We've Won! Now What?

Not really a huge surprise, as it is not uncommon that the opposition party picks up seats in the midterm election of a president's second term in office.  Nonetheless, it is great news to know that both idiots, Reid and Pelosi, are not sitting in the big chairs.  But what happens now?

Hopefully, we'll see some real changes of meaning and worth.  At the least, compromises that push a more sound agenda forward.  The Weekly Standard has a good article entitled, "A Constitutional Congress?  How the legislative branch can resume its rightful role."  It outlines a five-step plan for this goal:

1.  Relieve the recently relinquished borrowing, taxing and spending authorities
2.  Re-institute the spending power
3.  Regulate the regulators
4.  Censure unconstitutional executive acts
5.  Acknowledge executive strengths

In short, do your job and don't give up authority to the other branches.  There's three for a reason and returning each to its own duties re-establishes the proper checks and balance dynamics our government is supposed to have.

I'd like to see the new Senate majority leader dispense with the blocking of proposals and let the body debate the issues like it should.  I'd like to see the Speaker of the House insist that all bills be studied and debated before passage.  No more of this "we'll have to pass the bill to see what's in it" crap.

I'd also like to see the rejection of the notion that social issues are of less concern than any other.  They are not and are inextricably linked.

I'd really like to see the notion of "Comprehensive 'whatever' reform" rejected once and for all and the particulars of a general issue resolved one at a time.  Like immigration, for example.  Sealing the borders is a separate issue from the matter of how and how many enter the country.  And of course, look at that massive and massively idiotic Obamacare bill.  Thousands of pages its supporters still have not read.  It entails many separate issues that would have been better resolved if each had separate focus.  For example, allowing the purchase of insurance across state lines would have gone a long way toward decreasing costs to the consumer due to increased competition and this did not require an huge "comprehensive" bill to make a tangible impact.

In general, I most definitely want to see the Republican majority act like conservatives they insist they are, but in doing so, make the case in a way that more people understand the clear benefits of supporting more conservative agendas.  This is the best way to maintain control of both Houses.  I believe that this great victory is not a mandate for conservative philosophy as much as a rejection of the current administration.  Again, this is a common thing this deep into a two-term president's time in office.  We can't just be Democrat lite, but must act like conservatives until the positive effects that conservative policies will indeed bring are clearly felt by the nation.  Let's all be vigilant in holding the new majority party accountable.