A recent article in Congressional Quarterly examines the best way for Republicans to “repackage” their agenda.

Thankfully, many elected Republicans are embracing a theme that “the problem is not conservative principles” — but rather how poorly Republicans practiced conservative principles once they got to Washington.

Others view “the problem” differently.

Former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson believes it is time for Republicans to reconsider their “ideological rigidity.” Thompson says we have to be “more practical” while rebuilding the party.

As evidence, he points to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, S-CHIP. The fact that Republicans didn’t accommodate Democrats will haunt us, claims Thompson, because now — with Democrats in power — S-CHIP will be expanded more than it would have been under Republicans.

There’s no doubt that Democrats will expand the size and scope of government; that’s what liberals do.

Our role is to oppose them tooth and nail because the country benefits when we thwart liberals — not when we emulate them or try to present watered-down liberalism as an alternative.

Governor Thompson — with all due respect — when Republicans had power, they tried the “practical” approach. The “new tone”?

They practically grew the size of government as if they were Democrats… which is why they’re now on the outside, looking in.

“Ideological rigidity” is not the problem;

“Conservative ideology” is the solution!

We refuse, to repeat past mistakes. We are going to correct them!

Any time anybody who wasn’t even associated with McCain’s campaign said something like “Barack Hussein Obama,” then the left starts prancing around all angry and so forth

CNN’s Campbell Brown — ran a story defending Sarah Palin.

Now, this might only be on their website. I don’t know that it aired either.

“Whatever you may have thought about John McCain’s running mate … try to put all of that aside for just a moment, because Sarah Palin is who she is. She did not become measurably more intelligent or measurably less intelligent during this campaign. Remember, she was only part of the campaign for a matter of nine weeks. Sarah Palin is who she is, which is why I find it so stunning that the very people who introduced us to her, who told us she would make a great vice president, have now turned on her with a vengeance. They are the top advisers to John McCain’s failed campaign and they are desperate to find someone to blame for their long, long list of mistakes. They have been launching grenades at Palin and her supporters. CNN has found some of their allegations to be patently false.”

CNN admits they investigated something.

CNN did this story on right-wing rage? Let me be honest with you.

If there is any right-wing rage today, it is at the moderates in the Republican Party who are responsible for taking this party down a sewer.

Governor Palin ignited a dead and dry campaign.

She’s tough. She’s smart. She’s competent. She’s articulate, a doer, and she’s got a proven track record to prove that — and she just doesn’t talk. She’s done the walk, and I think that’s what her attackers fear most, that she’s too effective at brushing the waste where it belongs.

She is a threat to the modern Republican Party, which is made up of a bunch of spineless moderates. And they’re trying to take her out now.

But the problem is that conservatives love this woman.

It’s not even arguable and it’s not even close.

40% of America (I’m approximating the number here) knowingly voted for socialism, whether they know what it is or not. Whether they know the definition of the word “socialism” or not, they understand the concept.

There are 47 million Americans who do not pay taxes, who do not pay income taxes, and I will wager (there’s no polling data on this), but I will wager – that the vast majority of them voted for Obama.

You tell them about Bolsheviks and Marxists and Lenin and Stalin, they’re not gonna understand that.

They may not even understand socialism, and if they do understand it, they think it’s a good thing.

They’ve been taught that it’s a good thing in school. So what I am going to say is: 40% of the people in this country who vote want the kind of thing that Obama is going to offer.

We’re going to have to defeat 40% of the country, and then after they’re defeated, they’re going to be clamoring and mad and angry, and they’re going to be… Things are always going to be unsettled in this realm.

There’s always going to be a certain percentage of people who want something for nothing.

Mark Steyn had the line at the National Review.

“We’ve got a long way from JFK in 1960 who said, ‘Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.'”

That’s 1960. In 2008, it’s now, “Ask not what your country can do for you; demand what your country can do for you,” and that’s who voted for Obama.

Now, there are a lot of people also that voted for Obama that are not that way per se. Shelby Steele‘s got a great piece, that this is white guilt on parade; and he’s written extensively of this, numerous books and articles.

And that’s another thing. Media types are trying to say, “No, no, no. There wasn’t any white guilt here. There wasn’t any Raspberry Effect or Blackberry Effect. We’ve really gotten past it.”

No, we haven’t. We haven’t gotten past it at all. Obama made a bargain with them.

These guilty white people, liberals, love the bargain that they were able to make with Obama. Basically Obama says,

“Look, I’m not going to do anything to you. I won’t threaten you, as long as you don’t hold my race against me,” and the bargain is, “Okay, we’ll support you.”

It’s a little more complicated than that, and I’m paraphrasing from Dr. Steele.

My point is, not everybody voting for Obama is being pulled by the cart, or not paying taxes. There are a lot of smart people who voted for him. Well, “smart.” Eh, even I get caught in the trap. We’ve gotta redefine “smart.” That’s another thing we have to do damn fast in this country.

Smart and Ignorance have converged to the detriment of all.

In America today, the sun seems to be shining a little brighter; the birds are chirping happier melodies. The smell of spring has displaced Old Man Winter. In fact, winter will not come this year; its cold, harsh winds won’t chill the souls of Americans.

The shackles of the past — which for so long have bound too many of us — have been shaken loose. And the process of rebuilding the conservative movement has begun.

This is the rebirth of principled opposition.

An opposition rooted in conviction; not opposition for opposition’s sake, or political expedience.

The road will be steep, but I know as a people we will get there:

• Can we oppose the idea that confiscatory taxation produces prosperity, when in fact it punishes economic growth? Yes, we can!
• Can we oppose the notion that our national greatness is derived from an ever-growing government — instead of the freedom from government our Founders envisioned? Yes, we can!
• Can we oppose the belief that one’s earnings must be redistributed for the false promise of fairness? Yes, we can!
• Can we oppose the belief that it is immoral to secure our own borders, or defend ourselves from terrorists intent on destroying us? Yes, we can!

Can we do all that and more? Yes, we can! Because now it is plain for one and all to see: Taking the moderate path of appeasement leads to abysmal defeat.

Conservatives are free at last! Thank God Almighty, we’re free at last — to seek the mountaintop!

GOD HELP US ALL.

CAN WE SURVIVE A SOCIALIST IN THE WHITE HOUSE  ? ? ?

START PRAYING NOW…

MORE TO FOLLOW.