Does the GOP need a Time Out?

Conservative Commentary on why the GOP should lose in 2006.

With Republicans controlling Congress and the White House, conservatives these days ought to be happy, but most aren’t. They see expanding government, runaway spending, Middle East entanglements, and government corruption, and they wonder why, exactly, the country should be grateful for Republican dominance. Some accuse Bush and the Republicans today of not being true conservatives. Others see a grab bag of stated policies and wonder how they cohere. Everyone thinks something’s got to change.

Now seven prominent conservatives dare to speak the unspeakable: They hope the Republicans lose in 2006. Well, let’s be diplomatic and say they’d prefer divided government—soon. (Perhaps that formulation will fool Dennis Hastert.) Of course, all of them wish for the long-term health of conservatism, and most are loyal to the GOP. What they also believe, however, is that even if a Speaker Pelosi looms in the wings, sometimes the best remedy for a party gone astray is to give it a session in the time-out chair.

Let's quit while we're behindBy Christopher Buckley

Bring on PelosiBy Bruce Bartlett

And we thought Clinton had no self-controlBy Joe Scarborough

Give divided government a chanceBy William A. Niskanen

Restrain this White HouseBy Bruce Fein

Idéologie has taken overBy Jeffrey Hart

The show must not go onBy Richard A. Viguerie