Return back to core Republican principles

Back in 1994, the Republicans finally took over the House after 40 years of Democratic control. It was a 54-seat swing in membership, and the cause was a plague of scandals that hit the Democratic Party, and gave an impression that the House leadership was corrupt.

Newt Gingrich's Contract with America promised floor votes on various popular and institutional reforms. This plan helped the party to capitalize their victory on that year.

Now after 11 years of Republican control, it seems that the cycle has turned once again. An influence-peddling scandal with lobbyist Abramoff, DeLay's financial scandal, and now Jerry Lewis, the Republican chair of the House Appropriations Committee is under fire for earmarking hundreds of millions of dollars to clients of a former colleague and lobbyist, Bill Lowery. The popular backlash against perceived corruption in the Democratic Party in 1994 has now come to roast the Republican Party in 2006.

According to the FT.com's article about conservatives wanting to go back to the basic core principles, Republican lawmakers want a new course correction. Jeff Flake, an Arizona congressman who co-led the petition drive that helped oust Tom DeLay, the House majority leader, charged that "a lobbyist can't be corrupt unless he has somebody to bribe, and we've created a culture that just breeds corruption."

More than 100 members organised as the Republican Study Committee are using the leadership race to rein in runaway government spending championed by DeLay and his allies. One plan is to end the practice of earmarking, in which members can secretly insert into huge spending bills billions of dollars in projects favoured companies or other constituents (pretty much "pork-barreling"). Of course both political parties have used this, but ever since the Republicans took control in 1994, it has mushroomed under the GOP. Last year, over 15,000 earmarks were added into various spending bills.

Reformers hope to cut down on the use of "emergency" spending bills, such as those that have paid for the war in Iraq and the Katrina rebuilding. They would also allow more challenges on budget bills that exceed agreed dollar targets, and no quick from committee-to-floor actions.

The only problem currently is to find a conservative congressman to challenge the two frontrunners for DeLay's former job, who are John Boehner of Ohio or the acting majority leader, Roy Blunt.

It is probably unlikely that the Republicans will lose the House in 2006, but they will definitely end with a smaller majority. Currently it is at +30 with the 109th Congress. In any case, it would be actually good to see some sort of basic principles to come back for the Republicans. Government size and spending have increased under their administration, and if they are busy touting the economy, Dow 11,000, less unemployed, success of Iraqi elections, how about balancing the federal budget and rebuilding the Gulf Coast, and getting rid of the pork?