Righting the Republican ship
The State, November 11, 2006
By MIKE CAMPBELL
Guest columnist

Tuesday’s political tsunami hit the Republican Party all across America. After 12 years in leadership, the balance of power shifted abruptly, despite the fact that, just two years ago, large majorities were bestowed on the GOP in both houses of Congress and George W. Bush was given four more years as our commander-in-chief.

Conservatives now ask, “What happened?” What happened to the party of Ronald Reagan? What happened to less spending and limited government? What happened to the majority we fought so hard to get?

Many Republicans in Washington simply fell into the same traps of power and politics that plagued Democrats before them. The words of Lord Acton best describe this situation: “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

Some in Washington became so enamored by the temptations of lobbyists and special interests, they began to crave the very earmarks, pork, government spending and government growth they were elected to fight.

Despite the best of intentions, their dedication to doing the right thing waned as their once-robust commitment to fiscal responsibility succumbed to political pressure and fear of political consequences.

Because some in Congress abandoned core conservative principles, failed to act properly, neglected their duty and violated promises to the American people, our nation is now faced with liberals such as Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, advancing an agenda that the vast majority of America does not agree with, controlling Congress.

Some say these consequences come because of the war on terrorism. That is only partially the answer. Tuesday’s results reveal that three of the five Republicans who voted against the war in Iraq lost. Others claim a mandate for a liberal agenda. This, too, is disingenuous because their radical ideas do not represent America.

These consequences are testament that limited government and less spending are solutions — not mantras. These consequences come because of an inability to lead and failure to counsel the adage, “dance with the one that brung ya.”

Thus, the Republican Party must reaffirm its commitment to limited government, less spending and free-market principles. By reaffirming common-sense conservative fiscal discipline, Republicans will ensure future prosperity and that elected officials do their job, not abuse their power. This approach is as needed in Columbia as it is in Washington.

Nov. 4 marked the 20th anniversary of my father, Carroll Campbell, being elected governor, which led to his orchestration of the Republican revolution in South Carolina. As a result, 20 years later, with the exception of lieutenant governor and superintendent of education, Republicans enjoyed strong victories with every statewide office on Tuesday. However, they must not be fooled into believing that they are immune from the same fate that occurred nationally.

In two years, every seat in the General Assembly is up for re-election, including the entire Senate. It is imperative the caveats Tuesday yielded nationally are heeded and fiscal conservative approaches are finally embraced in this coming legislative session. This means stopping unrestrained pork-barrel, “good ol’ boy” spending and reckless government growth.

In 1993, my father led the effort to restructure state government for the first time since Reconstruction, consolidating 79 state agencies into 17. He did so while working with a General Assembly of a different stripe and party. Thus, South Carolina prevailed and reaped benefits still seen today. However, he never intended on this being a one-time, fix-all solution.

Our Legislature is at a fork in the road. It must either embrace reforms such as restructuring South Carolina’s state government, which grows at a rate that ranks eighth nationally and highest in the Southeast while spending at a rate 130 percent of the national average, or face the potential consequences which their brethren in Washington know all too well.

It is incumbent upon us as taxpayers to ensure lawmakers in Columbia and Washington treat Tuesday as a wake-up call and put aside their addiction to spending and big government. Let’s hope that our legislators in Columbia take this 20th anniversary of the Campbell administration and beginning of South Carolina’s Republican revolution as extra motivation to reaffirm our belief that less spending and smaller government is the right thing.

Mr. Campbell is the S.C. chairman and director for Americans For Prosperity and a former Republican candidate for lieutenant governor.