Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta (who spent time in an internment camp as a child) is terrible on these issues. It was understandable that President Bush wanted a Democrat in the Cabinet in his first term. But this one has come at a high price. Find another symbol of bipartisanship. In the post 9-11 world, the Department of Transportation has become too important.
-- Reform Social Security. There was zero chance that this matter would be addressed if Kerry had been elected, and that would have been very bad for our children. It cannot wait. The first Baby Boomers begin to retire in 2010. We cannot sustain the level of benefits we are currently promising. Bush's first-term expansion of Medicare was exactly the wrong way to go. But a second-term comprehensive reform of entitlements -- which a Republican House and Senate could pass with presidential leadership -- would right the balance.
-- Reform health care. If there is one issue that the Democrats continue to score points with, it is this. The allure of getting something for nothing is difficult to overcome. But of course if the Democrats get their way, our health care system will come to resemble Canada's -- long waits and other forms of rationing.
President Bush was sharp on these issues in the third debate -- explaining, for example, that one of the problems with the current system is that consumers have no incentive to shop by price.
Medical liability reform is another priority. The 2004 election has delivered a rare moment of political opportunity. If Republicans in alliance with a few moderate (or frightened) Democrats can successfully reform the health care giant -- reducing paperwork, corking the lawsuits, encouraging competition -- the nation as well as the Republican Party will benefit immeasurably.