Letter to Mike Turner

For the second election in a row, voters have repudiated Bush and irresponsible big-government Republicans. That's because whenever Republicans govern like Democrats, the people always choose the real thing. I told you after the last election that House Republicans had to repudiate their big-government leadership and elect leaders who supported limited government. You didn't do that. Instead you re-elected Boehner, one of the Republican architects of big government. As a result, Republicans paid a huge price again Tuesday.

Republicans have always known what it takes to gain power and stay in power - devote yourselves to limited government like Reagan and Gingrich. It's just that easy. But you didn't do it.

Now House Republicans have to select a Minority leader in the mold of Gingrich. John Boehner, who had the audacity to run a campaign commercial about bringing new leadership to Washington (does he think we don't know he's been a leader for a decade?) has to be ousted in favor of a small government Republican. I supported Mike Pence after 2006, and if he runs again, I would probably support him again. Your best leader would be Ron Paul, but I doubt he wants the job after the way Republicans have betrayed the trust of the American people.

This is the critical time to prepare for 2010. You must select a strong, charismatic, small government Republican as leader, develop an agenda like Newt's Contract with America, and communicate that agenda early, often, and clearly to the American people. Then you have to prove you mean it by fighting tooth and nail for small government every day until election day in 2010. If you do that, you can recover in 2010 and regain the presidency in 2012.