With their approval ratings tanking and only eight months to go until Election Day, GOP leaders have a choice: Continue to act like devotees of Big Government, or rededicate themselves to the conservative principles that have captured the hearts -- and the votes -- of the base and the middle for more than 20 years. After all, there's a reason about twice as many people call themselves "conservative" as call themselves "liberal."
Congress could begin by applying the laws it passes to itself. Remember Sarbanes-Oxley? It was supposed to clean up American business by forcing companies to engage in open accounting practices. But no entity in this country is as secretive with its books as the federal government.
If, like every company in the nation, the government had to include known financial liabilities in its bookkeeping, estimates indicate the national debt would now be approaching $72 trillion.
Lawmakers need to be honest with us about the consequences of their spending and find ways to control entitlements such as Social Security and Medicare as well as other forms of spending. It's time for them to start eliminating useless or superfluous programs. For example, in 2003 the Treasury Department admitted it couldn't account for $24.5 billion. That money was spent, but nobody knows what it was used for. How about finding those missing billions?
At the same time, the federal government runs at least 342 different economic development programs. Duplicative programs waste time, money and talent. Congress should insist federal agencies do more for less.
Granted, these are baby steps. But that makes them imminently doable.
Polls show that the vast majority of Americans -- the conservative base as well as the conservative-leaning middle -- are in no mood to accept business as usual in Washington. We want government to be more responsive and more responsible.
That will require a return to the conservative principles -- such as the commitment to limited government -- that today's leaders rode into office. Otherwise, they may soon find themselves back in the minority.