Monica Crowley

Man of Steele

Make a note of the date: January 30, 2009. This week marked the end of the old, washed up, 20th century Republican party and the dawn of a lean, mean, fierce fightin' GOP machine.

There were two turning point moments.

The first occurred on Wednesday, when the House Republicans took a deep breath, turned their gun turrets on the new (super popular! as the press keeps telling us) president, his wingmen in the Congress, and the lamestream media, and fired back. All 177 of them present voted against the $1 trillion crap sandwich dressed up as "economic stimulus."

This was pure victory: it was a political victory, of course, to get all of the Republican House members to stand up against the socialist behemoth. But perhaps more importantly, it was an ideological victory. The GOP found its way back to its first principles of fiscal conservatism and limited government. And they had the guts to vote that way.

The second turning point moment came today, when the Republican National Committee named as its new Chairman my friend, former Maryland Lt. Governor Michael Steele. He is brilliant, a devoted conservative, a fierce and eloquent defender of those principles, funny, warm, and a dynamite debater. He is exactly what this party needs at this very moment.

Well done, Republicans! We've got our groove back. Let's try our best not to screw it up.

In this last election, the Democrats moved into the 21st century. Now, they are not there alone.

And as Steele said today, "There is not one inch of ground that we're going to cede to anybody."

The Super Bowl with Boomer

On the radio show on Friday, we'll be joined by my pal, former NFL star Boomer Esiason, for a special Super Bowl preview. Get his predictions first!

At Last

On inauguration night, we heard the classic Etta James song "At Last" played over and over again as the new president and first lady danced across ten separate ballrooms.

Today, conservatives and Republicans can add their own meaning to "at last."

For today, House Republicans rediscovered their manhood and got a grip.

They said "no" to socialism, "no" to $1 trillion in ridiculous hyper-spending, "no" to Nancy Pelosi, and "no" to The Bama.

To be honest, I didn't think they had it in 'em. After months of cowering in the corner, afraid of their own shadows, melting in the presence of The Bama, and behaving like sniveling wimps, the Republicans finally got their acts together. I suppose a $1 trillion omnibus horror show can arouse passion even in the most lame Republicans.

All 178 House Republicans voted against The Bama's socialist experiment, with 10 Blue Dog Democrats joining up. This is a far howl from the massive bipartisanship The Bama wanted---needed---as cover for this nightmare. He wanted as many Republicans as possible to join the socialist cause, so when the entire "stimulus" failed, he could point fingers at the GOP and claim they should all share the blame.

Good thing the Republicans wised up to his game, and blew him off. They offered an alternative package comprised almost entirely of tax cuts (the only thing proven to stimulate economic growth and job creation), and that failed. So, they voted against a humonguous package of pork (the only thing proven to fail in a recession.)

If The Bama and Pelosi (and Reid---it goes to the Senate next) want to strangle this economy further, the GOP stepped back today in order to let them (after, of course, trying to stop them). Watching this wave of socialism stomp out job creation, incentives, investment, and wealth creation will be heartbreaking. But at least now, the Republicans can say, "It wasn't us." They offered an alternative that would have worked---and would have been in keeping with our grandest and strongest traditions of limited government and free enterprise.

The Democrats rejected that, and now they will live with the consequences. Unfortunately, so will the rest of us.

Just Sayin'....PS

Forgot to mention that The Bama's first call as president to a foreign leader was to Palestinian Authority chief Mahmoud Abbas. We have an ally in the region called Israel. He could have called them first.

Just sayin'.

Just Sayin'

Barack Obama insisted on being sworn in as president with his full name, Barack Hussein Obama.

One of his very first things he did as president was to order the closure of the terrorist detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

The two things he did along with that was to order a halt to the prosecutions of terrorist suspects there, including the mastermind of the September 11th attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and other top al Qaeda terrorists, like Ramzi Binalshibh. He also issued an order against the use of enhanced interrogation tactics on such terrorists, including waterboarding.

Now comes word that he is granting his first formal television interview as president to Al-Arabiya.

Tells you where his head is, and possibly, his sympathies.

Just sayin'.

Won't Get Fooled Again

A friend recently reminded me of these lyrics from "Won't Get Fooled Again" by The Who. It's an Inaugural Poem for the rest of us.

"The change, it had to come We knew it all along We were liberated from the foe, that's all And the world looks just the same And history ain't changed 'Cause the banners, they'd flown in the last war

"I'll tip my hat to the new constitution Take a bow for the new revolution Smile and grin at the change all around Pick up my guitar and play Just like yesterday. Then I'll get on my knees and pray We don't get fooled again No, No!

I'll move myself and my family aside If we happen to be left half alive I'll get all my papers and smile at the sky Though I know that the hypnotized never lie Do ya?"

The McLaughlin Group

Please join us for "The McLaughlin Group" this weekend: freewheeling as always! Check your local listings for time and channel, or visit www.McLaughlin.com for more information.

The Content of Their Ideology

On Monday, at the beginning of this week's Obamagasm, I said that I didn't care what Barack Obama's race was. I care that he's a big government liberal.

My opposition to him is based on ideology. It's based on his agenda. It's based on his policies and plans for this country.

Think about it this way: the OTHER side is responding ideologically. They are supporting Obama not because of the color of his skin per se, but because he's a big government liberal.

Imagine for a moment that a black CONSERVATIVE had won the election and was being sworn in as president this week. Imagine J.C. Watts was being sworn in. Or Michael Steele. Or Ken Blackwell. If a black conservative were being sworn in, do you really believe the lamestream media would be falling over themselves over him? Would they be swooning over him like this? Thrills going up their legs? Tossing out comparisons to Abraham Lincoln like candy at a parade?

Do you think there would have been an HBO concert at the Lincoln Memorial for J.C. Watts? Do you think Bruce Springsteen and Beyonce would have serenaded Michael Steele? Do you think Denzel and Mary J. Blige would have put on their winter coats for Ken Blackwell?

Of course not.

Those of us who oppose Obama aren't buzzkills or killjoys or bummers. We reject him because he's a big government liberal. Just as those big government liberals would be rejecting a small government conservative---whatever his color might be.

The First Night

This has not been an average day in America.

A new president was inaugurated in front of history-making crowds, a speech was given, prayers were said, and music lifted the spirit. The balls roar on. The gowns swirl. Champagne is raised, and toasts are made.

The Founding Fathers watch from afar and hope their design for limited government, the free market, and individual liberty survive and thrive. The Man Who Saved the Union also watches, hoping the new president doesn't face the same kind of epic crisis he did. And the newest former president watches as well, sinking deep into a chair somewhere in Texas, exhaling for the first time in eight years.

For now, it's another man's chance to bear the burden of keeping safe and prosperous 300 million souls.

Enjoy your first night as president, Mr. Obama. Rest well.

For tomorrow, you will feel the full brunt of what you have chosen to take on.

The Last Night

I hope President Bush is enjoying his final night as President of the United States.

On his last night in office, let's reflect on how he---through vision, guts, and yes, "strategery"---changed the world:

He dislodged the Taliban as the ruling entity in Afghanistan, a murderous 7th century regime that tortured its men, enlisted others into terrorism, and stoned its women. To death.

He removed the tyrant Saddam Hussein from Iraq, thereby freeing a nation from mass graves, mass murders, widespread terror, torture chambers, and rape rooms. The transition has been neither smooth nor easy. But the alternative----of keeping Hussein in power, while he supported terror and maintained the programs to reconstitute weapons of mass destruction----was far worse. We now have a relatively decent representative government in the heart of the Middle East.

He chose not to deal with arch terrorist Yasir Arafat.

Thanks to his relentless efforts, two thirds of al Qaeda have been killed or captured, including arch terrorists Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Abu Zabaydah, Ramzi Binalshibh, and al Zarqawi. Plus the murderous psychopaths Uday and Qusay Hussein.

He got Moammar Qaddafi to disarm, unilaterally giving up his nuclear weapons program.

He forced the tyrant Charles Taylor from Liberia.

He began the process of getting North Korea to disable its nuclear reactors.

He pressured Pakistan to hunt down terrorists operating in country. And General Musharraff, whom the Left hated, is gone and elections have occurred in Pakistan.

His action in Iraq gave hope to those craving democracy elsewhere in the Middle East and gave rise to the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon.

His support of democracy also gave rise to the Rose Revolution in Georgia, with elections there, and the Orange Revolution in Ukraine, with elections there.

He stood alongside Taiwan, and made sure the Chinese didn't pull any monkey business there.

He fought Islamic terror everywhere from Morocco to the Philippines.

This is just a partial list, but it makes the point: No president is ever going to have a flawless record. He will have wins and losses. But are we more secure because of what President Bush has done? Unequivocally yes. Safe, no. But safer, freer? Yes.

In George Washington's Farewell Address in 1796, he warned against "foreign entanglements." But the precedent of the preceding century is of the United States saving the world. In fact, we've saved the world three times: from German imperialism in World War I, from German fascism and Japanese imperialism in World War II, and from Soviet communism in the cold war. The last century began with Teddy Roosevelt liberating the Philippines, followed by Woodrow Wilson and Franklin Roosevelt liberating Europe and Asia, and ending with George H.W. Bush liberating Kuwait.

The 21st century has begun with George W. Bush liberating tens of millions of people from different forms of tyranny. The frenzy over Barack Obama has clouded over these great acts of deliverance.

So, Mr. President: enjoy your last night as Commander-in-Chief. Rest well. You deserve it.

And thank you.