Why I got rid of the ‘R’

To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, the greatest president of my lifetime:

I didn't leave the Republican Party, the party left me.

The House vote on Tuesday to keep John 'Establishment” Boehner as speaker was the last straw for me.

I had held out hope that the incoming freshman representatives who campaigned on change would be men and women of their word and stand up to the failed status quo 'leadership,” but few did.

I'm not going to ride on a GOP train that refuses to get a new conductor and engineer. The votes for Boehner effectively keep the keys to the White House in Democrat hands in 2016, and all we're going to get from the mouths of John Boehner and Mitch McConnell is more lip service.

I'm tired of it.

The Republican Party is dead, it stopped reflecting my core values quite some time ago.

These so-called party leaders and potential candidates for president say they believe in smaller government, lower taxes and constitutionally based principles, but their records betray such words: Mitch McConnell, Orin Hatch, Lindsey Graham, John McCain, Roy Blunt, John Barrasso, John Boehner, Kevin McCarthy, Cathy McMorris Rodgers, Luke Messer, Peter King, Jeb Bush, Chris Christie, Mike Huckabee.

These events which have transpired in the last several years are in contrast to my core values of smaller government, lower taxes and constitutionally based principles:

' Record national debt, now over $18 trillion

' Ever-rising debt limits

' The implementation of Obamacare

' The $800 billion stimulus bill

' The continuing stream of illegal immigration

' The increase in government welfare programs

' The increase in corporate welfare and cronyism

' The gutting and abuse of our military

' The government takeover of banks, insurance companies, mortgage lenders, student loan programs, General Motors

' Out of control IRS, EPA, NSA, Department of Education

' Passage of the $1 trillion 'cromnibus” bill

Time and again, Republican leaders have said one thing but failed to do the right thing. We've been told that we have to sacrifice and/or muzzle our values because political strategy will win the day, time and again.

I will no longer associate my name with those who are more interested in keeping their seat than doing what's right for America. I'm done with hoping the party gets back to basics. My days of giving leaders the benefit of the doubt are done. It is pointless to continue voicing concerns to people who have clearly demonstrated they don't give a rat's rear end about grass roots folks like you and me.

The Republican Party train is no longer a safe ride. So if you're looking to effect change in American politics, get off that train and remove the ‘R' from your voter registration. It's the first step to finding a safer mode of political transportation.

' Mike Thayer is a political activist and blogger at www.coralvillecourier.com and www.mikespolitics.com. Comments: sickofspin@yahoo.com