DeMint: States can lead conservative comeback
Since the 2012 election, some conservatives have blamed their losses on their message while others pointed fingers at the messengers. Truth is, both camps have a point.
That’s why Jim DeMint aims to tackle both problems from his new perch at the Heritage Foundation, which he is joining as president after eight years as a U.S. senator from South Carolina.
“I’m convinced if we have the right ideas, the right messengers, the right message, we can win,” DeMint told me Tuesday before greeting Heritage members at the Westin Buckhead.
Part of the challenge is stylistic: “We can’t just talk like a bunch of engineers” about things like budget deficits, he argued.
“We’ve got to help people see how our policies actually can make their lives better. … And the way we can do it is actually put the camera on people whose lives have been changed.”
DeMint pointed specifically to the different approaches GOP-led Pennsylvania and Democrat-controlled New York have taken to their natural-gas deposits which have been made more accessible by hydraulic-fracturing, or “fracking,” technology.
“It’s almost like a line between North and South Korea,” DeMint said. “On one side, in New York, they’re not developing the energy. And on the Pennsylvania side, we can talk to families whose lives are better” because of the jobs that have come thanks to fracking.
There will be more opportunities for making such comparisons thanks to the one area where conservatives actually made inroads last November.
“We’ve got more conservative governors and legislatures, [and] they’re doing bold things now with the states on school choice, with tax reform. … We’ve just got to showcase those ideas and show how they’re working.”
Even without a turnover of power in Washington, DeMint said there are ways for conservative state leaders to prod the feds in the right direction.
He pointed to the 26 states that sued to overturn Obamacare. While they didn’t get the entire law declared unconstitutional, they did persuade the Supreme Court to rule Congress was overly coercive in threatening to reduce the states’ existing Medicaid funding if they didn’t expand the program.
But despite their legal victory, some conservative governors have been reluctant to decline the expansion — and the federal funds that come with it, albeit at a cost of billions of dollars for the states.
“Some governors realize this is a dead-end street,” he said. “At some point, you’ve got to say, ‘Keep your money, we’re going to make it ourselves.’ That’s where we have to really work on block-grant ideas, so that states can get back the money they send up there, whether it be for transportation or education or Medicaid.
“We’re going to try to build a coalition of states that will push back against the federal government on these things. I think we’re close to having half the states who would come together to just say no.”
Banding together will become even more crucial very soon, he warned.
“What you’re going to see over the next few years, is these states that are failing, with terrible tax policy, regulatory policy, energy policy, they’re going to be in Washington needing a bailout,” he said.
“That’s why I think this coalition of states, what I might call a Coalition of Responsible States, is so important, to give each other support and push back against the federal government.”
– By Kyle Wingfield
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
577 comments Add your comment
sailfish
February 19th, 2013
10:23 am
Great direction there mr. demint, it almost guarantees creating more democrats to start taking over more state gov’t. Republican policy’s are not in line with the majority and that’s a fact jack.
md
February 19th, 2013
10:40 am
“Incorrect again…it has not been violated since it was signed…in spite of the Republican House’s efforts.”
Well then, I guess you have at least yourself fooled…….
“Less than one year later though, facing widespread demand to ease looming tax burdens caused by the Alternative Minimum Tax, Congress abandoned its pay-go pledge.[14] The point of order was also waived for the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008 which included revenue reducing provisions and increases in spending that increased the deficit, which paygo was designed to prevent. It was again waived in May 2008, upon the consideration of the 2007 U.S. Farm Bill by the House of Representatives”
It was theater JDW………………. grandstanding………smoke and mirrors……..it was done to create an illusion in the hopes someone would fall for it.
Seems at least one did……….
md
February 19th, 2013
10:42 am
“It will be 2016 before you know it and then, we’ll “get back to normal” with a white person in the White House.”
Seriously?
I guess we know what’s rolling around in your head don’t we? You might want to work on that.
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 19th, 2013
10:44 am
sailfish
Yes, the popular opinion now is to settle for the soft tyranny of low expectations. A leader will emerge in the GOP and be able to convince people that this track leads to financial insolvency and slavery to a debt that has been passed to them. At some point soon, the worm will turn and enough Americans will realize that we can do better than this, if we make better choices.
Dusty
February 19th, 2013
10:45 am
Well, I see that MarkV has asked more questions about debt in a pleasant way. Now that is called ‘discussion’. So I will post a few more thoughts..
People in financial trouble begin to subsidize themselves by buying everything with their credit cards. Tthey are using the money of someone else, a business that charges them a high rate of interest for doing so. Therefore personal debt increases. When all credit card limits have been reach, bankruptcy often follows.
I am not sure how bankruptcy works, but it does not repay alll the personal debt. Therefore money was taken and not returned. That used to be called theft but now it is called bad credit.
ON the national level, we, the USA, have acquired debt by borrowing from others, such as the Chinese. They too charge interest and one day they will wish to have their money returned. They will not accept money such as we are now printing with nothing to back it. That makes it about as valuable as Confederate dollars of Civil War times.
Yes, there may be a rapid economic rise in the USA but right now we are borrowing money on credit. I do not like to increase debt when our financial future is still a long way from being in good shape. I don’t work that way myself and I don’t want our country to continue such a practice. The greatest country in the world should not be the “greatest” in debt. We should know better.
So there you have it, MarkV. Dusty’s Basic Babble & Blarney! Have fun…
indigo
February 19th, 2013
10:51 am
Aesop – 9:07
Emlyn Hughes is a Phd professor of Physics at Columbia University.
Quantun Mechanics really IS hard and it can be really hard to get and keep students attention in a difficult class.
That you ridicule him, climate change and evolution clearly shows the depths of your profound ignorance.
Incredible as it may sound, scripture does NOT top science.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 19th, 2013
10:55 am
Gee, I didn’t know quantum mechanics was needed to predict the weather.
Silly me.
Rafe Hollister preparing for an Obamanist America
February 19th, 2013
10:56 am
Dusty, well said, but it might be too much common sense for Mark to digest in one sitting.
What the debt proponents fail to take into consideration when they respond that we are paying our bills and the debt, is that if inflation kicks back into a historical norms, we may be in for more severe cuts and a great deal of pain. What do we do then?
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 19th, 2013
11:00 am
Why is Obama trying to talk the GOP out of sequester cuts?
Didn’t you President Incompetent supporters WANT to cut defense?
Just Saying..
February 19th, 2013
11:07 am
“You can’t even find a blog where you can slam Those People and the welfare queens and the Mexicans without running into these Traders.”
And the question is what’s wrong with Republicans?
Really?
Dusty
February 19th, 2013
11:09 am
Ah Rafe, you are giving me a hard question, i.e., what do we do then? I would guess that we will all suffer with even greater pain in the area of economics. But I still think the time to start the ‘cure” is right now.
Congress should be making every effort to cut back on Federal spending. States should be doing the same thing. We have to get back to the independence of all things. not just the song & dance but the plowing and the patching. That’s a fundamental way of putting it but most surely what we need. EVERYBODY is going to have to sacrifice something; rich & poor, young & old, all of us.
I know you are already aware of all this But I just keep saying it the best way I know: LET’S GET OUT OF DEBT!!
JDW
February 19th, 2013
11:12 am
@Tiberius..”Reagan’s history is one of COMPROMISE with the legislative branch”
Actually a more appropriate way of saying that is that the history of the Democratically controlled legislative branch was one of COMPROMISE with Reagan. The legislative branch did not pout and whine they sought solutions in direct contrast to the current crop of “Conservatives”. The Democrats did not agree with Reagan’s policies but they recognized that his election meant that he had the right to pursue them and it was their role to influence not obstruct…again something today’s Republicans cannot seem to grasp.
Dusty
February 19th, 2013
11:16 am
HEY, has anyone seen Hillbilly this morning? The weatherman says there is snow on North Georgia mountains this morning.
We may have to send a St. Bernard with the xxx kegs to rescue Hillbilly.. Just our kindly blog rescue duties of the day!!. Anybody else snow bound? Anybody got any kegs!!
JDW
February 19th, 2013
11:17 am
@md…I think you need to check your source….mine states…
“Barack Obama’s promise to enforce pay-as-you-go — or “PAYGO” — budgeting rules was significantly affected by the Republican takeover of the House during the 2010 elections.
A recap: PAYGO rules have existed in different forms, but the general principle is that they require new spending to be balanced by spending cuts, revenue increases or a combination of the two.
One complication affecting this promise is that two separate provisions go by the name PAYGO.
One is a law Obama signed on Feb. 12, 2010 — the Statutory Pay-As-You-Go Act of 2010. The legislation increased the public debt limit and instituted a new PAYGO statute. The Office of Management and Budget keeps track of new spending and tax law changes. At the end of the year, OMB checks whether spending increases and tax cuts have been offset by spending cuts or tax increases. If not — and if Congress doesn’t act to make offsetting cuts — there is an automatic across-the-board spending cut.”
Followed by…
“As for “statutory PAYGO,” the latest OMB “scorecard” suggests that Congress has not violated the PAYGO statute. ”
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/promises/obameter/promise/34/enforce-pay-as-you-go-paygo-budget-rules/
md
February 19th, 2013
11:19 am
“And the question is what’s wrong with Republicans?
Really?”
I wouldn’t jump to that conclusion with RC……does anybody really know what that guy is all about?
Seems like parody to me……I would at least hope that is where he is coming from vs actually being that way. And if that is the case, one can ask the same question you just asked in reverse……
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
February 19th, 2013
11:21 am
JDW can’t make a point without rewriting history.
All too typical for someone who doesn’t know history and can’t acknowledge his Messiah’s failings.
getalife
February 19th, 2013
11:21 am
Surrender or be annihilated gop.
JDW
February 19th, 2013
11:22 am
O’ and md…you need to remember the point at which PAYGO was rendered ineffective…
“The PAYGO statute expired at the end of 2002. After this, Congress enacted President George W. Bush’s proposed 2003 tax cuts (enacted as the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2003), and the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act.[5] The White House acknowledged that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit plan would not meet the PAYGO requirements. After the expiration of PAYGO, budget deficits returned.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAYGO
JDW
February 19th, 2013
11:23 am
@Tiberius…”JDW can’t make a point without rewriting history.”
No, it is just that I can remember history…you can’t seem to remember one post to the next.
MarkV
February 19th, 2013
11:23 am
Dusty @10:45 am
Dusty,
I appreciate that you want to make a rational discussion. So let’s look at your thoughts.
The first part, about what people do. Again, like before, you generalize incorrectly. As I wrote before, some people get into trouble, and eventually get into bankruptcy. But many people do not. Depends on what you call “financial troubles.” Many people, just like the countries, have a debt, but manage it, even if for a period of time their debt keeps increasing. It would be quite wrong to claim that all people who have a debt end up in bankruptcy, don’t you agree?
You are also a little mistaken when you write that “the USA, have acquired debt by borrowing from others, such as the Chinese.” If you find the right information, you will see that the major part of the national debt is money owed to Americans. And you have nothing to support your prediction that “they will wish to have their money returned. They will not accept money such as we are now printing with nothing to back it.” How do you imagine they would enforce that “not accepting the money?”
But the basic points I see as far as this discussion is concerned are the following. First, it is completely incorrect to charge that you cannot live when you have debts. That is true not only for families and ordinary people, but for countries as well. The best evidence is that the US, throughout her history, was without national debt only during one administration, a long time ago. Further, that the fact remains that using he most important measure of the size of the debt, the debt/GDP ratio, there was a time when it was higher than now, and we survived it. Therefore, there is no fundamental reason not to survive it now.
Still, there is a valid concern when the above ratio is as high as it is now. I have never disputed that. The question then becomes, how to go about changing that. Which brings me back to the original question: Why should we cut spending? You think that is obvious? Think again.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
February 19th, 2013
11:26 am
JDW resorts to unfounded insults when caught in his mistakes.
Just Saying..
February 19th, 2013
11:27 am
“And if that is the case…”
md, the fact that you’re not certain is the problem…
MarkV
February 19th, 2013
11:34 am
Dusty @11:09 am
I think you should be more careful accepting “thoughts,” especially those starting with “what if?” The specter of inflation has been raised repeatedly during the past 5 years, and we are still borrowing at close to zero interest rates.
But let’s say that inflation will increase indeed. And it is true that it means some suffering. But there was inflation before, much higher than now, and again, we survived. And remember, inflation means that the money loses value. Which also means that the national debt loses value – it is effectively reduced. The fact is that there are two main ways how national debt always has been reduced: by inflation, and by economic growth, not by “paying back.”
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right
February 19th, 2013
11:37 am
Two. Words describe MarkV ’s last paragraph.
Holy crap. . .
Dusty
February 19th, 2013
11:39 am
Just saying, 11:07
I hope you know that you were quoting the self designated political comedian of the blog world (RC)who tries to present himself as a conservative when he is really a liberal lackey of little talent. His presentation of bigotry and discrimination arises from his own personal prevarications which have nothing to do with conservatives. I tthink you are suppposed to laugh.
He is quite well known at Bookman’s, his usual hangout. But he stopped here and fooled you. He counts on that.
md
February 19th, 2013
11:51 am
Yes JDW, as the dems knew they needed an out from their own promises:
“At the beginning of the 111th Congress, PAYGO was modified by including an “emergency” exemption.”
Amazingly, we have had a lot of emergencies in the past few years. Every extension of unemployment has been an emergency…….
They gutted the law by implementing an end around…….now, all deficit spending that needs to be justified is merely called an emergency…….
And that is nowhere near what the dems campaigned on when they took over back in 2006.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 19th, 2013
11:54 am
Emlyn Hughes is a Phd professor of Physics at Columbia University.
indie – Maybe you might be a whackjob, too?
md
February 19th, 2013
11:54 am
“md, the fact that you’re not certain is the problem…”
The fact that I’m not certain is merely a reality after reading the guy for several years…….
JDW
February 19th, 2013
12:05 pm
@Tiberius…”JDW resorts to unfounded insults when caught in his mistakes.”
I have made niether a mistake nor an unfounded insult…simply stated a fact.
Dusty
February 19th, 2013
12:05 pm
MarkV
The following thoughts came to mind when I read your last comments.
BANRUPTCY is the last resort of personal debt. I can’t contront you with the number of people in extreme debt but I think it is very high in the USA. Perhaps you could prove your point by giving me figures.
CHINESE want real money like everybody else. I don’t want to even think about what they would do if all we have to offer is play money in repayment. Stretch your mind here!
I don’t care about the debt /GDP ratio. I want us OUT of debt. And yes, we DO get out of debt by NOT accuimulating more while paying off what we owe. It is a basic priniciple that works even on the national level. Don’t buy or add services that cannot be paid for except by increasing debt.
The USA has reached such a state that we must consider that principle. I’m sorry that you cannot see that. Indebtedness is not a desirable or sensible state. It is a dead weight for all people,their economies and their independence. .
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 19th, 2013
12:12 pm
Tibs – markie is absolutely correct about inflation, for the rich, this can be a good thing.
For the poor? Utterly devastating. Another fine example of the libs babbling about helping the poor while they crush them.
indigo
February 19th, 2013
12:21 pm
Aesop – 11:54
See for yourself, ignorance.
http://www.examiner.com/article/emlyn-hughes-video-quantum-mechanics-teacher-strips-front-of-class
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 19th, 2013
12:21 pm
Aesop’s Economic Lesson of the Day, for the dimwits -
The extra $$ being taken out of your paychecks and the money you’ll soon be paying for obozocare, courtesy of your vote for the dummycrats, really sucks don’t it? Not much you can do about it either, is there? Work some hours to make up for it, if your boss even allows it, and the libs take even more of your money. Feeling trapped? Well, at least your politicians are sticking it to the Man, right? Uh, no.
Nobody runs a business at a loss. That extra tax increase y’all hung on the rich, the rich just raise prices and YOU get to pay for it. At the supermarket, at the gas pump, at the bling store, anywhere you spend money.
Pat yourselves on the back, morons.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 19th, 2013
12:23 pm
JDW doubles down on his mistakes.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 19th, 2013
12:23 pm
indie – If the student is too dull to pay attention and learn quantum mechanics without the visuals, perhaps they should be in a gender studies class instead, no?
indigo
February 19th, 2013
12:35 pm
Aesop – 12:23
That comment has nothing to do with Emlyn Hughes being a physics professor.
You are in WAY over your head here, boy.
One of these sites will suit your limited intelligence and education much better.
http://fundamentaltop500.com/
JDW
February 19th, 2013
12:41 pm
@Dusty…”The USA has reached such a state that we must consider that principle. I’m sorry that you cannot see that. Indebtedness is not a desirable or sensible state.”
Take a deep breath….release…it is not that bad…not anywhere close. Putting aside the rational argument of Mark V regarding inflation and taxing authority have you every thought about what the government owns? Here is a partial list…
-More than 900,000 separate real assets covering more than 3 billion sq. ft.
-Mineral rights, on and offshore, covering 2.515 billion acres of land, more than the total surface land in Canada
-45,190 underutilized buildings, the operating costs of which are $1.66 billion annually
-Oil and gas resources on and offshore worth $128 trillion, roughly eight times the national debt of the country
http://business.time.com/2013/02/05/the-federal-governments-128-trillion-stockpile-the-answer-to-our-debt-problems/?iid=obnetwork
When you have assets of 8-10 times your debt and a guaranteed income stream in perpetuity…it is really not a crisis.
Aesop's Fables and other Lib Economic Theories
February 19th, 2013
12:43 pm
Yes, indie, it’s true, I don’t spend much time getting in touch with my feminine side, as you must.
I’ll be quiet.
MarkV
February 19th, 2013
12:44 pm
Dusty @ 12:05 pm
Dusty,
I am afraid you not only simply ignore my comments, but also the realities.
What point would there be in figures of people in extreme debt in the US? How that would prove or not prove my point? I am at a total loss there.
“CHINESE want real money like everybody else. I don’t want to even think about what they would do if all we have to offer is play money in repayment. Stretch your mind here!”
Again, I am at a loss to understand your point. All over the world countries have devalued their currencies many times in history. Show me any case that somehow would support your apocalyptic vision. Please show me what your stretched mind sees as what the Chinese might do.
“I don’t care about the debt /GDP ratio.”
Well, you should. For one thing, it would support your position better than talking about 16 trillion, a number that is meaningless without considering the ratio. Just as it is with individuals. A debt of, say, $2,000 is hardly a catastrophic problem for someone making $10,000 per month, but is something else for someone making $2,000 per month.
Finally, I did write that it is important for t the country to stop accumulating more debt. However, if you believe that the US can start paying off the debt, in the real sense of the words, then all I can call it is delusion.
Bruno
February 19th, 2013
12:45 pm
Aesop: Prof. Emlyn Hughes said. Against a backdrop of 9/11 and Holocaust images, he remained in a fetal position as two people dressed as ninjas blindfolded stuffed animals.
indigo: Emlyn Hughes is a Phd professor of Physics at Columbia University. Quantun Mechanics really IS hard and it can be really hard to get and keep students attention in a difficult class. That you ridicule him, climate change and evolution clearly shows the depths of your profound ignorance……You are in WAY over your head here, boy.
What is so sad about indigo is that she doesn’t even realize how badly she embarrasses herself every time she opens her mouth about Science. I gave her, along with MarkV, several chances this weekend to come up with something other than their repeated Appeals to Authority and Ad Hominem arguments. Both whiffed every time, as expected.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 19th, 2013
12:46 pm
“-Oil and gas resources on and offshore worth $128 trillion, roughly eight times the national debt of the country ”
And if the government was in the oil and natural gas business, this might be a useful statistic.
Alas, it is not.
“When you have assets of 8-10 times your debt and a guaranteed income stream in perpetuity…it is really not a crisis.”
And since we really don’t have those assets, it really IS a crisis.
Tiberius - pulling the tail of the left AND right when needed
February 19th, 2013
12:47 pm
“However, if you believe that the US can start paying off the debt, in the real sense of the words, then all I can call it is delusion.”
Yeah, ’cause being fiscally responsible is sooooo delusional when it comes to liberals.
Bruno
February 19th, 2013
12:47 pm
Fresh from the World of Physics:
“Subatomic calculations indicate finite lifespan for universe”
http://news.yahoo.com/subatomic-calculations-indicate-finite-lifespan-universe-225300183.html
Short version: “We really have no clue about the beginnings or future of our Universe, but we’ll gladly throw a few big words around to make ourselves look smart.”
Bruno
February 19th, 2013
12:52 pm
Yeah, ’cause being fiscally responsible is sooooo delusional when it comes to liberals.
Ti–I think that I’ve finally given up on expecting anything but a bunch of gobbledegook from these Libs here. Very sad state of affairs for our country with about half the population being brain dead.
md
February 19th, 2013
1:01 pm
“have you every thought about what the government owns?”
Well, considering everything is worth nothing until a buyer is found, we don’t know what those assets are worth.
And yes, we can assign a value, but in a real crisis someone else has to have the money to pay for your assets or it is pointless.
Which is why folks walked away from assets during the great depression…….kind of hard to eat assets……..
JDW
February 19th, 2013
1:03 pm
@Tiberius…”And if the government was in the oil and natural gas business, this might be a useful statistic.”
Hummmm….seems like those OPEC dudes do ok…are you really that dense or just automatically contrarian to anything someone else says?
MarkV
February 19th, 2013
1:04 pm
Here is Bruno again, decrying appeals to authority by appealing to his “authorities,” using the words “ad hominem” without understanding what the expression means and insulting other people at the same time. Pathetic.
JDW
February 19th, 2013
1:05 pm
@md…”Well, considering everything is worth nothing until a buyer is found, we don’t know what those assets are worth.”
Ever heard of market value…for example if gas sells for Y and you have 100,000 gallons it is pretty reasonable to assume that the value of your holdings is 100,000Y. It is just not that hard.
MarkV
February 19th, 2013
1:06 pm
Dusty,
Have to leave. Later. G’bye for now.
JDW
February 19th, 2013
1:07 pm
O’ md…”Which is why folks walked away from assets during the great depression…….”
Indeed thankfully President Obama was able to clean up enough of Duhbya’s mess before it came to that.