It’s brewing right now and you might be prepared to be disappointed. The first big test is whether the GOP will vote to end earmarks. There is movement is each direction in the House and Senate. Mitch McConnell is leading the opposition and Jim Demint is leading the move to end earmarks. The American public hates earmarks and all they stand for. In most cases they go to projects that would not stand the test of common sense and logic. Of course, the quasi-liberal Lindsay Graham is wanting to keep earmarks. This will be an interesting battle and the outcome will show what we can expect from the pledge to America group. Be prepared to be disappointed.
Right on the heels of that will be the move to unseat Michael Steele. Haley Barber wants him out. I want him out. The Republicans won despite him. I recognize his pigmentation advantage, but that doesn’t excuse all his screw ups since he’s been on the job.
These two issues will be very telling. If one or both go the wrong way, it’s curtains for the Republican Party in 2012. The public expects bold action, not the actions of the very people who brought the party down in the 2008 election. McConnell and Graham fit that nicely.
Who is really controlling the party will be shown in these two decisions. Whether the party understands what the public is demanding from them will show.
It’s 50-50, at best. If they keep earmarks they will show they are not really committed to cutting government costs. If they keep Steele, they will show they are not committed to winning in 2012.
The party could be over quickly for the GOP.
