No doubt about it, we won. I mean everybody in America won no matter the party affiliation, no matter which &uot;group&uot; you are in that figured Bush had failed you and only a man like Kerry could salvage our hides and our nation. Bless us all that we were not tempted by promises, promises, and promises. Electing Kerry would have been like building a house with out floor plans. Like ordering a pile of lumber delivered and expecting to move in later in the day. I could almost hear the boys and girls in uniform eating Iraq dust and wondering what’s next if the &uot;Vietnam hero&uot; grabbed the reins…fold up the tents…roll out a red rug for Chirac, plead with Iran, Syria, and North Korea?

We are rid of the inflexible man from South Dakota, his own people did it to him, and we can now guess which Senator will take his place as a rock head that lives to prevent things from happening. Pelosi, even though she is suspected of being female, will now take over as the defense team out to foil Bush. Half a dozen thinking democrats hopefully will join the slim margin in the stagnant Senate and stalled programs will be promoted.

If we are to save Social Security for the Boomers it will be necessary to institute the privatization of it and let the young ones invest in the market for a better return. My social security is safe but my kids are wondering if it will be around when they need it. There will be no military draft but volunteering will pick up when the military can be sure we will have the weaponry required, and the will to finish the job. Forcing kids to learn in school will be the responsibility of the teachers and the school system. School choice will have a better chance in the future when competition rears its beautiful head. Perhaps the NEA will now get the hell out of the way.

Democrats took a good licking and it’s well past time they quit knocking the government and blaming it for every blessed thing. They have never proven they could do a better job and now 29 states and three plus million citizens have spoken loudly to give conservatism a real chance by cooperating for a change. Liberalism is out, and should be. It is the cause of everything that could be considered wrong in America. Let’s get back to assuming responsibility for our actions and stop insisting on a free ride.

The only salvation possible for Health Plans for Americans is that the citizens begin to assume responsibility for their personal health and their children’s health. Charge smokers and obese citizens for the risks they provide to the system. Otherwise those that care about their health will continue to pick up the tab. That risk/cost system works for every other kind of insurance sold today. The other necessary action is to either shoot ambulance chasers or severely limit the extortion amounts, especially the share received by lawyers. The required medical paperwork forced on doctors will never change and that represents about half the cost of medicine.

Taxes? There have been many attempts to lower Federal Income Tax that should result in higher standards of living of all Americans but there is a terrible flaw. It’s because we send human beings to represent us in the halls of government. You see, we keep hollering for more and more from the governments. Our representatives want to please us so they can return to those elevated posts year after year. So what do you expect them to do…cut taxes

If you are one of those who demanded change don’t limit it to the President, whoever it is. Replacing the man at the top changes very little if anything. Think smaller. Farther down the totem pole are the culprits. The President can’t spend a dime, but they can and do, every cent you send them. You often feel it is important that you have your picture taken with politicians as they are important people. They do the ground breaking with golden shovels; they are invited to everything, why wouldn’t they feel important? But it is them who are spending your money, starting with your local council members. Try to remember these words, &uot;Wake up America.&uot;

Robert Pocklington is a regular News-Herald columnist. Email him at robert.pocklington@suffolknewsherald.com