Back to the Mainstream
This is interesting. A group of moderate Republican governors and senators have published a statement urging the Republican party to “Come Back to the Mainstream.” A quick scan of their website shows a list of steps they want the Republican party to take – here quoted directly from their statement.
- Stop weakening environmental law – and once again protect our air, water and public lands as Teddy Roosevelt and other great Republican leaders intended;
- Restore fiscal responsibility – with “pay-as-you-go” budget discipline to end record deficits that jeopardize economic growth;
- Put the health of millions first – and clear the way for embryonic stem cell research;
- Appoint mainstream federal judges – and respect the Constitution;
- Make America safer – and protect cities and towns, still vulnerable three years after 9/11, by securing chemical and nuclear plants and shipping containers;
- Rebuild our alliances – with real partnerships and restore America’s standing in the world.
Of course, I’m certain that we’ll hear that every single one of these people is bucking for a position in the Kerry White House, that they’ve got a history of voting liberal, that they hold a grudge from that one time in grade school when Dubya beat them up and stole their lunch money, etc. But at the moment, it seems to be drawing some interest. They’ll probably stand a better chance of changing the direction of the Republican party when Dubya loses the upcoming election, as the Republican leadership will start analyzing their strategy to try to figure out what they can do to get more votes the next time.
But we should never forget that in his campaign language, Bush claimed to be a moderate for most of 2000. His actions and his record said differently – but few people paid attention to that. We can hope that these Mainstream Republicans will bring some much-needed moderation back to the Republicans, but as long as Dubya and Cheney sit in power, moderation will be a stranger to the Conservative wing.