Two stories appeared in yesterday’s (Wednesday’s) New York Times which deal with the budgetary situation in the country as President-elect Barack Obama prepares to be sworn in later this month. In noting , the article appearing in the business section noted that the president-elect desires to spend $800 billion on a new economic stimulus package. But the unexpected news came in an article appearing in another section of the same day’s paper; as a means of reducing long-term government expenditures.
While the specifics of Obama’s intended stimulus proposal is rightly facing opposition on and , addressing the boondoggles that are Social Security and Medicare is essential, and should be examined further. Indeed, the latter is something which should be a priority for Republicans generally and young Republicans in particular.
If the GOP is to going to expand among young voters and potential young voters, then the party must focus on these and other programs which demonstrate an excess of federal powers. Making a constitutional argument against the seemingly unstoppable expansion of government may not help the Republican Party among young voters, but making a financial argument very well could be the right approach. President Bush’s efforts to reform Social Security did not get far. However, now that the in the next few years, reforming expensive government programs and bureaucracies should be a priority. Smaller government and more responsible habits of spending have been hallmarks of the Republican Party which have seemingly been abandoned at the expense of votes. Republicans must get back to being Republicans, but conservatives in Congress should work with the new president when he is in the right.
Last 5 posts by James Kane
- A November to Remember - November 8th, 2010
- On hope and fear - October 18th, 2010
- Expecting Different Results - September 12th, 2010
- A glaring omission on Iraq - August 31st, 2010
- Employing a losing strategy - August 7th, 2010
You’re definitely right, James. Great post!