Thursday, September 23rd 2010, 3:01 PM
Applewhite/AP
House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio is seen at a lumber company in Sterling, Va., Thursday, to announce the Republicans "Pledge to America" agenda.Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/2010/09/23/2010-09-23_conservatives_split_on_gops_new_pledge_to_america_unveiled_by_house_republicans.html#ixzz10Nwz0iQk
Not everyone is as wild about the GOP's latest "Pledge to America" as House Minority Leader John Boehner. (Click through the next page to read the document in its entirety.)
While liberals have predictably slammed the Republicans' plan, unveiled Thursday, to fix the country, the pledge is getting mixed views from conservative pundits, some of whom argue the 21-page document is all bark and no bite.
Conservative blogger Erick Erickson called the pledge the "most ridiculous thing to come out of Washington since George McClellan."
Erickson blasted the document for not providing specific, long-term solutions.
"Yes, yes, it is full of mom-tested, kid-approved pablum that will make certain hearts on the right sing in solidarity," he wrote on his blog, Redstate.com. "But like a diet full of sugar, it will actually do nothing but keep making Washington fatter before we crash from the sugar high."
The pledge gathers familiar talking points for Republicans, such as cutting taxes and slashing government spending. It comes at a time when the GOP is gearing up for the midterm elections and hoping to gain majorities in Congress.
The pledge is taking a page from the 1994 GOP playbook when the Republicans touted their "Contract with America," which offered a specific plan of action for a GOP Congress. That year the Republicans gained control of the House.
Similarly, the new pledge may counter the peception that the GOP has adopted a strategy of rejecting every Democratic bill without having solutions of their own.
While liberals have predictably slammed the Republicans' plan, unveiled Thursday, to fix the country, the pledge is getting mixed views from conservative pundits, some of whom argue the 21-page document is all bark and no bite.
Conservative blogger Erick Erickson called the pledge the "most ridiculous thing to come out of Washington since George McClellan."
Erickson blasted the document for not providing specific, long-term solutions.
"Yes, yes, it is full of mom-tested, kid-approved pablum that will make certain hearts on the right sing in solidarity," he wrote on his blog, Redstate.com. "But like a diet full of sugar, it will actually do nothing but keep making Washington fatter before we crash from the sugar high."
The pledge gathers familiar talking points for Republicans, such as cutting taxes and slashing government spending. It comes at a time when the GOP is gearing up for the midterm elections and hoping to gain majorities in Congress.
The pledge is taking a page from the 1994 GOP playbook when the Republicans touted their "Contract with America," which offered a specific plan of action for a GOP Congress. That year the Republicans gained control of the House.
Similarly, the new pledge may counter the peception that the GOP has adopted a strategy of rejecting every Democratic bill without having solutions of their own.
Conservative commentator and former Bush speechwriter David Frum echoed Erickson's disapproval but said he's not surprised that the document offers nothing new.
"Did you seriously imagine that they would jeopardize the prospect of victory and chairmanships by issuing big, bold promises to do deadly, unpopular things?" asked Frum.
"Did you seriously imagine that they would jeopardize the prospect of victory and chairmanships by issuing big, bold promises to do deadly, unpopular things?" asked Frum.
He also said the "Pledge to America" is a pledge to do nothing and even goes against what the Tea Party stands for.
"Tea party activists have been claiming all year that there exists in the United States a potential voting majority for radically more limited government," Frum wrote. "The Republican ‘Pledge to America' declares: Sorry, we don't believe that."
Of course, not all conservatives outright decried the pledge. Some, like syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, said they were cautiously optimistic.
"Sure, signing off on political pledges is a little like ordering X-ray glasses from a comic book -- you just know it's not going to be nearly as good as advertised -- but I like the GOP's effort so far," she wrote.
And Tony Perkins, president of the conservative, Christian lobbying organization, The Family Research Council, said the pledge is "not exceptional, but it is satisfactory."
"It does lay a foundation to build upon, and it moves congressional Republicans to a place of public acknowledgment that values issues are to be a part of the conservative way forward," he added.
"Tea party activists have been claiming all year that there exists in the United States a potential voting majority for radically more limited government," Frum wrote. "The Republican ‘Pledge to America' declares: Sorry, we don't believe that."
Of course, not all conservatives outright decried the pledge. Some, like syndicated columnist Michelle Malkin, said they were cautiously optimistic.
"Sure, signing off on political pledges is a little like ordering X-ray glasses from a comic book -- you just know it's not going to be nearly as good as advertised -- but I like the GOP's effort so far," she wrote.
And Tony Perkins, president of the conservative, Christian lobbying organization, The Family Research Council, said the pledge is "not exceptional, but it is satisfactory."
"It does lay a foundation to build upon, and it moves congressional Republicans to a place of public acknowledgment that values issues are to be a part of the conservative way forward," he added.
No comments:
Post a Comment