Each generation must renew and win again for itself the precious gift of liberty, the sacred heritage of freedom. — Ronald Reagan
This past Saturday was the 99th anniversary of Ronald Reagan’s birth, and it was also the last day of the 3-day National Tea Party Convention which culminated with a rousing speech by Sarah Palin.
I’m told that CNBC, CNN, Fox, and C-Span all covered her speech live. One friend rightly pointed out that the convention organizers sure got their money’s worth by bringing in Palin. Whatever her fee was, it was cost effective if their goal was to garner attention to the event.
Her opening line was funny — she took a shot at candidate Obama’s promise to C-Span viewers that they would be invited into the health care negotiations. Palin welcomed those viewers to the tea party.
“I look forward to attending more tea party events in the near future,” Palin said. “It is just so inspiring to see real people — not politicos, not inside the Beltway professionals — come out and stand up and speak out for common sense, conservative principles.”
The tea party movement, Palin said, is the keeper of conservative values. That’s for sure. The Republican Party sure isn’t when it’s littered with RINOs, incompetents, and corrupt leaders: people interested in fiefdom building, a government contract or job, or a way to hold important party offices in order to profit financially or merely feel important.
If you want to know why the GOP fails to advance its platform principles — it is as simple as that previous paragraph.
Referring to Barack Obama, Palin asked: “How’s that hopey changey working out for you?”
She called the debt level and continued irresponsible spending “immoral” and “generational theft.” It’s good to hear those words from a Republican leader. Make no mistake: it was immoral and generational theft when Republican President Bush and Republican Speaker Dennis Hastert followed that path as well.
Palin also spoke of the over-rated nature of “bi-partisanship.” You can’t be bi-partisan in situations, she explained, when the other party is headed in the wrong direction.
“America is ready for another revolution,” she said. The key, though, is whether enough Americans will do what’s required. Grassroots politics isn’t everyone’s favorite way to spend their time. There’s a lot to learn, an enormous amount of real political work to be accomplished, and it’s going to take months and years and countless people stepping up and sacrificing their time, energy and money.
Sarah Palin said the tea party movement is “fresh, young and fragile” and is the future of American politics because it’s “a ground-up call to action” to both major political parties to change how they do business.
“You’ve got both party machines running scared,” she said. But those parties won’t continue to be scared unless the political activity is smart and sustained.
Will those who’ve been rallied by the Tea Party movement and 9/12 Project stay in the fight? Refuse to be deterred by setbacks? And learn who the dishonest players are and do what’s necessary to take them out of the Republican Party?
Reagan was right — liberty — freedom — must be renewed and won again by each generation.
