Op-Ed: 100 Days To Repeal And Replace

The clock is ticking. One hundred days and counting until the largest shakeup in American political history. And the Democrats are in full meltdown mode.

Their party is collapsing under its own weight, as it becomes increasingly clear that Republicans, if they play their cards right, have an opportunity to take back not only the House, as has been widely predicted, but the Senate as well. How did we get to this point? Eighteen months ago, the party of tax and spend was all aglow, basking in the glory of knowing that not only did they control both houses of Congress, but the first black president had been elected with a pretty good majority of the popular vote, and that this president was one of them. He was, in fact, much more far to the left than many of them, with an agenda so radical that some of his policies would make even the most liberal among them reel. The highest priority for this new regime was the passage of the Health Care Bill. An unprecedented chance existed to transform the health care system in this country into something akin to what exists in Europe and Canada. Barack Obama and the Democrats went to work on what should have been an easy achievement in the passage of this landmark legislation. They felt assured that the American people, anxious to see their health care costs diminished, would embrace this change with open arms. But then something unexpected happened. The American people pushed back. When the specter of diminished care threatened to overshadow diminished costs, combined with the real possibility that bean counters in Washington would be determining who lives and who dies, a revolt ensued. What followed were very contentious town hall meetings, where arrogant politicians were confronted by angry constituents opposed to this legislation. Even after the bill passed, with virtually no one having read it, the Dems continued to post-sell it. At the same time, the economy was in free-fall. The stimulus was not doing what the Democrats were saying it was: generating employment from the private sector. Unemployment was supposed to be reduced to eight percent. Instead, it hovered at ten percent, with many areas of the country hit much harder in numbers when those who had fallen off the rolls and who stopped looking for work were factored in. A massive deficit also created angst among voters, who felt Washington was being reckless with regard to spending. Obama and the Democrats claimed that everything they were doing was staving off another Great Depression. Tell that to the those trying to put food on the table. The only jobs generated by the stimulus were government jobs, most of them temporary. The Census made it appear as though the job picture was getting brighter. It wasn't. Another heated and controversial issue, that of immigration and border security, is fresh in the minds of many Americans. And although it is the Obama regime that is suing the state of Arizona over its recently passed and soon to be enacted immigration law, the public is concerned that the federal government as a whole is not doing its job with regards to protecting our borders. Many are concerned that their state legislatures will be thwarted in protecting their citizens if the feds, who aren't doing their jobs, go on the attack. Obama himself has said he will not secure the border unless and until comprehensive immigration reform is passed. In doing so, he is holding the American people hostage. And since he is not up for re-election for another two years, the folks will take it out on the Congress. Obama has been reckless, acting like a man who knows he may very well be a one term president. He even stated in an interview, that he would rather be a "really good one term president than a mediocre two term president". One can only assume from his actions, that 'really good' means ramming as much of his agenda down the throats of the American people in four years as he can, and to hell with the consequences. Even at the expense of his own party. Now, in these one hundred days leading up to the midterm elections, what can Republicans do to capitalize on the damage the Democrats have done to our country? The first thing they need to do is go on an aggressive attack against the failed policies of Obama and the Democrat-controlled Congress. They can point to the continuing high unemployment rate, the out of control deficit, the plans to allow the Bush tax cuts to expire, all further hurting the economy. Then they can point to Obamacare, and vow to repeal it. They can assure those concerned about their health care costs that they have a plan that will help those truly in need, while not forcing everyone on what will eventually be a single payer system that will put insurance companies out of business, while forcing Americans to buy something they don't want. Republicans can also kill any climate change legislation that the Democrats have put forth. Although investing in clean energy to help the country reduce its dependence on foreign oil is wise, it must be combined with a renewed effort to drill domestically (on land as well as offshore), the Gulf oil spill notwithstanding. More damage to our nation's economy will occur as a result of a moratorium on drilling for oil whether temporarily or permanently, than anything the spill has caused. The stage is set. The Democrats have 255 seats in the House, with 178 Republicans and two vacancies. In order for the GOP to recapture the House, they need to gain 40 seats. With one-third of the Senate up for re-election, Republicans must find a way to get to 51 from the 40 seats they now hold. It can be done. It must be done. But Republicans must be diligent in the rhetoric and the strategies they put forth in the remaining weeks. If they play their card right, they can repeal the damage done to our country, and replace those who allowed it to happen. Listen to America Talks Saturdays at 9 am Eastern Time at www.blogtalkradio.com/americatalks, or at www.americatalks.com.