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College Republicans fight for fiscal sanity

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Also by Jordan Smith:

Former abortion doctor to speak in Grainger Hall Wednesday (October 4, 2005)

by Jordan Smith

Tuesday, September 13, 2005

Read the byline of this column, this piece is written by the Chair of the College Republicans. Automatically, Democrats and other liberals are going to hate this piece — they are looking for some outrageous, scandalously conservative statements that they can point to and say, "Those conservatives are crazy and repulsive."

Republicans will hope this piece is insightful and clever while sticking it to the liberals. Moreover, moderates or apathetics, who chose a side based on their issue du jour, will be looking to see where I fall on their particular issue. However, they won't be swayed one way or another to join either political party.

The Chair of the College Democrats wrote in yesterday's Badger Herald that the choice to be a Democrat was easy and clear. I wholeheartedly disagree. Brian Shactman used examples like Pell grants and Hurricane Katrina as glaring examples of Republican failures. However, taking Pell Grants as the issue du jour is pandering to college students — pure and simple — and capitalizing on the emotion and suffering of the victims of Hurricane Katrina to rally people to your political cause is disingenuous.

One shouldn't chose their political party based on whichever side promises more "stuff." Political opinions should be based on values, common sense and results.

I'm sorry, but Pell Grants aren't making the world go 'round and we've got bigger fish to fry in this world on all levels, such as terrorism, Social Security reform and preventing voter fraud. The Republican Party offers a pragmatic approach to governing that Democrats and liberal political organizations don't. Republicans support free enterprise, lower taxes and a strong military.

Solutions and accountability are what the Republicans bring instead of criticism. While some may criticize Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner for his vote against the $52 billion in aid for Hurricane victims, I applaud his courage to take a stand on this issue. Liberals are already moaning about the heartlessness of Sensenbrenner's vote.

However, accountability is important and we should encourage our representatives to be more mindful of our pocketbooks. To quote Arnold Schwarzenegger, "If you believe that government should be accountable to the people, not the people to the government … then you are a Republican!"

Just last week, a lecturer of mine said, "Everyone in government thinks they are helping," and with a shrug of his liberal shoulders, "even politicians who want to give money back to taxpayers." In a tone of reconciliation he added, "I guess they want people to have money in their pockets because they think that will be more fair." I wanted to shout, "hell yeah," let's hold government accountable. The need for fiscal responsibility in government is growing, and the College Republicans is the only student-organization fighting for some sanity in the tax-and-spend liberal land known as Madison.

In my three years at Madison, I have been exposed to unsubstantiated liberal rhetoric. If you are tired of the pandering and unaccountability of the Democrats and long for some accountability in government, I ask that you come to the College Republican meeting this evening to become a thorn in the side of liberal Madisonians.

Jordan Smith (jordansmith@wisc.edu) is a Senior majoring in Political Science and getting a certificate in Business. She is the Chair of the College Republicans. The CRs will be meeting this evening in 2080 Grainger Hall at 7 p.m.

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Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 3:15am):

Wow. That's really defensive. I guess that's understandble give that you're defending Sensenbrenner's vote. You shouldn't do that - it's really, really hard to defend. So hard, in fact, that it'll make you sounds insanely defensive.

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 8:14am):

"Tax and spend liberal"? Odd thing is, that may be more fiscally responsible than what our current administration has done. Any business major....hell, anyone who's ever paid rent will tell you that if you cut your income and spend more, you're gonna be REALLY broke, REALLY quick.

Anyway, all your piece did was attack liberals, attack professors, attack Madison, there was little positive to it. It did the typical Republican scare tactic that we must fear and guard against terrorism, dismiss Democrat pet projects (education grants, for instance) in favor of fear and guarding against terrorism, and tried to sell off Republicans as something (accountable to the general populace) that an administration as secretive as this one hasn't been. (Bush's notorious refusal to answer questions critical of him, Cheney's STILL unknown energy task force, etc.)

I'm a moderate who votes Democrat, but is a big fan of fiscal responsiblilty. Under that definition, you've written me off as someone who's going to not like your piece, therefore I'm not to be concerned about. That's the problem. We don't see you as working for us all, we see you as working for Republicans. Old school, non-Neo Con Republicans are becoming rarer and rarer, just like the grass roots, blue-collar labor (non-Mob Labor, mind you) Democrats from the early and mid 1900's. What we have now are two parties who so blind to the merits of the other side, neither side can come out with truly good legislation, as everything good gets mucked up across the aisle.

All that aside, however, your piece is 95% rhetoric, and 5% substance. Your predecessor, Ms. Markelin, wrote circles around you. As does Ms. Sanger. You've got a lot of work to do.

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 9:19am):

"Preventing voter fraud," which is much, much more rhetoric than substance, is only a more "serious" problem than financial aid, which affects millions of people (and their future contribution to the economy and society) in a bizarro Republican universe.

Of course, I'm all for state ID cards--as long as the state pays for them. People shouldn't have to pay to vote--ever. Ever heard of poll taxes?

As for fiscal sanity--are you f---ing kidding me? Which party, as the national majority, has run up a vast deficit, unable to cut services, stay away from expensive and ineffective foreign wars, and keep from cutting taxes for the rich? Who passed the grotequese energy and transportation bills, chock-full of pork and tax breaks for industry that do not substantially advance our energy interests? Not the liberals!

In the aftermath of Katrina, the Republican national party sent an impassioned letter that said "we need the estate tax now more than ever." That tells you all you need to know.

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 11:06am):

"I'm sorry, but Pell Grants aren't making the world go 'round and we've got bigger fish to fry in this world on all levels, such as terrorism, Social Security reform and preventing voter fraud."

Yes, it's very clear where Republicans stand on tuition when they eat in front of hunger strikers protesting rising tuition.

Bush's stance on terrorism is bad- a huge number of people think he's mishandled Iraq.

His stance on Social Security is also bad- once people heard about his plan, they hated it. How it's possible to have control of Congress and the White House and not steamroll your plan through is beyond me besides to say that Bush's Social Security plan is bad, and people know it.

As for voter fraud, you might be able to convince some people that you're not disenfranchising the poor and the elderly, but you can't convince me.

Also, see if you can find anything interesting about the following juxtaposition:

"capitalizing on the emotion and suffering of the victims of Hurricane Katrina to rally people to your political cause is disingenuous."

"I wanted to shout, "hell yeah," let's hold government accountable."

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 4:57pm):

you go girl

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 5:38pm):

It is about time that Republicans start standing up and saying "We will not be silent against the left". The sooner that us conservatives do that, the sooner the left will have to share power with us.

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 7:31pm):

Yay for fiscal responsibility! But bro, seriously, are you really trying to convince me that the current republicans are the party that is going to do this for us? If you really are please please please let me know where you are buying your weed from, because it sounds like some excellent bud. How many fiscal conservatives run us into debt by giving unwarranted tax cuts and rushing us into war? A true old school republican would be disgusted with this.

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 7:34pm):

I am so very sick of the republicans publishing their "woe is me" sob story in the badger herald. Yes Madison is liberal. If you didn't know this coming in then maybe you should move out from under the rock you have been living in your entire life. And anyways, it has been my experience going to UW that the permanent residents of the city are far and away very liberal compared to the national average, the student body, comprised from a lot of kids from the republican north woods, is incredibly split. Stop complaining that everyone is out to get your, I'm sure you had plenty of neo con friends in your dorm. How many "bush cheney" signs were hanging in ogg and witte last fall?

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 10:40pm):

"I'm sorry, but Pell Grants aren't making the world go 'round..."

It figures that the party that is generally too wealthy to be eligible for a Pell Grant would be so flippant about them.

Anonymous (September 13, 2005 @ 11:58pm):

Watch yourself, there. "Republican North Woods"?

Reps. Sherman, Boyle, and Huber, Sen. Jauch, and Congressman Obey would care to argue otherwise. Marinette and Superior vote not together.

Anonymous (September 14, 2005 @ 4:02pm):

Where are there people protesting rising tuitions by undertaking hunger strikes? I for one would love to eat in front of them. Give me a break, please.