Dems Win with "We're Not Them" - A New Plan

It is amazing how a national party can capture a congressional majority with no unified platform. Does anyone know what the Democrats advocated, other than, "We hate Bush," or "Hey, we aren't the Republicans, so vote for us!"? Granted the self-professed moderates in America handed the Pelosi-ites this election after sending the majority the clear message that whatever the Republicans were doing, it wasn't effective. I can't argue with that. If a party can win with that kind of strategy, more power to them, I guess. Personally, I vote for something or someone rather than against something or someone.

Repubs in late October, sensing the ship was sinking, distanced themselves from Bush (see Charlie Crist, FL), the war, and any appearance of being labeled "right wing" and tried to hold onto their seats. Many conservative pundits rightly point out that many new congressional delegates are "right of center" or outright conservative on several key issues like abortion and gun control (Heath Shuler, NC-11). Nancy Pelosi and Jack Murtha's jobs now will be to make sure there are no "maverick" House Democrats so they can push ahead with their leftist agenda. If you think the coming majority is going to be centrist, you've bought the Democrats' election rhetoric or you're standing in line to buy the Brooklyn Bridge.

So, what do we poor, downtrodden conservatives do now? I'd like to propose my own platform, although a few of these ideas have been around for some time:
(1) Streamline the Cabinet and Executive Branch, starting with eliminating the Department of Education. Maybe Labor too...
(2) Enact the Fair Tax. Do yourself a favor -- read this book!
(3) Enact enforceable immigration reform legislation, or enforce what we have now. No social security benefits for illegals, and no automatic citizenship for babies born to illegals. Contribute to our economy, but legally, please.
(4) Enact term limits. Half the problem are the "legislators for life" in Congress now, many believing their seat is some kind of birthright (Kennedy). Perhaps 4 to 5 terms in the House and no more than 3 terms as a Senator.
(5) Cut funding to Third World nations who don't deserve our largesse or are ungrateful for the assistance we do give them.
(6) Tell the United Nations to start looking for new real estate and force other nations to foot the bill for this ineffective institution. The U.N. has its place in the world community, it just needs to be somewhere else.
(7) Enact tort reform, and while we're at it, keep judges from legislating from the bench by prohibiting or limiting the courts' jurisdictions.
(8) Dump affirmative action. It's really discriminatory and negates the achievements of minority classes.

That's enough for now. I don't expect to actually hear some politician mouth these ideas in public, but a conservative can dream, right?