[Lions-l] Newt's 11 campaign issues

[Curly Harman]

Damn he's good !!  I sure hope they follow his advice.  I don't know how
much of the liberal democrats I could take.
Curly Harman '62
Eatonton, GA 
 
-------Original Message-------
 
From: Jackie & Pat Harty
Date: 09/07/06 13:19:57
To: Baker Lions' List
Subject: [Lions-l] Newt's 11 campaign issues
 
Hi Baker Lions:
Perhaps the following will spur some discussion.  These are the 11 campaign
issues that Newt is recommending Republican focus on.  Could not agree with
him more.  Whattyathink?
Jackie Tillman Harty '62; Washington DC area
A Republican majority in the House that spent the next two months on these
eleven issues would go a long way toward clarifying the choice between the
San Francisco values of Nancy Pelosi and those of a GOP majority. This
refreshing approach would reject the "incumbentitis" of relying on
pork-barrel spending for reelection and return to the basic populist
conservative values which gave us a majority in the first place.
These 11 issues are all clear and all doable.
Make English the Official Language of Government. The House should pass a
bill making English the official language of government, abolishing
multilingual ballots and reaffirming that new citizens should be required to
pass a test on American history in English. The Rasmussen poll reported that
support for English as the official language was 85%. The Zogby poll had it
at 84%. Why do Republican leaders find it so hard to side with more than
four out of every five Americans? How many liberal Democrats who currently
assume they are unbeatable would suddenly have a hard time explaining a
series of votes against English to their constituents? Remember, at 85%,
there are no anti-English congressional districts no matter what the elite
media says. 
Control the Borders. The House should pass a narrowly focused bill to ensure
that the United States can control the border. The current Senate bill is a
disaster. It is impossible to pass a "comprehensive" immigration bill in the
next two months. The American people overwhelmingly want the borders
controlled and every act of terrorism reminds us that having the borders
uncontrolled makes us more vulnerable to attack. The House should
immediately pass a border-control bill and conservative Republican senators
should move every day to bring it up in the Senate. Let Democrats and
elitist Republicans block controlling the border and make that a referendum
test for Election Day. 
Keep God in the Pledge. Congress should take two steps to preserve the right
to say "one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance, a right which is
supported by 91% of all Americans. The American people feel deeply that our
Declaration of Independence is correct in saying that each of us is endowed
by our Creator with inalienable rights. Beginning with the Supreme Court's
1963 decision outlawing school prayer, the courts have waged a 43-year
assault on the core values of American liberty. It is time to return to a
balanced Constitutional system. There is no Constitutional case for five
lawyers' on the court being a floating majority for a permanent
Constitutional Convention. 
The American people would rally to the elected branches' taking steps to
rebalance the Constitution. First, the House should pass a bill suspending
the recent federal district court decision in California outlawing the words
"one nation under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Second, the House should
pass a law blocking the Supreme Court from reviewing the constitutionality
of the Pledge of Allegiance (a power of the Congress expressly granted in
the Constitution). 
Require a Voter ID Card. The American people overwhelmingly support (85% in
one poll) having a voter id card so we can be sure only legal citizens are
voting. Passing a bill to require this in all federal elections would be a
big step toward more honest elections. 
Repeal the Death Tax, for Good. The American people have consistently
supported the total repeal of the death tax and the House should simply pass
it once a week and attach it to various Senate bills to force the Senate to
deal with it again and again. Let liberals explain why they oppose something
that more than 70% of the country favors. 
Restore Property Rights. The American people are deeply opposed to local
politicians' being able to seize a citizen's home or business. The Supreme
Court's Kelo decision on eminent domain is one of the most unpopular in
recent years and is also one of the most dangerous. Anyone who knows the
history of local government corruption in America knows it will not be long
before some corrupt developers engage some corrupt politicians and this
power is exploited at the cost of most Americans. Members of the Black
Caucus have been among the most vocal in pointing out that it is poor people
who will be the most victimized so rich developers and greedy politicians
can make the money off their homes and businesses. The House should pass a
powerful bill returning the constitutional law to the pre-Kelo rules and
blocking the Supreme Court from reviewing it. 
Achieve Sustainable Energy Independence. The country is eager for a
straightforward new energy strategy for national security, environmental and
economic reasons. The combination of $3 gasoline, watching Iran, Venezuela,
Saudi Arabia and Russia get more of our money, and concerns about the
environment come together to require real change. The House should meet that
need. Starting with Rep. Jim Nussle's (R-Iowa) bill on renewable fuels,
adding to it clean nuclear power using new technologies that are safe and
produce little waste, developing more clean coal solutions, investing in a
conversion to a hydrogen economy, incentivizing conservation, providing tax
credits so the auto industry can invest in the new technology and new
manufacturing equipment needed to produce revolutionary new vehicles,
creating the tax incentives to build the distribution system for biofuels,
hybrids, and hydrogen, providing deeper tax incentives for radically better
cars (imagine a substantial tax credit for cars exceeding 200 miles to the
gallon of petroleum through a combination of E-85 or biodiesel, hybrid use
of electricity and hydrogen), and a bill to create state flexibility in
exploring off shore with a 50% split in revenue so state legislatures and
governors would have an incentive to develop environmentally sound methods
of exploration and production. 
Control Spending and Balance the Budget. The House should pass new budget
legislation to control spending, leading to a balanced budget in seven years
(the length of time we gave ourselves in the Contract with America and which
led to the first four balanced budgets since the 1920s), with special focus
on programs liberals will fight to increase spending. Let the country see
who is really committed to smaller government with lower taxes and who is
committed to bigger government with higher taxes. 
Tie Education Funding to Teacher Accountability. A major result of the No
Child Left Behind legislation has been the clear revelation that a number of
schools systems are crippling and destroying children. When the Detroit
school system only graduates 21% of entering freshman on time, it is clear
the children are being cheated. The American people strongly support reforms
designed to save the children. The first step would be to insist that
federal funds only go to school systems which require teacher competency and
accountability. A clear choice between those who want to save the children
and those who want to save the bureaucrats would mobilize the country in
favor of dramatic education reform. 
Defend America From the Irreconcilable Wing of Islam. Terrorism is a real
threat. Congress should hold hearings on the recent terrorist activities in
Canada, the U.K. and Morocco. The House should move bills that strengthen
our security from terrorists with increased powers for surveillance, an
overruling of the disastrous Hamdan decision and a series of other steps. 
Focus on Iran and North Korea. The American people are very prepared to
believe we face extraordinary threats from a nuclear North Korea and an
Iranian regime actively seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Any actions in
Iraq need to be recast in terms of their impact on Iran. A weak America in
Iraq will be unable to stop Iran. Stopping Iran is potentially literally a
matter of life and death. Congress should hold hearings on the scale of the
Iranian and North Korean threat, the statements of their key leaders and the
requirements for action to replace these dictatorships before they succeed
in killing millions of Americans. The Santorum Iranian democracy bill should
be forced out of the Senate in the context of these threats. Everything
about Iraq should be debated within this larger and much more dangerous
context. 


 
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