RINO (Republicans In Name Only)

I left the Republican party more than two years ago. Beginning in high school, and through President Bush's first presidential victory, I thought I was a staunch Republican. I thought Conservative and Republican were synonomous. I was a big fan of the 1994 Repuplican Revolution. Newt Gingrich was one of my heros.

I believe in small government, big military protection of our country and national interests, and individual responsibility. I believe in term limits of politicians and no majority rule.

All that Republicans stood for in 1994 has come crashing down. I have become disenfranchised with institutional politics. These politicians have a vested interest in keeping their jobs. Therefore, what do they do? They please their constituents with "free" money. They build federal roads in a 1/2 mile stretch in my small Milwaukie community. They subsidize scientists studying if they can convert pig shit into energy. They give tax breaks to one armed paper hangers. Government is a racket. This is not how it was supposed to be. Our founders established certain protections for us against the government of our own country. They declared that Congress is in power to protect and secure our rights; nothing more.

Today, Congress regularly takes rights away from us. They tell us that we cannot choose our own provider of electricity. They tell us that we must pay largesse so that they can fund their self-interested spending.

And now, Senator Gordon Smith (R-Oregon), has led an effort to eliminate the suggested cuts in the growth of Medicaid, a health care program for the impoverished. This would save approximately $17 billion. These "representatives" have lost their way. It is time to elect more ideologues and less partisans.