John Fund of The Wall Street Journal published a piece in which he attributed the primary loss of former California GOP Assembly Leader Mike Villines for Insurance Commissioner to his breaking of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge. It may be going too far to say voters were calling Mr. Villines a liar on Tuesday night. But few apparently thought his caving in to pressure for higher taxes was an exercise in "courage." He will now be able to admire the JFK award on his mantel from his new position as private citizen.
When discussing the future of the Republican Party, The Economistmentioned the “Mount Vernon Statement,” which encompasses the ideals of limited government, free enterprise and individual liberty as a possible platform Republicans will adopt.“The truths we endorse once again have not changed since the American revolution,” said one signer, Grover Norquist, the influential president of Americans for Tax Reform. “They will not change in another 200 years.”