THIS TIME THE REPUBLICANS WERE RIGHT AND NOT STUPID, By Jiri and Leni Valenta

   My late colleague, General Bill Odom, would have been surprised.  This mid-term election, the Republicans were not only right ( on national security affairs and the economy), for once, they were not stupid.  They did not display their traditional pursuance of outdated, extremist, views on gay rights, abortion and the war on women.  If Odom were alive, he´d love that   Colorado´s loser, Mark Udal (D) the main warrior against the war on women was dubbed “Uterus” by the Denver Post.  Above all, Bill would have applauded the Senate victory of Lt. Colonel Joni Ernst, who castrated hogs in Iowa, fought in Iraq, and hopes to make Moslem fascists squeal. 

            Odom would also have noticed  in our November 2 blog  that, “none of the GOP candidates have had the courage of Republican Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the RNC –turned senate candidate of Virginia, to reveal a viable alternative to Obamacare. “ Ed amazed everyone, running a positive campaign and losing by only a whisper to Senator Warner.  But the GOP would be well advised to have him organize a Senate consensus to present his healthcare program as an alternative to Obamacare, based on his revolutionary ideas that almost won the day in Virginia.

            Meanwhile, Republicans must not repeat past mistakes where election victories were squandered in one-issue-oriented politics.   The building of a national consensus in both domestic and foreign affairs is now essential to move the country forward.  A turn towards the approval of energy independence projects, symbolized by the Keystone Pipeline, is mandatory to both our domestic and foreign policies. Don’t worry about oil prices, which are going down.  Let the mullahs and Putin worry about them.    Keeping in mind Japan´s Fukushima disaster, we should also follow Germany´s lead in downsizing nuclear reactors and rebuilding the coal industry in West Virginia and Kentucky.

            The Senate Republican majority must also turn from the naysayers club to positive and coherent ideas and strategies in foreign affairs.  Clearly the number one threat to our vital national security is terrorism, where the multiplying Muslim fascists, like their Nazi predecessors, are executing men, women and children  en masse.   Unfortunately, this is not only true of ISIS, but also the Nusra Front, affiliated with Al Qaida, that has been expanding in northern Syria.  We must face the fact that our air force will not, by itself, win in Iraq and Syria.   We must finally arm the brave Kurds and send in Special Forces.   The U.S. must lead   the liberation coalition from in front.  Only then will our example will be followed by the moderate nations of Islam in the Middle East. 

            We must also bear in mind that we are in an ideological battle, as distorted interpretations of the Koran are mobilizing the influx of thousands of Muslim fanatics into Iraq and Syria.  The way to defeat ISIS  and El Nusra is the way we defeated communism. Then, we played the social democracy implicit in the works of Karl Marx against the Panzerkommunism of Leninism.  The evolution of “Euro communism,” later turned social democracy was the result.  Now we must encourage the benign and wholesome interpretations of the Koran against the virulent ones and get the message out to the Muslim folks.

            The second potential threat to our vital national interests is Ebola.  Let us follow the example of Australia and Canada in denying visas to those coming from infected areas of Western Africa.  At the same time, let us intensify our support for the anti-Ebola struggle, aid in which other nations, including NATO members, must be involved.  We cannot carry the financial burden alone.

            This election was not just a repudiation of President Obama´s policies.  It was also a clear message regarding Hillary Clinton.  Her support for democratic candidates only helped to bring about their defeats.  Americans are finally realizing that the Benghazi-gate investigation must be completed.  If she was complicit in the negligence that led to the deaths of four Americans, and a subsequent cover-up, she does not qualify for the presidency.   

            What Republicans – and all Americans –must do is realizing that future presidential and vice presidential candidates should not be chosen on the basis of ethnicity or gender.  Thus, should he run, Jeb Bush, a viable and prominent Republican candidate, must be dissuaded from selecting a glamorous but unqualified Republican figure, Condoleezza Rice, as his running mate.  We have done what others have not -- examined her actual record.  We believe she, as NSA, had a negative effect on his brother, President George W. Bush, preventing him at times from exposure to other members of the national security principles group with disastrous consequences for our country,  We will explore this in full in a lengthy, upcoming article.  Meanwhile, we hopefully have learned from Obama that glamorous superstars, like supernovas, tend to explode.  Star quality does not replace genuine ability, experience and competence. 

            Remember Churchill?  “Magnanimous in victory!” The GOP majority must now coach embattled and lonely president  Obama in presiding over bi-partisan, foreign policy strategy. In the Ukraine, they must finally make it clear that we need to give lethal arms to the Ukrainians so that they can defend themselves.  Replacing a policy of appeasement with one of strength is the only way to change Putin´s course.  At the same time, we must not give up on him.  Our statecraft should coach him in the direction he wanted to pursue years earlier – joining our anti-terrorist, worldwide struggle.

 Let the new era of progress begin.

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