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Murdock

Republicans Display the Arrogance of Power

by David Boaz

David Boaz is executive vice president of the Cato Institute (www.cato.org) and author of Libertarianism: A Primer.

What does Sen. George Allen (R-Va.) have in common with James Madison? Madison's home is in the congressional district that Allen has represented in the House and Senate. And that's about all.

Madison, the principal author of the U.S. Constitution, sought to establish a limited federal government. In arguing for its ratification, he promised Americans, "The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined." A few years later, faced with a bill appropriating $15,000 for the relief of French refugees, he rose on the floor of the House to say that he could not "undertake to lay [his] finger on that article in the Federal Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."

That's a far cry from the philosophy of George Allen, who has introduced a bill in the United States Senate to require official approval of any TV ratings system. Indeed, if Madison's spirit could visit the Commerce Committee hearing room where Allen's bill was discussed, it would probably say with some severity, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article in the Federal Constitution which granted a right to Congress to regulate television ratings."

Allen is hardly the only member of Congress who would be a great disappointment to the Founders. For years, Republicans argued that the Democratic majority in Congress was intruding the federal government into more and more matters best left to the states, the local communities, or the private sector. After 10 years in power, however, the Republicans have seen the Democrats' intrusiveness and raised them. The Republicans have pushed the feds further into the local schools with the No Child Left Behind Act and tried to take marriage law away from the states with the Federal Marriage Amendment. They overruled a series of Florida courts in the Terri Schiavo case, imposing the massive power of the federal government on a tragic family matter.

But it's not just these big-ticket items. Republicans have come down with a serious case of Potomac Fever. They believe that their every passing thought is a proper subject for federal legislation. They hold three-ring-circus hearings on steroids in baseball. They sharply increase the fines for alleged indecency on television. They hold hearings on whether college textbooks are too expensive. They threaten to punish Major League Baseball if the owners allow left-wing billionaire George Soros to be a part owner of the new team in Washington. They vote for a federal investigation of the video game "Grand Theft Auto."

Many of these gambits do target real annoyances and even real problems. But in a free society citizens don't turn to the national government to solve every problem. Indeed, a free society is measured by the amount of life that remains outside the control of government. We may all be tempted from time to time to say "There oughta be a law!" when we're angry or frustrated. That's why we write a Constitution -- to protect us from our own temptations to turn our exasperation into laws, and to protect us from our fellow citizens yielding to the same temptation.

Republicans took control of Congress in 1994 by declaring that Democrats had given us "government that is too big, too intrusive, and too easy with the public's money." Now, intoxicated with their own power, they have forgotten those words. They too use the powers of the federal government to lavish money on favored constituents, summon us before congressional hearings to explain ourselves, and intrude into our most local and personal decisions.

When Major League Baseball owners suggested that Congress had no authority to investigate steroid use, committee chairman Tom Davis (R-Va.) and ranking Democrat Henry Waxman replied that the committee "may at any time conduct investigations of any matter." So much for Madison's promise that those powers "delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined."

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What has happened to the Republican party? Weren't they once upon a time the party of fiscal conservatives? Didn't Reagan once say that bigger government was the problem, not the solution to society's woes? We've known for years that Democrats/Liberals want government solution to society's ills.. but it seems that there's little difference between the two parties today..

 

CheebaMonkey

Yup, both parties suck. And they're becoming more and more alike.

Seems like over time you've pulled a 180 in terms of supporting the Republicans/Federal government/Bush administration Murdock. What happened?

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Murdock

There's still alot that i support, but I'm seeing less and less difference in the major parties than similarity... Both are prohibitionist to the core and both are creating more problems than they're solving..

That and I've had a few Libertarian friends showing me the light..

Higher Logic

It's all about the Libertarianism Our founding fathers were definately libertarians.

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^_^truth

The founding fathers of America, can also be argued to have been quite liberal, so much so that they were radicals. So defining what the founding fathers were with todays context, yes they were Libertarians (except Jefferson), but by there standards they were extremely liberal (there were a few exceptions, but for the most part they had to be radical or they wouldn't have revolted).

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Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
Nietzsche

 

Murdock

I'm concerned and dissapointed with the inablility of both Republican controlled houses of congress and a Republican President not making fiscal responsibility a priority, with control of both houses of congress and the white house, it's dissapointing.

The Republicans are supposed to be the Conservative party, they are wasting taxpayer money at an astronomical rate and there seems to be very little if any restraints.. And they have co-opted the liberal idea of running to goverment for each and every solution to any problem. There used to be a healthy skepticism of Government and intentions, but that seems to be a thing of the past

We need to get back to the idea of Less Government is better government..

MickityMike

There's a difference between being Classical Liberals (which is what the Founding Fathers were) and today's definition of "liberal."

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WNB

Today's liberals are classical liberals + the realization that the economy needs some regulating. The views might be different, but the basic worldview is the same (and vastly different from the pro-tradition, anti-change conservative worldview)

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