Something More Than Glory-Senator Bunning’s Heroic Stand Against Socialism
In an article published this morning, The Washington Post accuses retiring Senator Jim Bunning of “his fellow Republicans hostage” as “He stood his ground, angry and alone, a one-man blockade against unemployment benefits, Medicare payments to doctors, satellite TV to rural Americans and paychecks to highway workers” thereby imperilling “jobless benefits for millions”. While advocates of centralized government will continue to condemn Bunning’s actions as unnethical, the heroics displayed in his unwavering loyalty to principle–even in the face of opposition from those within his own party–provide an example for all would be conservative champions. True leadership requires courageous actions that are, more often than not, unpopular. As Senator Scott Brown correctly explained, “I don’t think it’s about party, it’s about good government … if it takes one guy to get up and make a stand … I think that speaks for itself.”
Standing For Something-Why Bipartisan Politics Are Bad For America
Bloomberg reports that “President Barack Obama began yesterday’s health-care summit saying he wanted to find bipartisan ways to fix the health-care system.” But, “By the end, he said he might be left with a partisan path forward.” In other words, President Obama and the Democratic Party may be ready to concede bipartisan defeat, as increasing pressure from Conservatives forces Republican leaders to, once and for all, declare their ideological allegiance. It seems that it is no longer enough to simply smile and kiss babies. The modern politician must believe in something, and vote accordingly. As Glenn Greenwald, a columnist for Salon explains, “[o]ne of the strangest prongs of conventional Beltway wisdom is the lament that there is not enough bipartisanship. The opposite is true: many of the most damaging acts inflicted on the country by Washington are enacted on a fully bipartisan basis.” Politicians must accept that they will disagree with their colleagues. Oftentimes, such disagreements will be irreconcilable, as differences in principle are bound to produce differences in opinion. However, disagreement is not destructive. Rather, it encourages intellectual discussion and debate, and, by forcing politicians to stand firm in their convictions, provides an opportunity for true leaders to prove themselves worthy of their elected office.
