The Real Change America Needs

During my brief stint in Washington, I got to see how laws are really made, and I got to see what most Americans don't. What troubled me more than anything was the lack of real effort being put into fighting for the conservative ideals espoused by many Republicans on the Hill. Instead, a lot of wounds were being licked, a lot of regrouping took place and appeared the leadership went into playing the minority game instead of working on reclaiming the majority.

Granted I arrived in Washington the January 2007, which followed the spanking the GOP received in 2006. Yet, what was the real reason for this disciplinary action? Simple, the American people were disgusted with the GOP leadership, or lack thereof, and the complete abandonment of the conservative ideals that brought them to power in 1994. Today, we are seeing a resurgence in the old Conservative wing of the GOP with the protests taking place on Capitol Hill concerning the Energy Crisis, and the American people are paying attention.

America's attention is on the few patriots decrying the "tryanny" of the despotic rule of Speaker Pelosi, who is so beholden to her fringe enviromentalist base that she could not even allow a vote to allow this country to provide energy relief for its poor and lower middle class citizens. With America's attention squarely fixed on Congress, the GOP needs to sieze the moment and offer real ideas to help those citizens whom Speaker Pelosi and the Democratic party claim they represent. These same citizens who this day are suffering under the weight of high energy prices, and will suffer even greater come winter. These Americans are listening, but what is the message they need to hear?

The American citizen needs to hear more than just empty promises, or empty policies like "inflate your tires". (Marie Antionette could not have come up with a better policie initiative.) What they need to here are real plans that move our economy forward. Plans such as the bill introduced by Congressman Michael C. Burgess (R-TX)this Congress that would open our military bases to oil refinery construction and distribution. This simple fix would provide a quick answer to America's supply issues, while providing greater security for our energy infrastructure.

Another great idea is that of energy tycoon T. Boone Pickens, who wishes to use the vast wilderness of Texas and the midwest to raise a wind energy farm that could provide 20% of the Southwest's energy needs, and could free up much needed natural gas that could be used to convert 100% of all government vehicles to clean energy, and free up a considerable amount of gasoline and deisel for the free market.

One more interesting idea is one that I have heard from many great thinkers such as Newt Gingrich. This idea is to use the closed military instillations in the U.S. to build nuclear reactors for energy production. This is smart useage of uninhabited property, which help create even more clean energy production. How could the environmentalists argue with that? (Wry Smile)

All of the above ideas are energy policies that could be voted on immediately, and could have a dramatic and quick effect on energy prices and subsequently the economy. Yet, for environmental idealogues, these policies would help instead of hurt those industries on which they have a idealogical vendetta waged, and they just don't care about the rest of use who are hurting at the pump.

The American people are demanding something be done! I believe that if more of the same crud oozes from the DNC's "Do Nothing Congress", and the needs of the American people are not met, there will be a lot of incumbents updating their resumes.