Take this bipartisanship or I will shove it down your throat!

It is comical to see people talk about the stimulus bill in terms of it being bipartisan because less than .5% of Republicans in congress voted for the plan. 3 people total from the right side of the aisle supported this bill.

So were the Republicans "declaring war on Obama" as Anderson Cooper discussed this week? Or did Nancy Pelosi stuff lots of soldiers in this Trojan Horse?

Clearly the Democrats shoved this bill down the GOP's throat and expected them to swallow or else be called partisan. There is so much distressing stuff in this bill I dont know what to inform my friends about. The attacks come in funding, policy, and econimic directions. It is overwelming as a conservative American.

If you are a Democrat and came upon this ariticle about the "bipartisan stimulus bill", please ask yourself these questions:

What would you do if George Bush had tried to have Karl Rove run the census?

You were upset about "warrentless wiretapping"...but are you ok with the Government having 100% access to your medical records?

Are you OK with the fact that the #1 donor organization to your party is the Unions and the #1 beneficiary of this stimulus bill is those same Unions?

What if George Bush had appointed a TAX CHEAT to run the Department of TREASURY? (obama did)

please, slow down. look at how quick the CHANGE is coming. Some might say it is HASTY

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.

Grassroots Conservative Republican Platform 2008: Version 1.0

Since I am the 1st contributor to this effort, this initial list is mine and mine only. Over the next four-five months I will update this site based on the news, debates, and most importantly the feedback I receive here at this blog. I am going to keep the list at ten items, however what ten items remain in the platform and their priority will most likely change. So without further delay..

Suggested GOP Platform for the 2008 Presidential Election

1. Victory in IRAQ - By any means necessary, the United States must win an unequivocal victory in the Middle East. This war moves to its next stage through a victory in the IRAQ campaign. Anything short of this will embolden Jihad-ists and increase the length of the overall war on terror. To achieve victory we must be willing to consider; eight more years, martial law in IRAQ, 100,000 additional troops or any other advantage that we can give to our troops. This war has taken too long because we fight wars today with padded gloves instead of brass knuckles.
   


2. Border Security Now - Not ten years from now, not as part of immigration reform, now. National security begins and ends with operational control of all four borders. (East, West, North, & South). The southern fence must be built and companies that hire illegals must be prosecuted. (Part of this platform is that "undocumented workers" do not exist, there is no such thing. They are illegal immigrates)


3. Winning the War On Terror - The culture of Islam has been on the March since its founding. The borders of the global Islamic nation are either expanding or contracting through murder and violence. This murderous sect of the Muslim religion is expanding and must be stopped. This means staying on the offensive in Iraq, Iran, Israel and the Palestinian territories.
   


4. Earmarks / Pork Barrel Spending - The GOP candidate needs to be clear on this issue. The era of congressional spending to get re-elected or hand out favors is over. If a bill contains any pork, it should be vetoed and the pork exposed to the papers. Also the most offensive pork in the previous four years should be re-examined and cut wherever and whenever possible. Finally the new President must pledge to never use pork spending to gain the votes needed on any bill. Bills are to be debated, not auctioned on eBay.
   


5. Education Change - Our nations schools are failing from coast to coast. They are indoctrinating young people with stories of eminent global destruction and not teaching them the Bill of Rights. The federal department of education should be eliminated and 85% of the funds distributed to the 50 states based on population size. Then the other 15% should produce 1 study per year ranking the fifty state education systems. Let the people decide where to live and how their kids are educated. The states will compete, try new ideas like vouchers, and less tax dollars will be wasted on bureaucratic nonsense.
   


6. Abortion - There is no right to abortion in the Constitution of the United States. There is also no absolute right of privacy that establishes a "law free zone" in a doctors office. This is why Euthanasia is still illegal and many other acts that a doctor could perform. Therefore Row vs Wade should be overturned as bad law and the states free to regulate abortion as they see fit. Again, let the people decide where to live and which state most closely resembles their beliefs.
   


7. Immigration Reform - Once we achieve operational border security, then and only then does it make sense to fix the immigration system. The reform should be based on faster paperwork and response to legitimate applications and simultaneously eliminating lengthy appeals and 2nd chances. Hard working immigrates are the foundation of our country, we should give many people chances to achieve the American Dream. Not the same people over and over again or unlimited people from any one nation.
   


8. Gay Marriage - Firstly, it is a valid and reasonable position for an individual to consider homosexuality immoral and a choice rather than a people group. This does not make them a homo-phobe or bigot. As a result, a society has every right to encourage certain types of relationships and discourage others. America was founded on the traditional family and should continue to honor and cherish the benefits of having both a father and mother. So there should be no gay marriage and no civil union recognition. There is no right to marry whatever you wish, the marriage laws are exclusively written for the the union of one man to one woman.
   


9. Political Speech - For years some religious groups and churches are permitted to support candidates, have them speak at services and to offer blatant endorsements. Meanwhile conservative churches and organizations have their tax exempt status threatened to keep them from informing their members of where they stand as an organization. At the same time Campaign Finance Reform has enabled more soft money and a decrease in accountability as to whom is funding what. McCain-Feingold should be repealed in its entirety and new Campaign Finance Reform should be debated based on the goal of 100% accountability and open and free speech.
   


10. Tax Rates - Lower taxes fuel the economy. Less taxes means more public sector spending which increases GDP and more importantly wealth. Wealth creates jobs and new businesses which feed back into the local, state, and federal tax systems. So the Bush tax cuts should be made permanent. Small business tax should be reduced to encourage job creation and competition. Finally, the estate tax should be abolished forever. No family should pay tax twice on their earnings nor have to be concerned with tax payments and loopholes when passing their life's work onto their children or other family.
    

Please give me your feedback on what should be in this platform and what should be removed. If you convince me or if enough valid opinions override my own, then I will update the platform and improve it. All comments will be used to form the consensus of this effort, but if you want your comment posted please read the rules.