Senator John Thune (R-SD) gave a good speech at CPAC, and he distinguished himself by providing more specificity than we have witnessed so far.
The Senator spoke of the sanctity of the Constitution. He said that America does not need a new foundation because “the old foundation works just fine.” He invoked President Reagan’s leadership and his statement that there are no easy answers, just simple answers.
Senator Thune said that he would reform the way Washington, DC does business and end the back-room deals because “Congress is the people’s house, and the people have a right to know what goes on there.” He criticized the “big government programs of today.” And like the previous speakers, he called for the repeal of Obamacare.
Of particular note, the Senator realizes that we have allowed an undemocratic transformation of the federal system –a transformation that eliminates due consideration by the people’s representatives. On that score, he pointed to the “executive power grabs” on cap and trade and card check. [And to that list, this writer would add the Race to the Top education policy machinations and its infliction of the Common Core Standards on the people.]
The Senator advocated turning back spending to 2008 levels. He called for a new congressional committee with the mission of reducing spending and called for a balanced budget amendment. He championed allowing for the development of our domestic energy resources. On foreign policy and national security matters, he pledged to “stand up for our allies, like Israel….” And his view is that, after interrogation, terrorists should be tried by military tribunals.…”
We want to hear more from this speaker over the coming months. What are his views on life, marriage, judicial appointments, and monetary policy?
In terms of laying out a vision, Senator Thune leads the pack. This is not 1988. The people know that we need to return to our founding principles –the principles that made America a force for good and an economic marvel. They know that this requires –pardon the term– change. And they want these speakers to set forth their views as to what those changes should be.