Jumping Ship:
Could This Be The Beginning of the End?

How's that for conservative sensational journlism? Actually, I believe the end of the Democratic Party isn't in the near future but it is a nice thought. (Once it does happen, we should, as Rush has suggested, keep one or two so we'll remember! ) Since the November elections, conservatives within the Democratic Party have been questioning their affiliations. Several switched soon after the election, like Senator Shelby from Alabama, but others held on -- grasping for some feeling of significance from their leadership.

State Rep. Warren Chisum made the switch in June, giving the GOP 63 members in the state legislature, along with about three dozen local officials. In July some more came on board. Nineteen Texas Democrats switched to the Republican Party. Congressman Greg Laughlin (CD 14) led the pack at a press conference with Governor George W. Bush and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison. The other officials were local, proving that this was not just typical state or national political expediency.

At the time, Ed Martin, the Executive Director of the Democratic Party of Texas, stated, "What you found here is a handful of people who, because of political expediency or other personal reasons, chose to switch parties." I think Ed was just a little upset. How out of touch can one be?

In a response to this view, let's take the example of what Representative Billy Tauzin of Louisiana did. Even before the election, as a Democrat, Rep. Tauzin usually had to go to the House Republicans in order to ask for floor privileges on important legislation. After the November elections. he atched as his colleagues changed parties and encour aged him to do the same. But Rep. Tauzin, still believing in his party and thinking he could force the Democratic Party to accept conservatives, held on. He even formed a Democratic caucus group for conservatives. Putting a twist on the usual description of Southern Democrats, "yellow-dog Democrats", he called his group the "blue-dogs". How ever, by the end of July, Rep. Tauzin had had enough. He stated in his press conference that one of the incidents which led him to switch was when President Clinton called the recent environmental bill n the House a polluters protection bill. He thought the statement was absurd. He has also been promised a seat on the House's powerful Ways and Means Committee time and again, but was always looked over by the liberal Democratic leadership, despite his seniority. The Republicans had to fulfill the Democrats promises for them.

Some Republicans say we should be cautious about who joins, but these are highly public figures at any level. But is this not our purpose - to convince people of our ideology? We are missionaries! When individuals begin switching parties, it only proves that they are getting the message. Besides, if Arlen Specter can run for President as a Republican after the 1994 November elections, why can't anyone else? Most likely Senator Shelby, Reps. Laughlin and Tauzin each have a more conservative voting record than Specter anyway.