Brent Bozell, president of Media Research chided Republicans during his speach at CPAC. Defining true conservatism for the audience, he called the current GOP leaders “Democrat Lite.”
While praising Paul Ryan for his courage in trying to reform Medicare and repeal ObamaCare, Bozell rebuked him for his budget. “Your proposed budget has the government spending $41 trillion over the next ten years, with more and more spending increases every single year, and assumes all the oppressive ObamaCare taxes. Congressman, that’s what liberal Democrats do, not us.”
He asked Ryan if he had national aspirations and if he did he needed to do himself and his country a favor. “Rip that budget up and come back with one that truly does reduce the size of government, which puts us on the path toward a balanced budget by reducing deficits, and one that puts us on the path of solvency by eradicating our debt. What what happens to both your national aspirations, and your legacy.”
Then Bozell went after Haley Barbour who had called for unity within the Republican party and on conservatives to ‘sing from the same hymnal.’ “When you call for unity. . .then publicly trash good conservative groups like Club for Growth for supporting good conservatives, you’re out of tune, and you’re out of line. Do you want to be seen as a national conservative leader? Start supporting national conservative groups.”
My favorite part of the speech are his comments to John Boehner, Eric Cantor and Kevin McCarthy. “You say all the right things to cvonservatives to propel the GOP back to the majority and you to the top three leadership positions in the House. You, like virtually every single other Republican elected to Congress solemnly vowed to rid us of ObamaCare, which you can do simply by refusing to fund it. Why haven’t you done so?
While we’re at it… when the Secretary of HHS decrees that we should be forced to pay for the murder of babies, why don’t you decree that Americans are no longer going to pay for HHS? What of all the other oppressive, and in the case of Planned Parenthood, evil organizations immorally funded by our tax dollars? What of the utterly useless agencies like NPR, and PBS, and Legal Services, and the NEA and so many others you solemnly pledged to put out of our misery?
You’ve done nothing for over two years but give us excuses and more commitments that tomorrow, yes tomorrow, you’ll honor your promises. Gentlemen, where promises are concerned, you are not what you promised to be.
Do you want to restore your reputations as conservative leaders? All you need to do is honor your promises. They were good ones. Watch what happens next. You’ll be heroes.”
I can only add AMEN!
“The conservative movement must get its act together and act now to save our nation…National Republican leaders have not advanced a conservative agenda for almost 20 years. Not since the first few years of the Republican revolution in the 1990s – when welfare reform and a balanced budget were passed – have Republicans in Congress seriously championed conservative ideas.” Jim DeMint
