The US Senate approved a museum honoring women, with key support from RINO Republican Senator Susan Collins. I could think of a lot of better things that our tax dollars could be spent on and I would not hold my breath in anticipation of seeing the museum honoring a Phyllis schlafly or Peggy Newnan. No doubts about it though, look for a whole section in honor of Sandra Day ‘O’Connor and another section honoring the feminists.

Okay, so the special election in Ohio was too close for comfort, but conservatives should not use it as a reason to fret about 2006. The election was hardly a referendum on the Bush domestic agenda or the president’s handling of the war on terror. Rush Limbaugh was at his best today in explaining that Hackett’s candidacy demonstrates, once again, the dire situation of the Democratic Party. Quite frankly, they can’t be honest about who they really are. The Democrats know overt liberalism spells a political death sentence, thus they are forced to cloak themselves in the shroud of moderation or, as in the case of John Kerry and Major Hackett, a military uniform. While I admire Major Hackett’s service, he has proven himself - in a way that is eerily reminiscent of Sen. Kerry’s failed presidential bid - to be a phony opportunist, who shamelessly substitutes military service for genuine principles and ideas. Indeed, Hackett was a Bush-hating liberal who will surely make himself at home at Moveon.org and an anti-war/America rally near you. Recall that Hackett called President Bush an “SOB,” a “chicken hawk,” and claimed that the Iraq War was unnecessary and that Bush had been dishonest about the costs of the war and the conditions for the invasion - you know, the usual liberal babble. Hackett also claimed that he was not taxed enough, and thus should be taxed at a higher rate… need I say more. However, to the untrained Ohio voter, Major Hackett might have appeared to be a moderate, even a committed supporter of President Bush. In his campaign’s keynote advertisement, Hackett directly implied that President Bush inspired him to join the Marine Corps, and he also stated his belief that the Iraq War was important to American national security - a far cry from the “other” Major Hackett who once so derivisively and disgracefully impugned the integrity of his commander-in-chief during wartime.

But leave it to liberals to play “dress-up” when it comes to close elections. They can’t run on their principles, because even they understand that liberalism is hopelessly removed from mainstream thought. Therefore, liberal Democrats must hide behind a fabricated image, so as to conceal their real intentions. Hackett’s candidacy was a case in point. Needless to say, a bellwether for 2006 this election was not. Hackett ran as a mainstream Republican all the while hiding his true liberal ideology. If anything, conservative Republicans should not only be emboldened as a result of Mrs. Schmidt’s victory, but also that we are presented with yet another sign that liberalism is slowly dying in our culture, so much so that its political proponents cannot afford to honestly bear its name. This plain fact should only give us hope for 2006 and beyond. Sure, the “dress-up” strategy may work once in a while, but it is most definitely not a solid plan to build a national movement and regain the trust of an already disillusioned electorate. This was a double win for us.
When will the Democrats finally learn that it takes more than military service to win elections? They seem to believe that in order to appear tough on terror, their party can only be successful by running war veterans. But when will they learn that it is the ideas and principles of the candidate that ultimately matter the most. In the political arena, even the most honorable and distinguished military record is no substitute for a genuine committment to principle. A military record can ever distract from the fact that Major Hackett - like John Kerry before him - adhered to a liberal view of the war on terror, a view that a majority of voters rejected (as they did nationally in 2004). Hackett might scream about phantom voter fraud, but he lost on his ideas or lack thereof. Thankfully, enough Ohio voters were able to see Hackett for the liberal he most definitely is, and hand the Democrats another defeat in the Buckeye state.

Kerry and now Hackett… Let’s hope, for the sake of the GOP’s future, that the Democrats never learn their political lesson.