Yeah, I went ahead and did it. Look, this party has been screwing up royally ever since Newt Gingrich left the House. SOMEONE has to let these guys know what the real deal is.

Greetings Mr. Mehlman!

I've read the comments you made the other day via Susan Jones's article, and I have a few things I, as a Republican, would suggest.

It's important to note that our Party's attempts to "out-liberal" our liberal opponents were especially appalling this year. Why can't our people simply take conservative positions and explain to people why they are right and better than what the opposition offers? Example: In response to an accusation that a Republican had voted against raising the minimum wage, the Republican responded that he hadn't done that at all, and had, to the contrary, voted to raise the minimum wage x number of times or to the tune of x number of dollars. Why not simply explain that raising the minimum wage causes unemployment and he didn't want to see a whole lot of people lose their jobs?

This would, of course, be in line with your first suggestion, "rededicating themselves to their conservative reform principles", but Republicans haven't stood for much that's been conservative for a long time.

Trying to "work where we can on a bipartisan basis with Democrats" is what you guys have been doing for the better part of a hundred years, EVEN WHEN IN POWER. What's it got us? Trillions in debt, annual deficits, out-of-control taxation, and socialism out the you-know-what. If the Democrats do put forth something that is truly "conservative", sure, go with it - but you and I both know what the chances of that happening are. So much for your second suggestion, eh?

As far as "removing the taint of corruption:, I'm all for it, but you can't possibly look me in the eye and tell me that the party of Harry Reid, John Kerry, Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Robert Byrd, and Bob Menendez has any advantage in this area. Furthermore, there's talk of John McCain being the Republican frontrunner for 2008, and he's possibly the biggest criminal within the ranks of our party, what with his legislation repealing the First Amendment (remember McCain-Feingold?).

Mehlman said "there's no reason" why Republicans and Democrats can't work together on national security (the threat posed by "Islamic fascism") immigration reform and health care reform.

Oh yes, there is, based on what the Democrats have been saying in their campaigns and other speeches. The Democrats' solution to Islamic fascism is apparently to run from it and allow more terrorists to enter the country by way of our southern border. Amnesty is their version of immigration reform, and putting our access to healthcare under government control is just more of the unconstitutional socialism that chases more Republicans over to the Libertarian Party each election.

If we are to be taken seriously as "conservatives", then we absolutely MUST start standing as champions of the Constitution, which has been trampled by both parties for longer than you or I have walked this earth.

The first order of business should then be to re-affirm ourselves as the Party of Reagan, and promise to re-affirm Reagan's executive order on Federalism as a FIRST ACT (and deliver). From there, we should implement the New Federalist Platform found at reagan2020.us.This should be the platform of our party, and the Constitution should be taken seriously instead of being treated, as it has this past century, as a useless piece of paperwith little or no force in law.

Facing this responsibility to the Constitution will give us something honorable to rally around as a party(Madison, Washington, Jefferson, et. al.), bring Americans closer to the great men who gave it to us, force the Democrats to show their anti-Constitution socialist hand, and bring a concrete set of ideals to offer Americans to vote for in the affirmative.

Mr. Mehlman, we ARE the better party, we ARE the champions of freedom, both here and abroad, we ARE the party of strength, and we ARE the party best equipped to make the tough decisions to bring America and her government back to within her constitutional limits.

Please. For the sake of our party and, more importantly, our great country, please look to the Reagan site's suggestions for guidance. The Constitution Party and the Libertarian Party are also Constitution-minded freedom lovers. Please. Always look to the right for guidance. Heck, look to me for it if need be (my commentary on the New Federalist Platform can be found here - see links at the bottom).

Respectfully,

"RightWingRocker"
http://rightwingrocker.blogspot.com