I am always amazed at how quickly the American people forget. A major democrat claimed that domestic drilling and opening up the continental shelf would endanger the environment while only lowering oil prices by a few cents a gallon. Fortunately, at that time the Democratic majority was feeling pressure in what looked like a tight race so they gave in. Gas prices started falling like a lead balloon. What ever happened to that major Democrat who was so wrong about gas prices? He was elected president.

What policies changes have occurred since the election? We have fallen for the pseudo-science of global warming, spending huge amounts of money on green technology. As we were warned this malinvestment would produce higher energy costs with little to show for it.

Usually when one attacks the President it is over Guantanamo, the PATRIOT Act, water-boarding and wire-tapping. Personally, I could care less about these. This country has not experienced an attack on our soil since 9/11. That is a pretty good record and W deserves the credit. If you answer for the bad, you should be credited for the good.

My problems with George Bush are over his expansion of government and social welfare. Eight years after he took office, the Republican and Democratic parties are fairly indistinguishable, leaving conservatives in the lurch. Bush’s neoconservatism is the political New Coke. Misguided Republicans tried to make conservatism more palatable to the left-leaning media and ended up sounding like Democrats.

Don’t get me wrong, I campaigned and voted for George W. Bush; voting for Kerry or Gore was not possible. If I had the chance to redo those votes, I would cast them the same way without reservation. Could you imagine if this country were led by Green-house Gore on 9/11. President Bush was the man this nation needed when attacked by an evil enemy. The good job on defense does not make up for his expansion of government and violation of conservative principles.

Bush’s big-government neoconservatism kept Republicans away from the polls in this last election. Many understood the consequences of a Democratic power play with full control of Congress and the White House, but could not bring themselves to support a party that had reformulated itself to look and sound liberal. A GOP return to power will only come if the party learns it’s lesson, eschews popularity in the media and stands for limited government, fiscal restraint, free markets and personal responsibility.

Regardless of what he has done right, George W. Bush will always be remembered as the slayer of Republican majority. Only time will tell if the Republican party will rise again or find itself on the ash-heap of history.