Posted on

The real Republican Party

Barry Usher

I read Brad Barker’s whiny piece on the recent MT GOP Convention. The grass roots from across the state spoke loudly and strongly. They are fed up with people who self-declare and file as a “Republican” to win legislative races in Republican strongholds, but then abandon their Republican voters by joining Democrats to raise taxes and spending. Brad seems upset he is in the minority of the association he claims to belong to.

Going forward, the Republican rank and file demand change, and honesty.

Barker quotes George Washington about concerns with political parties. Notably Washington wrote about those concerns in his farewell address, after his eight years of service as president. No one was as universally known (and admired) as Washington after his 35+ years of service to his country. But parties became necessary, especially after Washington, to crystalize contrasting policies, and help candidates campaign.

Beyond the loyalty of which Brad bemoans is something more basic. Washington couldn’t tell a lie. But Brad left out what Washington said about honesty. In a 1785 letter to his friend James Madison, Washington bluntly characterized opponents of federal regulation of commerce as a “farce by pretending” to be a nation. Eloquent as always, Washington then said: “It is an old adage that honesty is the best policy; this applies to public as well as private life, to states as well as individuals.”

Political parties were not the biggest concern in Washington’s time. Nor are they today.

Brad defends his duplicity with the Republican Party by boasting of his swearing to protect the Constitution after graduating from West Point. But West Point also includes an Honor Code … “A cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those who do.” Remember that, Brad?

So did Brad’s Republican voters expect him to:

• join forces with Democrats in the House Appropriations Committee to pass a package of mega-spending bills to advance the biggest budget in the history of Montana?

• choose to protect big government spending over the interests of his elderly Carbon County constituents by voting against a bi-partisan bill to eliminate taxes on social security (HB 827)?

• co-sponsor a massive bill (HB 925), with other Democrats, which represents the biggest long-term spending package in the history of Montana?

• introduce a bill (HB 506), which if passed, would have eradicated the process for voters to select their own judges and concentrated the authority of selecting judges in the hands a few power-hunger politicized people.

sponsor two irresponsible bills (HB 507 and HB 842) both of which would have massively increased taxes for all Montanans? Thankfully both bills failed.

If Brad is so incensed at the Republican Party, he should do the honorable thing, and seek reelection with a different party affiliation. Be honest with the voters of HD 55. “Party bosses” should not, and never have, decide the races. But candidates should honestly tell the voters what the candidate believes, and what the voters should expect if the candidate is elected. George Washington would approve of that.

By: Senator Barry Usher (R-District 19)

Related Stories: