Letter to the Editor:

A common definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. We are all hopeful Mr. Boehner, that you and other congressional Republicans would recognize the pattern of manipulation being used by Democrats by now and change your tactics. Here is the pattern I am talking about, which is obvious to me, a constituent of average intelligence who is paying nominal attention to the Washington DC circus:

*Democrats manufacture a "crisis" (fiscal cliff, TARP bailout, debt ceiling not being raised, etc.) which isn't really a crisis.

*Democrats propose a solution for the fake crisis heavily weighted toward advancing their agenda (huge tax increases, growth of government power, and money printing schemes which are then squandered on not-for-profit-kickback-to-Obama's-reelection-campaign companies like Solyndra).

*Democrats tell the country, via their willing accomplices in the liberal media (the non-Fox media) that if Republicans don't go along with their "solution," the country will suffer, people will suffer, all kinds of calamity will strike the nation, and its all the fault of the mean old Republicans.

*Republicans appear to hold out for a while, but ultimately cave to the pressure, apparently thinking that to stand up to the Democrats will cost them votes or cause the public opinion of congress to fall further from its already subterranean level. After they cave, public opinion drops even lower, the media talks about how dumb Republicans are, the party loses a few more conservative voters who have simply had enough of the incompetence, and we all wait with breathless anticipation for the next manufactured crisis so we can watch the re-run all over again.

Please tell me you are not going down this road again. Could I offer a simple suggestion? How about a change of tactics? Do you really think the result could be worse, or that public opinion can fall farther?

Here is one suggested course of action:

*Refuse to play this silly and stupid game any more.

*Do not accept the premise that this is a "crisis" (remember TARP and how we rushed into that for no good reason). The only real crisis has been 4 years of unchecked spending by an administration which seems intent on doing irreparable damage to our nation. The media will roast you. So what? They were going to do that anyway. At least now they will just call you mean, but they won't be able to laugh at you and call you stupid for taking the bait once again.

*Take your case directly to the American people. The media may ignore you at first, but when they find out you are not going to write blank checks anymore, they will start coming to you for answers. Have some for them, along with a few question of your own, like these: The top 10% of earners already pay 75% of all income taxes. How much higher would that percentage have to be before it would be "fair" to you? Is it "fair" that nearly 50% of the population pays zero income taxes? Shouldn't everyone have some skin in the game? Spending under the Obama administration has ballooned to a level of debt that is higher than all previous administrations COMBINED. Are you telling me we can't find spending cuts after such profligate irresponsibility?

*Find your moral compass, stand for conservative principles, insist that reducing taxes and ending programs which are a huge drag on the economy (like Obamacare) will immediately jump start this economy simply by reducing the uncertainty and huge future costs that are hanging over small business owners like black smoke from Mordor.

Conservatism, competantly and confidently declared, will resonate with freedom loving people. If you can't do that, then why are you there representing other conservatives? If you lack information, the Heritage foundation and investigating the Fair Tax is a great place to start. Surely you have talented people on your staff who can come up with good answers to stupid media questions. If not, why not? Fire them and get some people who know conservatism and can articulate it.

Your conservative constituents are sick and tired of the "crisis" merry-go-round and the unbridled, profligate spending by Democrats it leads to. Can we simply stop it and get off?

Randy Beck
Collierville, TN

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