Good Morning (in America)...

Many people have been discussing in the blogosphere: is Michael Steele "conservative"?

Some have suggested that his professed support for affirmative action and his assertion that being a Republican in Maryland is like possessing a Scarlet Letter, means he doesn't possess this key credential.  (I have no response to the former, but to the latter I would suggest that if you are running for office in Maryland, being a Republican is a Scarlet Letter.)

Truthfully, I do not profess to know the man and cannot vouch for his "Conservative" credentials.  What I do know is that it is difficult to define "conservative" when the very term is somewhat in flux. What does Conservative mean in modern, American society?  Some would suggest that it implies a social or religious conservatism.  Others would define it as the attempt to pace the change in society, creating a society where no drastic change occurs and the Nation's customs remain as they always were.  Finally, others would refer to an economic conservatism; relying on markets to value goods and services rather on intervention and interference from regulatory authorities and seeking a prudence in government spending. 

Given the tremendous variation on what conservative means, it is no surprise that we are having a difficult time determining who the conservatives are. (For instance, President Bush has been called both a moderate and a severe conservative.)

Rather than worry about "conservatism" and how it is defined, I think that we should simply commit the Republican Party to several principles:

1. An effective and efficient government, not just a smaller one.
2. An inclusive society.
3. The essential freedom of the individual.
4. Fiscal responsibility.
5. Free Markets.
6. Transparent, honest and ethical governance.

It is my opinion 9 out of 10 conservatives would agree with all of these principles and, by embracing them as fundamental principles, we can identify the key distinctions between ourselves and liberal-Democrats; offering positive and productive alternatives for the future.  

Over the next several weeks, my goal it to explicate each one of these principles and how they apply to our current circumstances.

The first step?  Let's get the word out!  I would encourage you to express your opinions with the New Republicans or read about the happening at Rebuild the Party by joining their social network.