It’s been a while since I wrote anything here. Partly, that is because life has simply been very busy recently, but mostly, it’s because I’ve been really trying to understand where we are after the November election.

I wrote earlier that the outcome mattered significantly in the short-term, but not so much in the long-term. When I wrote those words, I failed to adequately take into account the behavior of the Republicans in Congress. It appears that they simply do not have the courage of their convictions. The do not act as if they believe that they are right. Their actions are very tentative and, when confronted, they appear to be confused about their core beliefs. They are not willing to go out on a limb to support the President.

Of course, it’s hard to blame them. The President is willing to stand alone, but his beliefs seem to be getting further and further from the limited government philosophy that has been the historic hallmark of the Republican Party. George Bush appears to believe, like the Democrats, that the purpose of government is to use its muscle to force certain behaviors that those in charge have arbitrarily decided are in the best interest of the most powerful.

Specifically, I’m referring to Bush’s attitude that the border should be open enough to allow unfettered access to the resources of the United States by, at least, the lower class of Mexico. He uses arguments about how Illegal Aliens do work that, without them, would go undone or at least cost more. But that is precisely what free enterprise means. The market decides what a good or service is worth; not the government. Bush is trying to redistribute income from the middle class to businesses by allowing businesses to bypass the expense of medical plans and social security payments. Since these workers then simply get free medical care at taxpayer expense, all he has done is change who pays the bill.

This is extremely dishonest and most Republican Congressmen realize that supporting it will cost them their jobs at the next election. They know that supporting this president may hurt them at the poles.

Bush’s refusal to intervene in the horrible travesty of justice perpetrated on 2 border patrol agents who are going to prison for simply doing their job is evidence that he either hasn’t the courage to do the right thing or philosophically he believes that the appropriate winner in this conflict should be whomever comes closest to accomplishing his political goals.

You know, this sure sounds like I’m describing a Democrat doesn’t it? Bush looked good when the only issue was the war, but we may now lose the war because his other issues are unsupportable by people of high moral character.