Moderation

Mort Kondracke, the Executive Editor of Roll Call, has written a good column about extremism (both left and right) and its grip on the political process in America.

Don't let my hawkish stance on foreign policy fool you. I have no love for the far right extremists who've got a growing choke-hold on the Republican Party.

For the record:

1) I'm pro-choice, however I do not have a problem with reasonable limitations on abortion. It should never be used as a convenience, it should be a medical procedure reserved for extreme instances to protect the life and health of the mother. Minors should not be able to get an abortion without their parents knowledge. Women who are legally married to the father of the child should not be able to get an abortion without his knowledge. A brief waiting period before performing the procedure harms no one, and gives time for reflection on the gravity of the decision.

2) The less government the better. The federal government has grown far beyond the role intended for it. It is time for the several states to demand that powers usurped from them be returned. For example, Congress should be stopped cold on its abuse of the Interstate Commerce clause of the constitution. That power has become a "catch-all" clause to justify anything the feds want to do. The power of government belongs first to the people, then to the several states, and lastly to the federal government. Keep all government, state, local, and federal out of our bedrooms, out the marriage contract, and out of our wallets.

3) Repeal all taxes on income. I mean get rid of the income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax, corporate tax - everything. Replace our cumbersome and intrusive tax system with a fair national consumption tax.

4) I support embryonic stem cell research.

5) I'm in favor of equal marriage/partnership rights for gay couples.

To quote Mort: "The religious right has every right to be politically assertive. So does the secular left. What's needed is for moderates to get militant and contest these extremes."