Ingress and Egress

I noticed an interesting dichotomy while listening to talk radio the other day. Although the media often says things at odds with my own observations, recent talk of Sen. Arlen Specter seemed especially poignant. Sen. Arlen Specter, Bush Administration toadie and facilitator of American Socialism--I mean moderate--has finally jumped ship like so many rats. This action of a single individual has been broadcast far and wide while the actions of Republicans across the state and nation have remained largely unannounced. You see, while one liberal has left the party, hundreds of resolved and liberty minded individuals have stepped up to leadership positions.

Having only a vague knowledge of Specter, I turned to the all too credible Wikipedia to find specifics. It seems that his first impact on American life was in coming up with the Magic Bullet theory. All other political stances of his seem to echo the same strains on credulity and logic. While standing on a soap box about illegal wiretapping, Specter still managed to reauthorize the Patriot Act, and even slip in an amendment allowing Bush to appoint interim attorneys indefinitely and without approval. He approved the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act while threatening the NFL with Congressional action over their own spy controversy. He also introduced Amnesty legislation in 2006 to establish a "path to citizenship" and "guest worker" program, while in 2007 voted for cloture on a bill that would have removed the right of private ballots from American citizens when unionizing. His folly is not limited to what I have listed.

Most of the people who have assumed leadership positions in the state over the past couple weeks and months have not yet had time to establish a record one way or the other. They have not yet had the privilege of moral dilemma and are not entitled to a Congressional pension. These are people with families and careers stepping up to leadership positions where they have seen dishonesty or incompetence from their predecessors. These are not moral academics taking one position or another in the interest of perpetual argument, but people who actually believe in firm principles. They are people who would rather see one thing done than ten things said.

Many of us have labored long to see the change that is starting to happen. However victory is not achieved at party conventions. A tide of new and principled Republicans is squeezing out the opportunists, moral compromisers, and gutless reactionaries. We are standing up not to assume authority, but to assume the burden of service. We have now placed on our shoulders the responsibility to act with diligence and zeal, for in two years we must have results to justify our words. We do not have the privilege of the Obama administration, forever blaming our faults on the Bush spectre. We are now a party free of spectre. To anybody who has gained a party leadership position I offer my best wishes, now let our actions speak.