Me and the Journal and the November Election

I love it when people agree with me; it's especially cool when the group of folks who agree with me includes the editorial page of the Wall Street Journal. I am utterly unconvinced by the incessant refrain by Republicans that, despite who poorly they've governed, we conservatives need to hold our nose and vote Republican anyway or face the prospect of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and/or Senate Leader Harry Reid.

For example, on Sept. 25th I wrote to a friend:

Amen -- you are totally 100% right on here.

I am sick and tired of being told by various Republicans to support them or else run the risk of Democrats taking back the House and/or Senate. My response is: If that happens, who'd be able to tell the difference?

Is there really much of a difference between our current crop of Republicans and the Democrats? I'd like to see those differences. For example, we have a Republican president, a Republican House and a Republican Senate. So, how come we can't even pass a bill outlawing partial birth abortion? A law that is supported by a large majority of Americans.

On abortion and many (most) other conservative issues, Republicans have abandoned conservatives. Now, with an election looming and their poll numbers sagging, they come calling again. This time, however, I'm not buying it. I'd rather vote for a candidate who will stand for his principles but doesn't have a chance of winning, than support a candidate who tells me before the election that he/she is a conservative, but acts and governs like a liberal.

In yesterday's Wall Street Journal, the editors wrote:

The 109th Congress has gone home to fight for re-election, and the best testament to its accomplishments is that very few Republicans are running on them. They're running instead against the peril to the country if the Nancy Pelosi Democrats take power.

We'll know in six weeks if this liberal fright mask is enough to save the GOP majority, but it's not too soon to say that Republicans in the 109th have been a major disappointment. The best thing about this Congress is that by doing little at least it did little harm. But despite their best chance in 50 years to reform the creaky institutions of the welfare state, Republicans couldn't maintain the unity or discipline to achieve nearly any of what they promised in 2004.