From conservatives, a bounty of political manifestos
Everybody from tea partiers to Republican lawmakers to GOP chief Michael Steele is listing their political priorities and goals. Republicans are hoping to repeat Newt Gingrich's 1994 success in taking over the House with his 'Contract With America.'
Former Republican Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich led the Republican takeover of the House in 1994 with his Contract With America. He's talking about crafting a new contract whose themes would include jobs, a balanced budget, and energy.
Bob Child/AP/File
Washington
In conservative circles, manifestos are all the rage.
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On Wednesday, it was the Mount Vernon Statement, an affirmation of “constitutional conservatism,” as the organizers styled it, focused on limited government and individual liberty. Signers included many familiar names from old-time conservative circles – Reagan-era Attorney General Ed Meese, direct mail guru Richard Viguerie, antitax activist Grover Norquist, to name a few.
Tea party activists are working up their own manifesto, to be called the Contract From America – a play on former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America, from the breakthrough midterms of 1994.
On Thursday, at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, the group Tea Party Patriots will unveil its website, where activists can select 10 out of 21 priorities to go into the Contract From America.
Options include a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget, a repeal of all tax hikes scheduled to begin in 2011, and no regulation or tax on the Internet.
Newt Gingrich is back with a new 'contract'
Mr. Gingrich is talking about crafting a Contract With America II, and has laid out themes, starting with jobs, balanced budget, and energy. Rep. Paul Ryan (R) of Wisconsin, one of the party’s rising stars, has put out a “Roadmap for America’s Future.” Rep. John Boehner (R) of Ohio, the House minority leader, says he’s drafting a Republican campaign platform.
And Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the GOP presidential nominee in 2008, says Senate Republicans will lay out a 10-point election year agenda this spring – the 10 things the Republican Party would seek to enact within 60 days upon retaking control of Congress.
Then, of course, there’s the manifesto (of sorts) by Michael Steele, the chairman of the Republican National Committee, who released a book last month called “Right Now: A 12-Step Program for Defeating the Obama Agenda.”
