Episode 32 Hour of Decision: FORERUNNER Chapter 3, “Welcome to the Corporate GOP”

Lew reads Chapter 3 “Welcome to the Corporate GOP” from his book Forerunner: The Unlikely Role of Ron Paul.  The Republican revolution of 1994 was the first time in forty years the GOP had control of the House, under the leadership of Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey. Lew had a front row seat as a lead staffer to Congressman Jack Metcalf (R-WA), who won a ten-point victory that year in a district held by the Democrats since the mid-sixties.The Republican revolution was supposed to be a “Main Street” project, overturning corruption and the growth of big government. Instead, GOP leaders focused on the K Street Project, a quest to replace Democrat corporate lobbyists with Republican ones. GOP-connected lobbyists were, like their Democrat counterparts, often former congressional staffers. Big surprise, these new lobbyists were very persuasive with their former GOP bosses in promoting trade deals and protecting spending programs for their corporate masters.The new Republican “Cardinals” of the Appropriations committee guarded their ability to spend money as vigorously as any of their Democrat predecessors. Soon, many were noticing the GOP did not seem to be able to cut practically anything.Then George W. Bush was elected president in 2000. This was the first time in decades both houses of Congress and the White House were all in the hands of the GOP. Bush promised to end the Dept. of Education. Instead, he cut a deal with Teddy Kennedy giving us No Child Left Behind.Another Bush campaign promise was no more nation-building overseas. But once elected he undertook two major nation-building projects as part of “endless wars” in Iraq and Afghanistan. George W. Bush was the biggest spender in the White House since Lyndon Johnson,Vacuous TV ads and empty slogans were losing their effect in 2000. In 2004 turnout was prioritized over persuasion of undecided voters, a trend that continues to this day. There was increasing disquiet in the GOP about these overseas wars but it did not lead to widespread rebellion till the Trump campaign of 2016.