Hot Air exclusive: Senator John Ensign

posted at 3:33 pm on April 13, 2009 by Ed Morrissey

Earlier today, I spoke with Senator John Ensign in an exclusive interview on domestic policy. We began with a focus on Card Check but then moved to cap-and-trade and the status of the Drill Here Drill Now push on Capitol Hill. I finished by asking Senator Ensign how Republicans can win in the midterms:

Some quick takeaways:

  • Ensign thinks that a business-Democrat alliance on health care may be overstated, and only temporary.
  • The unions may opt for incrementalism on Card Check in order to get around the lack of support at the moment in the Senate, but they’re not going to give up on Card Check.
  • Cap-and-trade may not come up in Congress this year, but Ensign worries that Obama will get most of what he wants through EPA regulation.
  • Expect a big push from Republicans this summer on Drill Here Drill Now.

Previous posts on Card Check:

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Good interview with the Senator – thanks. I’ve been wondering, though, why do you always add “Previous posts on Card Check” and all those links to every post that mentions Card Check? You don’t do that with other topics. Just curious. :-)

KS Rex on April 13, 2009 at 3:51 PM

I do that because it was requested a while back. I also think this is a complicated topic that works better when people have easy access to the entire thread.

Ed Morrissey on April 13, 2009 at 3:55 PM

Great interview, Ed. He’s right. Republicans do need to articulate positive ideas. It’s ok to be against Obama policies, but we have to explain why and how something can be done better with less government intrusion and fewer taxpayer dollars. Most importantly, we have to focus on the issues and stop the nitpicking.

Connie on April 13, 2009 at 4:00 PM

Expect a big push from Republicans this summer on Drill Here Drill Now?

I’m for it, but I would think this will have less traction now than last Summer — and that there might be more urgent matters on tap.

Karl on April 13, 2009 at 4:19 PM

It may have even more traction now because it will create jobs now. It will begin to de-finance the terror exporters. It will stabilize energy prices in the long term. It allows the US to be able to retaliate against any enemy (in such we don’t have to dance with the devil for oil long term).

If the repubs can gain a backbone they can easily lay out the case that all of that would already be here if not for the democrats (a simple add w/ quotes from 15-25 years ago saying it won’t be ready for 10-20 years), add in the platforms off of CA which are ready in mere months.

Make the case why court challenges to new energy sources have to be curtailed, it does no good to fire the starting gun if there’s an alligator pit 50′ across just outside the starting line.

Make the case for nuclear power, dispel the myths of Chernobyl and five mile island.

And for the love of pete, do all of that and then do it with cost-based numbers. Contrast a cap & trade policy w/ current energy production out 15 years. Contrast an energy positive policy out 15 years, if people see -20 Billion in column A and +10 Billion in column B it won’t take much more.

Come up with a way to ARTICULATE the message, and keep on message. Make the first steps to being proactive, instead of the reactive mess that its been for years.

State the case that the current budgets are nation killers. Dispel the myths of how ‘great’ European social democracy is.

The data is all on our side, but we have a lack of spokespeople. I personally dislike just about all conservative personalities (hannity, rush, et al.), they have become way too arrogant. Plus I’m not the most evangelical guy, so I do lean towards the dropping social policy from the #1-5 spots of the platform. Its not like all of those social policies can’t be invoked by solid fiscal conservative and states-rights arguments. Don’t want taxpayer abortion? Smaller government. Don’t agree with tax hike X? Smaller government. Don’t like the NEA? Smaller government. Don’t like homosexual marriage? Its not the federal government’s job.

That’s the thing I just don’t get. ALL conservative social positions can be accomplished through true conservative government styles, because they all do not belong to government intervention, this is not a theocracy, the government is only supposed to impose on a federal level the bare minimum required to keep order between the states. Everything else is a state issue, if you don’t like CA’s policies, move. You can’t force-feed morality on people.

kerncon on April 13, 2009 at 5:09 PM

He’s the one senator from Nevada that we actually like. Go John!

Mojave Mark on April 13, 2009 at 6:05 PM

Republicans should be pushing legislation NOW while pressure is on to cement the right of workers to secret ballots and prevent incrementation — or at least make it much more difficult.

But that would require both brains and balls, two things Republicans seem to be lacking of late.

American Elephant on April 14, 2009 at 6:10 AM