This past week, Rudy Giuliani unveiled his “12 Commitments to the American People” at a campaign stop in New Hampshire.

1. Keep America “on offense” in the war on terror
2. End illegal immigration
3. Cut Spending
4. Cut Taxes
5. Make government accountable
6. Push America towards energy independence
7. Introduce free-market health care reforms
8. Increase adoptions and decrease abortions
9. Reform tort law and appoint strict constructionist judges
10. Prepare “every community in America” for a terrorist attack or natural disaster
11. Introduce a school-choice plan
12. Promote free trade and globalization

This is an excellent agenda, no doubt. Now the question is, by what means would he plan on achieving these goals. Bush had a great second term agenda too and we all know where that went.

Democrats who now control the Senate and the House of Representatives are crafting a dozen bills for more than $900 billion in government spending to fund items ranging from the space program and education to foreign aid and defense.

“I will use my veto to stop tax increases and runaway spending that threaten the strength of our economy and the prosperity of our people,” Bush said in his weekly radio address. He was spending the weekend at his Texas ranch.

“By keeping taxes low and restraining federal spending, we can meet my plan to have a balanced budget by 2012,” he said. “The Democrats in Congress are trying to take us in a different direction.”

Reuters

Perhaps if President Bush had this same attitude towards his own party last year the Republicans might still control the House.