The choice before America today is put plainly here.
According to Henry Olsen’s 70 Percent Rule, the GOP is in for major gains in the House and Senate. By his math, the GOP is looking at 9-11 seats in the Senate, and a pick up of between 52 and 57 seats in the House. That’s all good news for conservatives, but on November 3rd, conservative Americans will have to start holding their newly elected congressmen to their words. If the GOP doesn’t get behind a major fiscal reform effort, it can consider itself on the block in 2012, with a possible formation of a fiscal conservative third party.
It is not surprising to me to see the plausibility of such major gains for conservatives in Congress. Democrats, even supposed “conservative Blue Dog” Democrats have led the country with a radical progressive agenda since they took control of Congress in 2006. As Kimberley Strassel pointed out at The Wall Street Journal this morning, so-called conservative Democrats like Rick Boucher of Virginia sacrificed their own constituents to please Nancy Pelosi. Boucher is from the heart of coal country and he voted for Cap and Trade. The Cap and Trade bill would have been a major burden on all Americans. To quote the president, under Cap and Trade energy bills would “necessarily skyrocket.” That’s simply not acceptable, but Boucher would not only have hurt his constituents’ monthly bills, but reduce their monthly pay by killing off coal mining jobs all around the state. Is that responsible governance? Or is it radical progressivism?
In the meantime, the GOP has realigned itself with the conservative principles for which is supposedly stands. Unofficially led by Jim DeMint in the Senate, the GOP has been shifting toward a constitutional, conservative stance to counter the radical progressive led administration in the White House. DeMint and his Senate Conservatives Fund have propelled many of this year’s Tea Party candidates to the forefront, awakening a conservative giant in the country. For more on Sen. DeMint read Jim DeMint: Senator Tea Party by John J. Miller in National Review.
Conservatives are not only making headway in traditional swing states like Indiana, Ohio, and Pennsylvania, but are looking at possible pick-ups in traditionally blue states like Illinois, Wisconsin, and Washington. The Real Clear Politics poll averages show Dino Rossi, a Washington Republican neck and neck with incumbent Patty Murray. In Wisconsin, Ron Johnson is blowing out Russ Feingold in their race for Senate. Voters have simply had enough of Feingold’s meddling with their constitutional rights. In Illinois, RINO Mark Kirk and Democratic opponent Alexi Giannoulias are locked in a tight battle for the Senate. Kirk won’t drive the base in Illinois because he is unabashedly one of the most liberal Republicans in Congress today.
A new face in South Dakota politics is taking on the entrenched Democrat, Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin. Tea party candidate Kristi Noem tells America why she is the better candidate in this interview on ABC.
Commentary by E.J. Smith
You don’t hear much complaining from President Obama about the money raised by Harry Reid in his reelection battle. Even with all of his connections in Washington, Reid is in the battle of his political life against Sharron Angle. $14 million in contributions were made to Angle during the third quarter. According to the Center for Responsive Politics only seven candidates raised that amount over the entire 2008 election cycle. That’s how fed up voters are with Reid.
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