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Return to Optimism
Rich Galen Friday December 1, 2005
From the Republican Governor's Conference
Carlsbad, California
There are 28 Republican Governors and 22 Democrats. You may remember that Democrats won elections for Governor in both New Jersey and Virginia last month. They were seats already held by Democrats so the 28-22 split will remain unchanged with the winners are sworn in.
The Republican Governors held a conference here this week to compare notes, listen to reports and panel discussions, and hear a speech by the Chairman of the Republican National Committee, Ken Mehlman.
I believe I have told you before that if you are going to be in politics, you have to be an optimist. You have to believe you can win the nomination, win the general election and then improve the lives of your constituents.
The wastebasket of American politics is filled with the campaign plans of those who lost heart and then went on to lose an election.
Being an optimist is not the same as being a foolish romantic. In politics optimism and realism can, and do, march hand-in-hand.
Mehlman's speech, following by a day the speech by President Bush at the Naval Academy, shows that this Administration has got its optimistic lenses back in place and the President is taking up the leadership role.
In Annapolis the President reminded us that real progress is being made in Iraq on three fronts: Security and military; infrastructure and economy; and governance.
Actually, not much improvement is necessary on the political front - the Iraqis are already two-for-two in elections and there is no reason to believe they won't complete the electoral hat trick when they hold their parliamentary elections on December 15.
Mehlman's speech (the entire text of which can be found on the Secret Decoder Ring today today) tied together the need to maintain our resolve in Iraq and the need for the Congress to move quickly on the elements of the President's immigration reform proposal he laid out earlier this week:
We are at war � and we must face it on two fronts.
First, we must fight abroad. We must use every tool at our disposal to protect Americans by going after the terrorists before they strike.
Second, we must secure our homeland, including protecting our borders. If we can't keep terrorists, drug dealers and criminals from crossing our borders, we can't protect the homeland.
Mehlman said that immigration reform has to be the combination of enforcement against those who would enter the United States illegally, and acceptance of those who follow the rules and want to come here to make a better life: For them and their families, and for those of us who preceded them.
"America is safer," Mehlman reminded the Governors, in part "because of the more than 12,000 soldiers who have been naturalized since the beginning of the War in Iraq."
He said that there are reports of jobs unfilled in California:
"If there are people willing to do jobs, and jobs that need to be done, we should be trying to bring those two together, not keep them apart."
"If illegal immigrants fill those jobs, then the community suffers because services like hospitals and schools and roads are used, but the local and state taxes to support those services are not paid.
"If, on the other hand, we fill our economic needs with legal workers, we all benefit. Those people are paying taxes, producing products, and adding to the community."
Mehlman concluded by congratulating the Governors:
You are showing the leadership � the resolve � the determination � to follow through on our Republican principles, even when the headline of the day may be discouraging and the opposition is attacking.
Governors don't get to hide behind parliamentary maneuvers or month-long recesses. They don't get to point to a colleague on the other side of the aisle if things don't go well.
Governors have to lead by being optimistic. They have to convince their constituents (and often recalcitrant State Legislatures) that problems are being solved and lives are being improved.
A message of optimism and strong leadership will guide the way to a better, safer society for all.
The Governors got it.
Now you know why Republican Chairman Ken Mehlman is kicking Democratic Chairman HowWeird Dean's you-know-what.
On the Secret Decoder Ring today: A link to a list of all US governors and a link to the entire text of Chairman Mehlman's speech; a Mullfoto in the J. Peterman mode; and a very disturbing Catchy Caption of the Day.
--END --
Copyright © 2005 Richard A. Galen
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