THE GREAT, "WHAT IF, " OF 2006 - THE SUNDAY COMMENTARY

The world is full of, "what ifs." For example, what if the Pearl Harbor had not been attacked would the United States have entered WWII ? What if John Kennedy had not been assassinated would there have been a Vietnam ? What if Hitler had pursued the British at Dunkirk and followed with invading Great Britain would the Third Reich had won the war ? What if, what if, what if. The United States and world history is so full of what ifs that it can make ones head spin. This year from a political stand point there is a, "what if, " that is being discussed and by some even being planned for as if it had already happened. "What if," the Democrats gain control of the House and Senate in the 2006 mid-term elections ? Over the past several weeks since the President's approval rating has dropped so low, ( I still don't believe that polls are a good indicator because they can be so easily manipulated), the Democrats have acted as if the results of the 2006 election is a forgone conclusion and the only thing left is the minor inconvenience of the voters casting their ballots in November to crown the Democrats as the majority. Nancy Pelosi is already being referred to in some circles as, "Speaker of the House." John Conyers is talking as if he is already the House Judiciary Committee Chairman. Howard Dean is spewing his liberal rhetoric as if he is the Chairman of the majority party. Now granted the Democrats though out of the majority since 1994 have never really acted like the minority party and the somewhat spineless leadership of the GOP has continually let the Dems get away with this by pandering to their vocal assaults and whining and not acting at times like the majority party. So the question that seems to be floating around Washington is, "what if the Democrats win the majority in the house and Senate in November ?"

There are several obvious things that will happen if this nightmare scenario were to actually happen.

1. Investigation city - the entire government would nearly grind to a halt as the Democrats under the leadership of John Conyers in the House and Chuck Schumer in the Senate would investigate everything from the pre-war intelligence and their false charge that, "Bush lied us into war, " to the NSA Foreign Intelligence Program and even how many times of day the President used the bathroom ! This would become the reality in Washington and would dominate the news media and the time of both the House and Senate as hearings would be convened with the express goal of finding an avenue to impeach Bush. The Constitution states that impeachment is for, "high crimes and misdemeanors, " which Bush has not committed but a Democrat controlled Congress will push until they can twist enough evidence to get the proceedings under way thus tying the hands of the Bush administration and making him a two year lame duck with no possible way of acting on anything. They would not from a legal stand point make anything stick but the crucifixion that it will cause in the press will end the Bush Presidency which has been their goal since the 2000 election and their belief that he stole the election from Gore. Never mind that scores of independent and even biased agencies have investigated the Florida vote count and come to the same conclusion that the election was legitimate. Their anger has driven their agenda since then and as the majority they will seek their, "revenge."

2. Repeal the tax cuts - Ever since President Bush and the Republican Congress instituted the tax cuts in his first year in office the Democrats have falsely cried that the tax cuts were and are for , "the rich." The overwhelming proof that these tax cuts have benefited every American has never deterred them from the claim. The rich received a higher dollar cut only because they paid in more. As a matter of fact 83.88 % of taxes are paid by the top 25% of income earners. Additionally the vast majority of economists agree that the Bush tax cuts are directly responsible for preventing a debilitating recession or possibly even a depression after the 9/11 attacks and also responsible for the robust economy that has grown in leaps and bounds since the tax cuts. Democrats fully believe that your money does not belong to you but to the government and that they as its representatives they know best how to spend your money so the tax cuts under a Democrat majority will be repealed and a tax increase be instituted. Many will argue that Clinton cut taxes and that is true. The reason for his tax cut was NOT because he wanted it as his policy but because the Republican majority in Congress under Newt Gingrich and Bob Dole forced his hand and passed a tax cut.

3. An immediate Iraq withdrawal - regardless of the consequences or the devastation that it would cause in Iraq and the Middle east as a whole a Democrat majority will force an immediate withdrawal of our forces in Iraq and much of the region claiming that the war is a failure and we have lost with no prospect of winning. The Democrats willing accomplishes in the mainstream media have assisted in creating this myth and the Democrats will act upon it soon after gaining the majority and taking their positions in the new Congress in 2007. Initially the country would celebrate as the troops return home but in a short time period, even as little as several days or weeks the terrorist element in Iraq will take control of the country and set up the Middle East base of operations that was taken from them with the defeat of the Taliban. Irag would provide them with a better operations center because of their better resources and a more centralized location. The entire Middle East will erupt in attacks and Israel would be the target for much of the violence.

4. Terrorism and terrorist would no longer be treated as enemies we are at war with - John Kerry stated during the 2004 election that he wanted to see terrorism once again looked at as an ,"inconvenience." This is essentially the Democrats idea of terrorism. Their track record is one that views terrorism as an illegal activity that should be handled through the courts and not as an enemy that demands military action. The War on Terror would be ended and the judicial approach would once again become United States policy in handling terrorism and terrorists. Of course we have experienced the," tremendous success," of this approach during the Clinton years and before as terrorists were indicted and nothing became of the indictment other than warrants issued for people that could not be found and arrested. Well it did keep Grand Juries busy! This change would not be immediate but gradual. The President as Commander in Chief would initially have the Constitutional authority to continue the War on Terror. The Congress, who controls the purse strings, would under a Democrat majority slowly through financial control end the War on Terror by decreasing the funding and pulling back the means with which to fight the war. Ultimately returning terrorism to an, "inconvenience, " for the courts to handle!

5. Illegal Aliens - oh I forgot the Democrats refer to them as, "undocumented workers." Neither party has shown any backbone on this issue but a Democrat controlled Congress would pander to the illegals far more than is already happening because they view them as the next voter block that they can control though social programs and government give- a- ways. The illegal aliens would first be granted full amnesty and all social and medical programs be legislated by the Congress to become federally available to all. Thus insuring that for the next several generations the Mexican vote will fall squarely in the Democrat column. Every illegal will also be given the right to vote. Once again to insure a Democrat voting block to assist in keeping a majority and also gainging the White House in 2008.

These are but just a few," what ifs," that would take place if the Democrats were to gain control of the Congress in the 2006 mid-term election. Is this take over possible ? Absolutely. Is it probable ? Personally I don't think so. One aspect that the Democrats are counting on that is not actually happening is that the majority of the voters are backing them now as opposed to the Republicans. They are a poll driven party and the declining numbers of the President indicate to them that they are gaining support. What they do not realize is that the dissatifaction of the President does not equate to support for the Democrats. In 1994 the Democrats abandoned the party because of dissatisfacion and a Republican majority was the result. In 2006 the opposite is not the case. Republicans can express dissatisfaction without abandoning the party. Additionally the conservative base which is expressing the majority of the dissatisfaction would not be caught dead voting for a Democrat. The key to fully preventing a Democrat take over in 2006 is for the GOP to wake up and realize that conservatives put them in office and they once again must listen to that base. Indications are that that is slowly starting. Even if the situation were to remain as it is the likelihood of a Democrat take over of the Congress remains slim. Losing seats is a distinct probability if nothing changes. The Senate would most likely become a 51 - 49 or a 52 - 48 majority with the Dems gaining a few House seats thus creating a lesser majority in that chamber. The GOP can still make gains if they will continue to listen as they have indicated and then act on what the constituency is demanding. Especially on the border issue. Tough action on the border between now and November will insure gains in both Houses of Congress for the GOP. The great, "what if, " of 2006 still remains a mystery but not the actuality that the Democrats are already counting on!

Ken Taylor