What Should Republicans Do Now? From Glenn Beck: 'Don't Screw This Up -- Limit Your Own Power'

Chris Field | December 06, 2010 12:47 PM

In an exclusive symposium for Townhall Magazine, "What Should Republicans Do Now?", some of the foremost movement leaders offer insight into what the newly empowered Republicans must work on to save America from the Obama agenda and the ever-growing power of the federal government.

The Nov. 2 GOP tidal wave will shift control of the U.S. House of Representatives to the party of Reagan, blunt the liberal Democratic Senate majority and could bring the Obama agenda to a screeching halt.

Now, the GOP needs to lead. What should their agenda be?

Townhall asked leading conservatives to offer advice to the new Republican majority on taxes, spending, illegal immigration, ObamaCare, social issues, the judiciary and the preservation of the Constitution.

Here’s a short excerpt from Glenn Beck’s entry, “Don't Screw This Up -- Limit Your Own Power”:

The often-repeated definition of insanity is to keep trying the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result each time. With Republicans, I am ready to try insanity one more time -- but only one.

The progressive Republicans of recent memory are sort of like Charlie Sheen. No matter how many times they end up trashing the hotel room, we still keep giving them the keys to the mini bar. Of course, in this analogy, Democrats just light the entire hotel on fire, which makes Charlie Sheen seem pretty good in comparison.

But it’s no longer good enough to just suck less than the other guy. We are in times that are far too serious. So, what do I want from Republicans? I’m tempted to write about lowering taxes, cutting regulation to free up businesses, repealing ObamaCare and slashing spending. But while those goals must be pursued, I’m not going to discuss those here because 1) everyone else is already covering them and 2) those things are kryptonite to Obama. He’s going to veto them like Charlie Sheen vetoes monogamy.

So, in the spirit of bipartisanship (read: things Obama might be pressured enough to go along with), I submit that Republicans should focus on reducing their own power. Politicians on the Right love to talk about reducing the size and a scope of Washington, but once in power, they tend to get small-government amnesia. They don’t want to limit the power of government; they want to limit the power of government when the other side is in control. That’s not enough. ...