The Republican electoral sweep is welcome, but sharply tempered by the fact of social conservatives’ hold on the party. Nonetheless, there are bright spots. In an Election Day editorial, the Left-leaning New Jersey Star-Ledger hyperbolically predicted a planetary meltdown if the GOP captures the Senate. The editors cited three potential committee chairmen in an effort to derail the GOP juggernaut:
- Jim Inhofe, Environment and Public Works Committee, who “doubts climate change ‘is even a problem for human existence,’ and says it was invented by ‘alarmists’ who want to make ‘energy suppression. . . .the official policy of the United States.’”
- Ted Cruz, Subcommittee on Science and Space, who “would oversee most agencies seeking federal funding for scientific research, and whose perverse incuriosity can be condensed with his theory that ‘the problem with climate change is there’s never been a day in history of the world in which the climate is not changing.’”
- Ron Johnson, Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, who “has called conservation groups an ‘environmental jihad,’ he has voted three times to rescind all carbon emission regulations. . .”
Well! What better endorsement for Republicans can one want? The Left has dominated the scientific funding and debate over climate change for far too long. Maybe, with these three in charge of key committees, rational viewpoints will get a fair hearing in Washington. Maybe they’ll even call Alex Epstein in for expert testimony.
More broadly, at the very least, the Obama agenda could be stymied.
For me, the highlight of Election 2014 was the apparent victories of John Broten and Sam Tropello over incumbents Julia Allen and Frank Gatti for Readington Township Committee. Readington is my home town. As reported by Renée Kiriluk-Hill for the Hunterdon County Democrat, the challengers pulled about 5600 votes against 5000 write-in votes for Allen and Gatti. (As of this posting, the write-in votes were still being counted, so the final results are not yet official.)
As I’ve noted, the Township’s eminent domain assault on Solberg Airport, designed to head off either airport expansion or other development, was the big issue in the township. I have been actively fighting against this action; e.g. click here and here. Broten and Tropello have vowed to work to stop it. Allen and Gatti, long-time office-holders in Readington, initiated the action some seven years ago, and ran an aggressive campaign to hold their seats and continue the assault.
So, for me, It was very satisfying that an electoral majority—albeit a slim one—saw fit to stop the injustice of eminent domain in Readington.
As to the national scene, congratulations to the GOP. Whatever the reasons for their “wave”, they now have yet another chance to advance a pro-liberty agenda.
Related Reading:
Eminent Domain- Always an Abuse
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