Saturday, June 23, 2007

In Arizona, Bloomberg Would Have Stayed

Nationally, Republicans are going through something of an identity crisis. President Bush (43)’s attempt to seem bipartisan led not to greater enmity with Democrats and Independents (Dubya is, today, the most unpopular president of the modern era among “middle of the road” voters and moderates, and is near-uniformly despised by Democrats across the board).

Nationally, Republicans took a balanced budget left them by the likes of Newt Gingrich, Dick Armey and John Kasich and once again racked up giant budget deficits and more than a $9 trillion national debt.

Nationally, Republicans stood by while President Bush created vast new Medicare entitlements over prescription drugs, oversaw a federal takeover of education with No Child Left Behind, and watched ineffectually while our brave men and women in uniform overthrew a Mid-East tyrant but neglected to bring along diplomats with an exit strategy.

Nationally, Republicans deserved to lose the majority. Certainly, the Democrats seem almost intent on giving it back – what with Harry Reid surrendering in Iraq every 96 hours, Nancy Pelosi negotiating with state-sponsors of terrorism, and the Democrat Congress passing the largest tax hikes in American history. It’s almost enough to make you imagine Democrat and Republican leaders playing “hot potato” with the Speaker’s Gavel, determined not to get burned (or burdened) with actually having to govern in these trying times.

Looking at the national landscape, it’s no wonder New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has embraced NON-partisanship and left the Republican Party for, well, no one.

There’s a saying that floats around the Arizona Republican Party these days I’ve heard on more than one occasion: “We need a lot less Washington in Arizona and a lot more Arizona in Washington.”

If that sentiment were actually true, and not just for Arizona but for the rest of America, Mr. Bloomberg might not be jumping ship. Look at the lessons of Arizona and ponder how they might play out on a national stage:

House Speaker Jim Weiers and Senate President Tim Bee passed a massive $500 million tax cut last year and augmented it with targeted cuts while holding the governor’s spending-spree in relative check in the budget this year. Legislative Republicans railed against sex-offenders, stood up for police and fire fighters, and fought hard to deliver new tools to the men and women of law enforcement on the front lines of our war against meth and other terrible drugs.

Weiers, Bee and the Republicans raised teacher pay, created new jobs and set the stage for another round of needed tax cuts next year – a classic election-year showdown with Arizona’s “tax and spend” Democrats who will surely try to block Republican efforts at reducing the size of government.

Oh, and between the legislative Republican leadership and the state Republican Party, Arizona is one of a handful of states in the nation where its not “un-American” to oppose a bad immigration bill. In fact, it’s downright patriotic – because in Arizona, right is right, wrong is wrong, and the rule of law is important. Arizona Republicans have become national leaders in the fight for border security – and Republicans like Ronald Reagan and Barry Goldwater would be proud.

Yes, in Arizona, Michael Bloomberg would have stayed.

2 comments:

Fred said...

Surely you jest. With Bloomberg's stand on gun control he would not have lasted in the republican party this long in Arizona.

Sameer said...

I share Jacob's sentiment. Bloomberg left the republican party because he was a RINO to begin with. He wouldn't belong in the Arizona Republican party either.