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Restoring the American Dream: What We Pledge to Do Now To Strengthen the Family, Balance the Budget, Replace the Welfare State

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I didn't used to believe the rhetoric leveled against President Clinton regarding his "borrowing" of conservative issues for political gain. But now I understand where such accusations come from. This book was written in 1995, after the new Republican Majority (104th Congress) finished its first 100 days of marathon legislation in order to fulfill its Contract With America (documented in another book). Restoring the Dream is an outline of the next steps in the Republican Plan to remake Government. The book begins by enumerating the success of the first 100 days of the Contract and devotes the remainder of the book to elaborating on new pledges for further reform. To say that such a plan is (was) bold would be an understatement. I have gained new respect for the Republican Party after reading this book and it has called into question the common conservative stereotypes. Unless this book is a cruel hoax and I'm a dupe, I believe that the Republican Party genuinely wishes to ensure that all Americans have an equal opportunity to succeed and to achieve the American Dream. In retrospect, it is a shame that Republicans were demonized and maligned by the establishment, having to endure accusations that simply do not coincide with the proposals outlined in this book. And while this book is certainly "dated" by now, it is instructive to see how much the Republicans have actually delivered on their pledges and promises - especially on welfare reform and a balanced budget. I recommend this book to every American interested in understanding the forces that are shaping America's future.

"Restoring the Dream" goes far beyond its predecessor, "Contract With America." It talks in-depth about the accomplishments and minor failures of the then new Congress, and how the Clinton Administration will handle the bills passed by Congress. Each bill, representing the ten points outlined in "Contract With America," is followed with a detailed summary of why Congress believes the given bill is needed. Of some interest is, term limits, the Presidential line item veto, the Taking Back Our Streets Act, and the need for National Missile Defense. In an almost "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington"-esque style, Newt Gingrich went to Washington to take down the bad guys, bureaucrats. We all know their kind. Those who spend years upon years walking the corridors of the Capitol Building, out of touch with their voters and hometown, and seeing every event in a political sense. They are greedy, self-serving opportunists with no regard for the rest of America. The only solution to ridding Congress of these people is through term limits. "Restoring the Dream" talks of why Representatives should be limited to 4 terms in the House, and why Senators should be limited to 2 terms in the Senate. Interestingly enough, Congressional Republicans felt strongly about enacting a Presidential line item veto, even with a completely incompetent President, Bill Clinton. They knew it was in the best interest of the country and for the progress of democracy to quickly enact such legislation. They did. For those not acquainted with the concept of line item veto, it is when the President gives a warm reception to a bill passed by Congress, but finds one minor flaw and ends up having to veto the entire bill. With line item veto power, a President can veto certain mandates in a given bill, but still pass the bill in its modified form. This means more can get done for the people of America, and less partisan bickering on Capitol Hill. Urban areas have been deteriorating rapidly sense Lyndon B. Johnson's proclamation of his "Great Society" in the mid 1960s. Murders, drugs, gangs, and robberies have become all too common in America's largest cities. The Taking Back Our Streets Act addresses such concerns. Children must be taught at an early age that they are responsible for their behavior and punishments do follow for inappropriate or violent behavior. They need to grasp the American Dream and understand that they too, can contribute a great deal to society. Without such education, violence in our urban areas is inevitable. The Taking Back Our Streets Act stops crime in our cities dead in its tracks. Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and Sudan are just some nations attempting to obtain or already possessing nuclear missiles. The threat grows rapidly with each passing day, and the US currently has no system to protect its soil from a nuclear attack. National Missile Defense is a must for the modern and unpredictable world that we live in. The legislation mentioned in this book became the National Missile Defense Act of 1999, passed by both chambers of Congress, and signed into law by President Clinton.

Even thought this book is five years old, it's intriguing to see how the plan by the House Republicans actually came to be and how successful it was in transforming America. Their main objective was to improve conditions for families, create an opportunity society, and balance the budget. In my opinion, they succeeded at all three, and then some. Through emphasizing personal responsibility, trusting the individual, and placing power back in the hands of state and local authorities did the Republicans promote their message that large, inefficient government was useless and harmful and that decentralization truly epitomizes compassionate conservatism. Now that we have a balanced budget, welfare reform, lower crime, and booming economy, the GOP can take credit for the work they performed to make these unattainable goals during Democrat-run Congresses a reality. These men and women proved that lower taxation, deregulation, limited government, and faith in the local community can make the American dream possible.

This was an optimistic 'dream' when they ousted Clinton and the Democrats. Bush did not win that election. The state of Florida conspired so that the Governor's brother would take over even though Tennessean Al Gore had the most votes. That is hypocrisy. That is anarchy.

All of these thing they hyped as their agenda didn't matreialize: Strengthen the family (Ha), Balance the Budget (Clinton already had it balanced -- it is far in the red now and two wars taking place with no end in sight), and Replace the Welfare State. They didn't replace it, they almost demolished it. After all, both Bushes are wealthy and don't know what it is to be needy. Now, TennCare which Clinton's administration started in 1994 as an example to all of America has failed big time. We can't get any of the medicines we need, nor the medical care. Many of us will die as a result.

Newt Gingrich and Dick Armey either had big ideas for the House of Representatives, but it didn't work either. The Senate is over the House, so why all the hype about something they could not possibly do. 2002 has come and gone and the budget is 100% worse than it was in 1994; that's because of the military costs and now the cost of gasoline is skyrocketing here -- because we put those oil wells out of business in the Persian Gulf and now Iran and Iraq. What do they expect -- that we will all stand up and cheer for their failures.

Had Clinton not been such a randy fellow and ignored the demands of the country's future, the Republicans would not have had the chance to foul up royally. I picked this book because of the flag on the cover.