How can the GOP win in 2008? Cut the Pork

This part of the platform is very simple. Stop pork barrel spending dead. John McCain and some other Republican candidates are perfectly positioned to embarrass incumbent Democrats and Republicans by exposing the wasteful pork projects being approved by Congress. As a party, we must end the system that rewards Senators and House members for bringing home the bacon with local pork barrel spending. If we can convince the American people we will end some of this ridiculousness, we will win lots of votes from the center.

There is still a center in America. It is occupied by citizens who don't care about the everyday squabbling of the two parties in Washington. They tune in every four years to select the candidate that they believe to be less full of $4it. By exposing all the pork in every bill from now through November 2008, the Republican candidate and party can show the American people what a joke the Democratic congress is. Particularly with all their promises of transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Make no mistake, some Republican hypocricy on spending will need to be exposed too. This makes it even more effective for the platform and our eventual candidate. Plus if you are fighting for pork barrel spending in congress, then you are no conservative. The federal government has been used and abused by local politicians and unless it stops our spending priorities will continue to be a mess at the federal level.

So to be an effective leader on pork barrel spending and earmarks, the Republican candidate has to first promise to publicize all the pork in every bill congress passes. Next the candidate should promise never to use pork when negotiating a bill. Bills need to be negotiated on their merits or not passed. The candidate should also promise to review all pork spending top to bottom in the federal government and the money saved should be invested on another priority of the candidate. Every dollar saved from pork will go to X. Whether X be education, health care, tax cuts or whatever. Show the American people that the wasteful projects can be re-allocated and the dollars better used.

This is a case any true conservative should be able to make. Some of these projects are such a far reach for the federal government they will be laughable. Any voter can understand how simple ending this practice should be.

This post is one element of the Grassroots Conservative Republican Platform 2008. To contribute to this effort, please comment on this post and help shape this platform. Send the link to your friends and lets take our party back to the conservative principals that lead President Reagan and that were the key to President Bush's victory in the election of 2000.