United Liberty

The special election for NY-23 is getting interesting. I touched on this race a couple weeks ago, noting the very unprincipled position of the National Republican Congressional Committee and Republican National Committee for endorsing and spending money on Dede Scozzafava, who is easily the most statist candidate running in the race. She has been labeled as an ACORN-backing, tax-hiking, big spending liberal…and there is truth to much of that criticism. Even the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which is coming to the aide of Bill Owens, is attacking her as a tax hiker and the Daily Kos is pulling for her to win.

In my view, Michael Steele comes across more articulate in this appearance than in his other recent appearances. Perhaps he feels more comfortable around Sean Hannity than D.L. Hughley.

From the floor debate in the Senate on February 7 regarding the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act:

Incidentally, let me share with a few of my colleagues why this is sort of this old ideology versus new. The Senator talked about the tired ideology of the past. What is it? Well, I think today Michael Steele, the new chairman of the Republican National Committee, made a statement on behalf of the Republican Party. He said:

For the last 2 weeks, we have been trying to force a massive spending bill through Congress under the guise of economic relief.

Well, we are having votes. This is a democracy. We are not forcing anything. We are trying to get the job done because there is an urgency to getting it done.

But then he says:

According to Ben Smith over at Politico, Michael Steele has begun his overhaul of the RNC by asking for the resignation of all current staff at the RNC.

A Republican source says newly elected Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele has requested the resignations of the entire RNC staff and signaled a dramatic turnover at the party organization.

Some aides may be retained, though Republicans are under the impression that Steele will lead a large-scale changeover in the institution, which has about 100 staffers. Obama’s new team at the Democratic National Committee also requested mass resignations.

In case you missed it, George Will wrote a great column on December 21, titled “The Final Blow Against Congress” in which he shows how superfluous Congress has become in the age of presidents who prefer to govern without constraint of any sort.

Of course, our Founding Fathers wanted Congress to be the strongest branch of government—that’s why they gave them the “power of the purse” (the right to coin money, raise taxes, and spend money).

Will condemned President Bush for completely snubbing the clear will of Congress in rejecting the “Big 3” auto-manufacturer’s bailout. Not only did President Bush ignore Congress’s authority, but he thought their $14 billion proposal was too skimpy. So he authorized $17 billion from the $700 billion bailout package previously passed by Congress to be spent on the failing US auto industry.

For those that would like to see a resurgent Republican Party that harkens back to its small government ideals, don’t hold your breath. Mike Duncan, the current RNC chair, is among the six candidates for the seat. He’s still showing a large level of incompetence:

But Duncan has been emboldened by post-Election Day victories in congressional runoffs in Georgia and Louisiana, giving him a clear message: The party was defeated by an unusually strong Obama organization and appeal that cannot be replicated.

“Obama was a phenomenon,” Duncan said in an interview. “We know how to win elections.”