Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., kicked off his keynote speech Saturday at the North Dakota Republican Party state convention by saying it was nice to be in Grand Forks and away from Washington, D.C.
“It’s been a circus on a good day out there recently,” he said.
Thune told the crowd of more than 1,400 delegates in the Alerus Center that many people see “chaos” when they look at what’s going on in Washington. But Saturday’s endorsements for the U.S. House and U.S. Senate could make things better, he said.
“We’re fixing to change that, and North Dakota’s going to help us,” he said.
Washington needs “the kind of common sense” North Dakotans possess, Thune said, to get results. He pointed out a successful Republican Senate campaign to take the spot Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., has held since 1992 would be a historic accomplishment, especially if Thune is also successful in his own re-election bid this year.
“It will be the first time in 24 years that both Dakotas will be represented by a Republican,” he said, getting loud applause from delegates.
...
Reagan’s impact
Thune reached the Senate in 2004 after defeating Sen. Tom Daschle, D-S.D., an 18-year incumbent then serving as the Senate Democratic leader. But he said his journey to become a Republican senator was something he would have never imagined as a child.
Thune said his father, one of three children brought up through the Great Depression, was a Democrat, as were so many people who grew up during that era.
The family didn’t talk about politics much, Thune said, but Ronald Reagan’s time as president made him decide he wanted to be a Republican. He said he was “impressed by the strength of his conviction,” which was enough to get his father to become a Republican — after 50 years as a Democrat.
Much of Thune’s speech considered how Reagan would react to current events facing the country if he were alive today. Thune said Reagan would probably say “do no harm” when it comes to jobs and the economy.
“You want tax, regulatory and legal certainty,” he said.
Reagan’s stance on job creation would likely be a focus on entrepreneurs and small businesses — “the job creators in our economy,” Thune said.
2010 elections
He said residents of North and South Dakota historically have sacrificed so the next generation can have a better life, adding they understand that mantra of “you can’t spend money you don’t have.”
“What’s happening in America today is we’ve turned that ethic completely around,” Thune said, adding politicians are now asking children to sacrifice because “we haven’t been able to live within our means.”
Action could be taken right now to improve the situation, Thune said, such as stopping government spending increases that will add to the country’s debt. Another option is to pass legislation requiring Congress to pass a balanced budget each year, as they do in South Dakota, he said.
But Thune said North Dakota Republicans need to focus on running strong campaigns and achieving widespread support as they gear up for November elections that could put two new leaders into the House and Senate.
“As we head into this 2010 Election, I think all of us have to ask ourselves some basic fundamental questions,” Thune said, such as what kind of country and government the people want to have as the country is at a “crossroads.”
The choice, Thune said, is between the Democrats’ vision of bigger government and the Republican vision that focuses on the “fundamental belief in freedom.” But to be successful this year, it will take a party commitment and efforts from all members to elect new members of Congress, he said.
“You don’t want to get to November and look back and say we didn’t do everything we possibly could to elect a Republican senator and a Republican House member,” Thune said.
“If we want a country that is strong and prosperous and safe for future generations, we have to be willing to roll up our sleeves,” he added.
