democrats just grab an ax and go to town.

If people really want to change the system, they have two options:

1. Grab a gun, call the militia, and storm Capitol Hill. (You get my drift.)

2. Stop being like little kids.

b. Realize that the NOBODY can change a system but the PEOPLE, and understand that a system that is this far gone cannot possibly be corrected by one party--especially it the people thinks it, too, has large issues.

(And, thus, stop whining when the Republicans don't miraculously turn things around in a matter of years!)

a. Realize that Republicans are the lesser evil--and start getting behind them. We don't agree with everything they do, but have you ever known anybody to truly change by whining to them?

Instead of whiny, people need to be loud. To come together in a collective voice and drive the Republicans crazy until they do what WE want. But for that to work, we also need to consider (c):

c. Realize that Democrats are LOVING the fact that we use them as our solution to teaching the Republicans a lesson, and STOP VOTING THEM IN. It's a version of the age-old tactic of divide and conquer. The conservatives divide themselves from their party, giving a chance for the greater evil to step-in and make a bigger mess of things. Which is EXACTLY what they're doing (like the largest tax hike in history). If it works in THEIR favor (not ours) they're going to do it.

So "GAME OVER." Yeah. FOR US. Because the only ones we're hurting by voting in the Democrats is US. Who is going to be more hurt by a squashed economy and higher taxes? The Republicans? No. THE PEOPLE!

In the end, we're just playing games and hurting ourselves.
Citizen writes: Saturday, April, 14, 2007 4:01 AM
Citizen Movement
It won't matter which party gets elected until the People wake up. They know they're being screwed... yet they think it is hopeless and don't care anymore. Things won't change until the People change. Until then, things will just get worse.

Visit AmericanSolutions.com if you want to help make that happen.
Jim writes: Wednesday, April, 18, 2007 2:13 PM
If you are truly committed...
If you are truly committed to doing this, I will join with you. That being said; Americans are getting tired of empty promises. If Republicans can't keep there promises, we will be relegated to minority status for a long long time.

Jim C
Jim writes: Wednesday, April, 18, 2007 2:28 PM
You amaze me
You people in the comments amaze me. Talk about cutting your nose off to spite your face. Do ANY of you really think that the tax and spend dems will be any more fiscally responsible than the Republicans were? If you do then your smoking crack.

Jim C
scooteraz writes: Saturday, April, 21, 2007 12:04 PM
Evidence
When either one of the parties steps up and allows the President the "line-item-veto" then that party will get my support.

I'm tired of the games that the government uses to spend money so irrepsonsibly.

We should be conservative with our resources and stop wasting money.

Honestly, it's like Congress/Senate are at the checkout stand and can't stop buying all the "last minute" items before they hit the register - even when they don't need it!
scooteraz writes: Saturday, April, 21, 2007 12:06 PM
ouch
Irresponsibly.

Irresponsibly.

Irresponsibly.

Irresponsibly.

Irresponsibly.

5 times seems enough to show I can spell the word. : )
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About John Campbell

John Campbell is a member of the House Financial Services Committee, and has taken a leadership role in addressing the country's top economic issues. Campbell serves as a member of the Joint Economic Committee, and House Committee on the Budget. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Economics from UCLA and a Master's Degree in Taxation from USC.

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