From Mike Fahy: The Republican Pledge to America is 21 pages; the Contract with America was 869 words.
David Frum at Frum Forum — “The Pledge to America is a repudiation of the central, foundational idea behind the Tea Party. Tea Party activists have been claiming all year that there exists in the United States a potential voting majority for radically more limited government. The Republican Pledge to America declares: Sorry, we don’t believe that.”
RedState — The Pledge to America is “milquetoast rhetorical flourishes in search of unanimity among House Republicans because the House GOP does not have the fortitude to lead boldly in opposition to Barack Obama.”Club for Growth — The GOP Pledge to America is “so milquetoast that it proves to me that these guys just aren’t ready to lead.”
Doug Powers at Michelle Malkin — “It’s a real shame that the Constitution has to be re-branded once in a while – I kind of like the original.”
Hot Air — “Missing from the list of key agenda items — nothing on cultural issues. [Only] one line, buried at the end of the preamble on page one, and according to sources, even that was only added at the very last minute after Mike Pence objected.”
American Spectator — “Republicans have learned nothing from their time in the wilderness. The House Republicans are interested in attaining and then maintaining power, and not concerned with advancing the cause of limited government at a make-or-break moment in American history.”
Reader D: Did someone expect more than half a loaf by these leftover Republicans and RINOS? It’s a first step. Get the new breed to Washington and tweak it properly. Right now it’s a start.
I think it’s also telling news from Jim DeMint that the Good Old Boys let the “Republican” who lost to Joe Miller in Alaska retain her clout:
Senate Republicans held a closed-door meeting yesterday afternoon to elect someone to replace Senator Murkowski as the top Republican on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Or so we thought.
Rather than taking away Murkowski’s leadership position on the committee, Senate Republicans decided to let her keep it. One senator after another stood up to argue in favor of protecting her place on the committee — a position she will no doubt use in her campaign against Joe Miller, the conservative Republican nominee.
So what can we expect from most of what we have on the Hill today?
Blithe Sp: The Murkowski ploy is more telling than the Pledge, I think, as does D, I’m sure.
Blithe Spirit 