Republican Principles

Following the announcement that President Bush has chosen Rep. Chris Cox (R-CA) to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, House Majority Leader Tom Delay (R-TX) said:

“President Bush couldn’t have found a better leader; Chris is a true friend of the taxpayer, and a staunch ally to all of us who support fewer regulations and limited government.”

This is a sharp contrast for an individual and a party that has recently supported measures, including an expansion of the Patriot Act with its legalization of overly intrusive investigative techniques and the REAL ID Act that will effectively create a national ID card along with a vast database containing personal information on every American, that would greatly expand government and provide new avenues for government intrusion in the lives of American citizens.

The Republican Party was founded on principles of limited government, individual liberty and equal opportunity. However, today's Republican Party has moved far from these principles in all but rhetoric.