European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 17, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Thursday november 17, 1994 commentary the stars and stripes Page 17 revolt against big government to d Clin from the mountains to the Prairies to the oceans White with foam republicans especially conservative ones Laid to rest new Deal liberalism and its Central socialist Tenet govern ment is our keeper we shall not want. Reports of the death of the Reagan revolution were premature. Given a Choice which president Clinton correctly said this election was about most voters chose reaganomics less taxing less spend ing and less government and candidates who espoused conservative social values Over those who were perceived a ideological descendants of Drand the 60s social Cal Thomas  was Clinton s election to lose and he did. Nearly All of the candidate for whom he campaigned lost. His Deci Sion to link himself Early on to higher taxes and to the Radical pro abortion pro Gay rights Wing of his party demonstrated he was not the new Democrat he had claimed to  special significance is the num Ber of voters who identified themselves in exit polls As conservatives 36 percent in California 39 percent in Michigan 40percent in new Jersey 46 percent in Texas. More than a switch in part Power this Clear ideological shift amounts to a significant philosophical re alignment. Republicans have a once in a lifetime Opportunity to transform government and the political landscape Well into the 21stcentury. Newly elected Missouri Republican sen. John Ashcroft tells me people want government to live within the rules. The frustrated cry from Middle Amer Cawas that it is tired of government spend ing More than it takes  Ashcroft says he thinks that among the top gop priorities will be a balanced budget constitutional amendment and serious welfare Reform spelled re do be to dismantle permanently big government and the welfare  republicans to pass a Middle class tax Cut and dare Clinton to veto it. Tax Relief for the Middle class was a major Clinton Campaign Promise and to oppose a Republican version would expose the president to charges of hypocrisy.  v a a -.,- look too for republicans to put the pressure on the Clinton administration As new House banking committee chair Man Jim Leach of Iowa holds credible hearings on the Whitewater and Madiso guaranty affair. Outgoing banking com Mittee chairman Henry Gonzales hear Ings earlier this year were a Sham and a . Fiew Senate banking com Mittee chairman Alfonso d Amato can be expected to Light up the sky wit Whitewater fireworks. Democrats not republicans nationalized this election. Conventional Wisdom said All politics is local. Not this year. The voters Rose above selfishness and pork and voted for principle. People saw a National sickness and in most cases their democratic incumbent As one of the strains in the virus. This election ensures the 1996presidential contest has already begun. Former vice president Dan Quayle tells me that he will decide whether he will be a candidate by Early next Vear my drop dead deadline is March 15". But in an election night Telephone conversation it sounded As if he d already decided. This election was Good for me he  were a big Issue. Democrats. A. Tennessee sen Jim Sasser coming out could see not an emerging Republican in favor of school prayer majority but the political version of the Irreg ican Deli on heir con a stalked about values but voters say they tract with America and nominate a real did t believe it. Did you see Liberal conservative for president in 1996, we 0 come. Election 94 so who needs term limits the voters last week cleaned House the old fashioned Way taking the responsibility on themselves and earning the satisfaction that comes Only from exercising the ultimate Power of democratic citizenship the Choice of elected officials. It was t the first such demonstration and it won the the last. Two years ago the search for what is miss ing in governmental leadership led those same voters to reject a president George Bush whose management of the final stages of the cold War most of them had  year those voters dumped scores of Democrat from their House and Senate seats ending the careers of Many w to like Bush had in vested years in productive pub Lic service. The so called insuperable advantages of incumbency Are pitifully weak defences against the awesome Power the people possess in a. Democracy. In both the House and Senate committee chairmen and other longtime Power brokers were sacrificed to the voters desire for  is Clear now not just because of the results of the last two . Elections but also from what behave seen in Canada much of Western Europe and Japan where ruling parties were also rejected that when the Berlin Wall came Down and the cold War ended voters decided it was time to take a hard sep tical look at the condition of their governments. They did not like what they saw too much wasteful spend ing too much bureaucracy too Little in the Way of re sults and sweeping political change has been the re sult. Much has been lost in the process. Distinguished Ca Reers have ended in ignominious defeat and promising careers have been Cut Short. Into office have come a lot of rookies whose performance May be As erratic As that of the redskins pair of Novice quarterbacks. In the next Congress close to half the members will have taken office since january 1993. J  but that is what the founders intended. The House was designed to reflect Short term swings in voter Opin ions. In institutional terms the shift of control of the House to the republicans is the Healthiest thing that could have  40 years of democratic majorities frustrated House republicans desperately need the Opportunity and responsibility of holding the Gavel and set Ting the Agenda. And the democrats whose exercise of Power had become increasingly capricious and arro Gant need to live under someone else s authority. The Senate had a six year run of Republican Majori ties As recently As 1981-87, and Many of those who will now provide leadership there starting with Bob Dole Learned the ropes Back then. Despite the strengthened voice of conservative republicans among the newly elected senators there is a reasonable Prospect that a centrist coalition of moderates from both parties will steer major fiscal and social policy decisions. The House will be far More polarized. The Center of Power within the shrunken democratic caucus moved even farther left because so Many of the districts re publicans won had been represented by Middle of the Road democrats. And the new Republican majority i composed largely of latter Day Reagan ites for whom cutting taxes and curbing the welfare state Are top Prio  with such a Congress is not what presi Dent Clinton bargained for when he came to office two years ago. Nothing in his Arkansas experience prepares or equips him for managing an opposition controlled legislature. Presidents without big Domestic ambitions Jerry Ford and George Bush for example wer Content to exercise a strategy of government by veto. But an activist like Clinton will find it an agony eve if it serves to define the issues on which he can run in 1996,but he has himself to blame for much of his problem. He overreached on some issues like health care an mishandled others like Gays in the military even As he scored solid accomplishments on Many other  substantive options now Are very limited. The new Republican majorities have their own Agenda of conservative initiatives and they will do to Clinton what Tom Foley and George Mitchell did so effectively to Bush for four years. They will Block Many of his proposals and pass their own Bills forcing Clinton to sweat out the decision whether to sign or veto. But there should be no complaint. Nov. 8 belonged to the voters and despite a wretchedly negative Campaign they figured out what they wanted to do. The Shook up Washington again. At Home they ignored partisanship to Reward the kind of leadership they Admire especially from governors who managed to be progressive without being wildly expensive. They retired others they thought had run out of Gas. And they exercised Good judgment. Even1 in a re publican year voters in two conservative states Virginia and California rejected the Senate bids of two right Wing candidates Oliver North and Michael Huff ton whom they recognized As egregious pretenders. C Washington Post