All day at work, the constant Internet reporting on the elections talked about how those Democrats fortunate enough to have been elected in red states will be conservative. Conservative enough, even, so that my good friend George II thought that he would be able to work with the new Congress because they were so conservative.
Even Tony Snow talked about Blue Dogs running away from the Speaker.
Well, I've thought about it today a lot. And I've concluded I am a Conservative.
The basis of the word Conservative, you see, is to conserve. And when I look at what I'm trying to conserve in my life, it's clear that the label is right...
I voted to conserve my Constitutional right to a hearing so that I'm not hauled off to a different country to be questioned with no right to representation or trial.
I voted to conserve my right to be protected from "cruel and unusual" punishment as provided by the Constitution so that I won't be water-boarded to reveal my Social Security number.
I voted to conserve the life of my fellow Americans so they won't be killed in Iraq in a war that has no justifications.
I voted to conserve the truth and not be subject to the ongoing lies of this administration and its President.
I voted to conserve representation that will not be subject to the buying and selling of votes as if it were property to be given away to any lobbyist that comes along.
I voted to conserve my representatives having the partisan spirit to respond to political attacks and not go meekly off into the sunset because they might be called a traitor by a group that is made up of traitors.
I voted to conserve my politics be run by people power and not some DC elites who think that my brain isn't large enough to handle straight truth.
I voted to conserve my natural resources so that I won't have to heat my home with wood cut from my land because we use energy at a mighty consuming rate.
I voted to conserve the fiscal integrity of my country through policies that balance spending with taxation. The Republicans have proven that they are not "tax and spend," but simply "spend."
I voted to conserve our children's fiscal future through representatives that understand that a deficit is a credit card with steep interest.
I voted to conserve our natural resources by not having Senators build bridges to nowhere.
I voted to conserve my freedoms by electing representatives that will protect our country's safety from terrorists through excellent police work supported by the community like in Britain.
So, call me a conservative. I'm sure the Republicans will label me one of those liberal democrats they were running against.
But I'm just trying to conserve my American way of life.
Old Abe