I think you could have modified your list to leave out the “If”s, because I think it’s a sure bet that all of those will come to pass. I’m glad to hear your willingness to fight to the best of your ability.

you rock

It would also GREATLY benefit the Republican Party if you can neutralize the abortion issue. The stance of the GOP (if I understand it), is that this is a States Rights Issue and the Supreme Court should never have decided Roe v. Wade. I am a pro-choice woman and I agree with that position. Unfortunately, the popular perception of the GOP is that you want to take away a woman’s right, and the populace really does not understand the States Rights argument. My suggestion is that you work really, really hard to get this issue on a local state ballot. Getting abortion banned on the state level; it will be appealed and I am almost certain that Roe v. Wade will be overturned (Ginsburg might even write the opinion). A lot more women will feel more comfortable joining the GOP, and you simply cannot continue to ignore 50% of the voting population of the United States. There are a lot of woman who agree with the positions espoused by the GOP; unfortunately, the GOP “image” is being anti-woman’s rights. Trying to explain states rights is a non-starter, since most people do not understand the United States Constitution. You simply need to be pro-active and get abortion banned on a state level, thus precipitated the appeal to the SCOTUS.

It feels to many of us out here in voterland that Republicans that cross the aisle and go against conservatism are killing us.

What steps is this congress going to take to make the Republicans into a more cohesive group that is willing to fight?

I hope that John McCain will not betray us when he goes back to the Senate by joining any more “gangs” to further the Democrats agenda while throwing us under the bus.

The other problem with the GOP “image” is that you are seen as the party of the Religious Right. People I talk to somehow have this far-fetched opinion that you want to impose the Christian religion on everyone. You really, really, really need to focus on the fact that the Founding Fathers came to this country to escape having a religion imposed upon them, and that they set up a system of governance so that they would be free to practice whatever religion they wanted to IN PRIVATE. Therefore, anyone — Catholic, Hindu, Jew, Atheist — is welcome in the GOP since you respect their right to practice their religion in private, and that you fully understand and respect and will uphold the principle that government will make no law respecting the establishment of religion. The majority of this country agree with that principle. Unfortunately, the GOP is viewed as the party that wants to make laws to establish a national religion.

…even though I’m not one myself.

Congressman, we don’t need any more big government conservatism. Both parties need to quit funding projects of dubious constitutionality. Why do we need a Department of Energy that produces no energy or Department of Education that educates no children?

If Republicans act in accordance with their professed principles, they’ll be back in 2010. Two years of Obammunist rule will be horrible for the country, but should do wonders for the GOP.

And while you’re at it, please help the GOP find a conservative chairman and an effective public relations platform. The Democrats have almost all the news media in their back pocket so I can imagine how hard it is to get coverage. All we have is Fox News (barely) and talk radio. And we all know what the Dems plan to do to talk radio!

You see, I can’t get over the $700 Billion Crap Sandwich you help pass.

Sorry, you fail. Bye!

I’ve asked my colleagues for the privilege of serving as Republican Leader because I’ve tried to lead by personal example in the fight for smaller, more accountable government, and I sense that we now have our greatest chance in more than a decade to renew that fight together as a party.

not to blame you for the past eight years or nothing, but I haven’t been very impressed with the Republican leadership ability to accomplish much in any of those 12 areas of “opportunity” you mentioned.

What I do know is that after 8 years the debt has doubled by 5 trillion, jobs have been shipped overseas wholesale, the war on Terror is a mess, Wall Street is broken and on the verge of becoming even more nationalized, my street is filled with foreclosure signs and the only reason oil doesn’t cost $4/gal is because of the looming recession. I also know that if you’re rich life is pretty good these days. If you’re middle class… it looks increasing bleak. John McCain’s and Pres-elect Obama’s campaign were all about change because people wanted change.

I’m not seeing a lot of change here.

Now that’s what I wanted to hear.

People are deep into soul searching. I think it is a good exercise, but I don’t think this election was that complex.

There is a bell curve. The majority view themselves as moderates. I heard some exit polls on the radio and they were saying something like 22% identified as conservative, 34% as liberal and 44% as moderate.

Obama was able to present himself as a moderate. Up until 2 weeks ago, McCain’s main attacks to show that Obama was not a moderate were the attacks on Ayers. I said here before that was not effective.

People don’t like to be damned by their associations and so they don’t like it when they see other people damned by their associations. Everyone has some family/friends who they would probably prefer to not be associated with on the front page of a newspaper because of drug or crime or other scandal type problems.

Once McCain found the redistribution theme, it started to work to show Obama as a radical, but by then Obama had cemented his support and McCain had lost credibility.

So people were not voting that Obama was more centrist than McCain.

People were voting against George W. Bush. Obama succeeded at appearing safe.

Here is to hoping that he is safe.

I appreciate your efforts and we need your help to harness an energized very liberal Democrat party. You will be fighting old battles again along with new ones, such as, off-shore drilling.

However, we need to WIN elections and ADD seats. We have not done that the last two elections. I would like to see a young, fresh face that can appeal to the YOUNG people that voted two-to-one for Obama. He is the face of the party now. It was easier facing the tired faces of Reid and Pelosi, even though they are still there.

I would like to see the long ignored, Jeff Flake, in a HIGHLY visible position. Jeff is well spoken and has walked the talk during his entire tenure in Congress.

Congressman, I appreciated your post and love the fact that you are in a leadership position, but can you explain why it is that when the republicans were in the majority in congress it still seemed as though the democrats ruled? And now that you are in a real minority, as much as I want to believe your post, why should I believe you guys will unify and fight for conservative principles? My impression is that when there is a fight, democrats stand united and republicans fold. The democratic minority demanded co leadership and got it. Rhinos consistently defect and water things down. I don’t believe anything can be bi-partisan in the current climate in Washington, bipartisan to a democrat means republicans just give up, and too often that is just what you have done. Please prove me wrong and stand up, all of you, don’t be doormats.

If your actions match your words you will always have support.

The Republicans who showed some gumption this summer were a welcome change of fare.

Reaching across the aisle to people who would rip off your arm for fun is a practice which Sen. McCain just demonstrated doesn’t work.

RINOS are killing the party.
If the public can’t tell the Dems from the Republicans, then as we found out yesterday, we are in a heck of a mess.
A moderate is one who is afraid to commit, and we don’t need such.

Do what you say, stand firm on principles.

IF you get steamrolled by the left, you may lose an issue, but you will maintain our respect and support.

Regards

I first want to thank you for taking the time to be involved, especially as you know our members tend to care passionately about such fights as the leadership of our party.

However, I have a key problem with something you said: “As Leader, I’ve stood up to John Murtha, Charlie Rangel, Rahm Emanuel, Bill Jefferson, David Obey, and Steny Hoyer, and directly challenged Nancy Pelosi’s hypocritical efforts….”

I note you never challenged what got us here in the first place. Merrily you went along with all the problems that got us in this mess in the first place. All well and good yet you have not led your party in principled fights against your own when it was in the wrong, especially on the bailout bill. And there is no where in here any recognition or acknowledgement of this fact OR any sign that you would attempt to rectify this with another chance at leadership.

In sum you’ve shown you’ve learned little from 2006 and now 2008.

I know you were brought into office with the Reagan Revolution and the take over of the Congress by conservative Republican members of Congress. The Republican Main Street Partnership formed to combat conservatism.

The ideals you just listed in this post really rock! I want those things to happen! These are conservative ideals. I am a conservative. However, what about the foxes who are left guarding the hen house?

Will you fight republican moderates who run primary challengers against elected and safe conservative Republicans, just because they don’t like conservatives?

The members of this “Partnership” brought us back into the wilderness. What are you going to do about it? In my opinion, they will undermine everything you just said you stood for in this post! If you do not deal with them, your ideals are meaningless because they will undermine your attempts to enact them too.

I cite the example of your “all the above energy” policy. The Republican Main Street Partnership is opposed to “opening sensitive areas to oil and gas exploration”. They oppose your “all the above” energy policy!

Please Mr Boehner, I want to believe you, but after the last two elections and the results your leadership brought, I am left doubtful if your words will matter unless the foxes are dealt with too.

Your unwillingness to deal with them render your words meaningless, unless you lead by example on this issue too!

We will not compromise with free speech (fairness doctrine is a NO)
We will oppose every attempt to modify constitution.
We will beat back every attempt within republican party to malign and sideline Gov. Sarah Palin.
We will do away with bipartisan attitude if it takes the republican party away from core conservative principals.

I hope I don’t get yelled at by other members

Republican leaders talk about small government, etc., when they’re now doormats for the democrats (read insignificant minority party).

Sorry Senator, but you’ve had your chance. You didn’t fight for small government and responsibility when you have the ability to actually implement it. Time to move aside and let others give it a try.

Congressman Boehner:
Barack Obama is Jimmy Carter ten times over. The result of his ham fisted, ill conceived meddling will result in a political environment that can be successfully attacked from a conservative platform. The most immediate arena will be the mortgage crisis. How in the world did the creators of this disaster not only escape blame but manage to be put in charge of the corrective measures. I’m talking about Frank, Dodd, Waters, Kerry and last but not least Obama himself.
Obama’s Cabinet
These people have destroyed the lives of millions to cement their political base. This is the same thing that happened with the Great Society which destroyed the integrity of the family unit among the poor. Do we have to keep repeating the same mistakes.
It is time for the liberal agenda that has been destroying the economic base of the United States for 80 years to be exposed for what it is. Our best days lie ahead of us and it is time to move forward. We need to recruit real conservatives for the 2010 elections and bring the battle to the liberals. Conservative issues win elections. Witness the Marrage Definition constitutional amendment in CALIFORNIA!!!!

Thank you for your contacting us by posting.
All of the “If an Obama presidency means…” points you bring up are an excellent start to a possible Contract With America II.
What I know will happen, as I’m sure you know better than I, is every point will be twisted by not only Rep. Pelosi and her majority, but by the press as well and every point you make needs to have appropriate anti-countermeasures in the breech.
Example:
“If an Obama presidency means “spreading the wealth around” by raising taxes on small businesses, families and investment to pay for more spending in Washington, DC, Republicans will have no choice but to fight it vigorously in favor of a pro-growth plan for rapid economic recovery.”
Readily translates to:
“You want tax cuts for the rich, no change from the failed…” etc ad nauseum.

“If an Obama presidency means ignoring the looming fiscal tsunami in our entitlement programs –- ducking a problem that could eventually…”
Means:
“You want to take away Social Security for senior citizens, starve our children…”

I’d just like to see the GOP for once ready with the Democrat Playbook already in hand, and an education strategy for a public that, again, only hears certain things from certain people.
Contract With America I being published in TV Guide was a stroke of genius.

One last thing, can we not rush to Governor Palin until we really know more? Already on Fox News of all places things are coming out in various “after-action” reports and comments about various things…we have more time, lets let the dust clear for a bit, and then see.

Note to lefties;
“Don’t be afraid to see what you see.” -Ronald Reagan

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Time to dish out partisanship every step of the way. All those blocked judicial appointments that Bush wanted to appoint, but now will be filled by the Chosen One, unless a fight to the last man standing is made.
Forget the “all the above” energy policy, not when it leads to food inflation, cause we’re too busy fighting in alliance with Pelosi’s vision of saving the planet by shoving corn ethanol into the gas tanks with subsidized tax dollars.
Its time to become the oil companies best friends, aim for a no brown out or black out policy, while the Chosen one is trying to fight the coal producers and the nuclear power interests.
Its time to reduce corporate taxes-
Its been time to fight until there is the last man standing on the House floor and make “Hazelnuts”- or whatever else that makes more sense,- the code word in honor of the General who uttered the word “Nuts” when the Germans demanded his surrender at the Battle of the Bulge.

selling conservatism to young voters…

i’m 26, a marketing major, working in municipal government, doing policy and business analysis.

boehner, find me a job promoting conservatism… and i’ll take you at your word here, but i will hold you to it.

What happened yesterday was a contiuation of the 06 “thumping.” Republicans lost the White House & more congressional seats because not enough stood up to the harangue from the Democrats & promoted true conservative principles.

Here in TN, Republicans took over the state house for the first time in well over 100 years. We did this by candidates running as conservatives with the courage of their convictions. While conservatives may not win every district, they win most.

Representative Boehner, thanks for contacting us. I appreciate you voting history (with the exception of the bailout bill). But the sad fact is that you have been leader during two awful elections for the House Republicans.

I don’t want you to go away–your vote and experience is valuable. But it is time to let someone else take the lead. Maybe get yourself assigned to the appropriations committee. Someone not on the take there would be very useful.

…that your 12 point plan is all framed in the negative. Republicans will fight against this and that, etc. That’s not good enough. I want to see what Republicans are for. Show me your plan for reforming the tax code. Show me your plan for privatizing Social Security. Show me your plan for getting government out of the health insurance business.

First of all, thank you for posting.

Secondly, I’m with Jeff. The agenda you’re offering while good obstructionism is still obstructionism. How are you going to reform our government?

Re-electing your failed leadership sems like a purely idiotic excercise to be quite honest. What did the Democrats get from re-electing Dick Gephardt year after year?

One minor quibble about your points in the post; no mention of gun rights. Anyone with half a brain knows, after 80 years, that gun control is mush. Controlling criminals is the key, and I’d like not to lose my right to shoot at varmints and paper.

My (hopefully helpful) addendum to your ideas are as follows.

1) You know that ‘fire in the belly’ your group had over the drilling issue? We need more of that; lots more, and on every issue, until the MSM gets sick of seeing your faces. The base is fed up with you all letting the left define our agenda.

2)STOP with the one way bipartisan nonsense. If they truly wanted to work together for the betterment of our Nation, they’d have thrown our side a bone or two, after all these years. Instead, it’s been 20 years of “our turn in the barrel”, if you get my drift.

3) ARTICULATE THE MESSAGE! You folks have been curiously (and depressingly) silent, while all the malfeasance has been going on, and only Foley and Craig get thrown under the bus??? Hold them all to account. If you have any power over the rules commitee at all, start instituting massive punitive measures for any member, of either party, who are on the take or severely unethical. Sure, lead by example. That’s what we expect from our side. Taking the ‘high road’ is commendable, until you drive us all off the cliff. Y’all expect us to be honest in our dealings with the Government; it is past time that Government returned the favor.

4) I served in the Reagan era, and got to know his philosophy pretty well. When we catch a member who isn’t living up to that standard, it’s usually too late to do anything about it. You work with this type of hack, and can spot it quicker than we can. Sanctions can work, if they are applied.

5) Midnight votes on automatic pay raises must be nice, but with the current state of our economy, and the ABYSMAL financial treatment of our troops, it looks quite tacky, from our level. Think about it.

6) While I understand (to a certain extent) the divide within the party over the three legs of the Conservative stool, the opposition has us hogtied with their understanding of party unity. A SoCon who doesn’t support a FisCon or NatSecCon is asking for a smackdown, in my opinion.

I truly don’t mean to sound disrespectful, and I know you’ve probably heard worse. But we are very frustrated with the lackluster performance of the party since ’88, when the NE elite took over. We got lucky with eight years of a GOP President who saw the threat from abroad, but you have all dropped the ball on selling the vision. I believe in the GWOT/Preemptive strike strategy, and only wish that Reagan had thought to use it over Tehran or Beirut. Maybe even Tripoli. (Sigh). Lost opportunities are, as always, learning experiences. PLEASE, learn from this loss.

Yours Respectfully, CWD

I am sorry, but I put all the loses squarely at the feet of the Republicans. When we won in 1994 you guys did a great job until about 1999 then you guys went “Washington” and behaved just like Democrats spending all to be *amned and winking as everyone sucked on the earmarks. Do you think we would be sitting here today in the minority if you all had attacked earmarks when you were in power and with that majority eliminated them? NO. I consider the current batch of Republicans no different from the Democrats.

The bailout was a mistake. Again you let the Democrats walk all over you guys as they set up the whole credit debacle.
I would gladly take a full blown depression and be broke only to start over…at least I would be staring over in a country with real opportunity. I personally will not vote for any Republican that belongs to the old group. I did not vote for Dole and she lost. I will not vote for Burr.

If we have to be the majority for 30 years and we move closer to a Socialist state I will put up with it, because we all know the whole financial house of cards of Social Security, Medicare, Prescription drugs are all going to collapse in time. Maybe, maybe after then will we get people to serve that really do believe in smaller government instead of the same POLITICIANS the current batch of Republicans are today.

John Boehner, go sell you bag of conservative talking points to some other gullible voter, but you had you chance and failed miserably. You will not fool me again.

..it’s time to move on. It has been a rough 8 years, and we need a fresh perspective. I respect all you have done and tried to do, but it is time new leadership.

Do you really think the house and senate leaders are to blame for your losses?. My God, NOT ONE of you has referred to the corruption of your party.
Do you really think people will fall for a rube like Palin?. Is that what your base looks like, ignorant of the issues?. What is it with Republicans being attracted to intelectually simple people for their leaders?. You have had 8 years of Bush and you STILL gravitate towards to someone like Palin.
Here are some reasons you lost.

1) WAR. NO ONE can claim we neeed to go to Iraq. It was a lie.

2) Religion. What part of CHOICE do you not udnerstand. Your party loves WAR ( not very pro life ) but claims PRO LIFE.Seperation of Curch and state. Please see consitution.

3) GUNS. The gun issue has been overblown by the NRA ( the NRA needs you to be very afraid ). No one is taking you deer rifle so get over it.

4) ITS THE ECONOMY STUPID. The Club for Growth and Norquist should be deported. When people see GOP they think Corportae Greeg ( the Dems have plenty to answere to also ).

5) Limbaugh / Savage / Coulter / ORiely etc. You people need serious, honest, intelectuals instead creeps for your talking points.

6) LEADERSHIP. This is THE reason Obama won, people saw a steady, smart, curious and Human condidate, he won over Republicans and Independents becuase he showed true leadership. Bush has around a 20% approval rating, LOWER than Nixon.

7) Support moderates. The GOP needs to support them not the Tom Delay whack Jobs. If you just run on the same old worn out, Guns, Fetus, anti gay blah blah blah then keep digging your grave.

As a Demmocrat I do NOT want one party to control but I am sick of mean, racist, homophob, anti choice, pro war Republican’s and frankly the GOP got what it desrerved.

The WORLD is once agin looking to the US for REAL leadership, lets hope Obama can deliver as he has one big mess to clean up.

You showed every American you lack of support for small government when you voted for the bailout.