Interesting, isn’t it, that the liberals on campus have nothing better to do than trash guest speakers?

The fact is the College Republicans are mounting a substantial comeback on campus and the College Democrats are terrified. They had become quite comfortable with being unchallenged, and now that there is some stiff competition, they simply don’t know how to respond. So, they resort to juvenile tactics of whining and name-calling. They twist the facts so that they coincide with their opinions. We see this behavior not only at UTM, but among Democrats everywhere.

The South is steadily becoming Republican territory. Mississippi and Kentucky have both recently elected Republican governors, and right here at home, Republicans are now within just a few seats of gaining the majority in both the House and Senate of the Tennessee General Assembly. Democrats know that they are losing the battle for the South, and it scares them silly.

In his article last week, Kevin Teets referred to a quote attributed to Tennessee Republican Party Chairwoman Beth Harwell by the Jackson Sun.

I personally did not have the pleasure of reading this article, and therefore have no idea what context her statement might have been used in. Also, the Jackson Sun is quite notorious for their liberal slant and frequent misquoting. However, let’s assume that Chairwoman Harwell did challenge her audience to name a Democratic initiative that “has actually worked.” It would be harder to do than you might think.

Mr. Teets rattled off several examples in his article, but let's examine a couple.

He first cites social security. I’m sure I would be hard-pressed to find more than a hand full of students on this campus who believe that when they retire there will be such a thing called “social security.”

Mr. Teets also listed Medicare as a successful “Democratic initiative.” I don’t think I need to remind anyone that Medicare has been failing our seniors basically since its inception. Only now, under the leadership of George W. Bush, is something being done to repair this failing program. Our Republican Congress, with the support of the AARP, is now pushing forward on what will be the most substantial improvements in health care for our elderly in almost forty years.

Also in his article, Mr. Teets raised the issue of the economy. Need I remind him of the 7.2 percent economic growth that we achieved in the last quarter? This was the largest economic growth in nearly 20 years, when another Republican, Ronald Reagan, was Commander-In-Chief. This incredible growth is a direct result of the President’s tax cuts, which I might add, many of the Democratic candidates, including Howard Dean, vow to repeal if elected.

As is often the case, we see the Democrats seeking to take money from our pockets. He also referenced “fair and affordable health care.” I have already addressed this issue. Let it be known that the Republican Party is the party that is constantly working to achieve economic growth, superior health care for our seniors and job creation. This administration has heard the voices of the American people and has responded.

On Wednesday, Chairwoman Harwell gave an insightful talk that exemplified Republican ideals. I am proud to stand beside outstanding people like her, State Representative Chris Crider, Senators Bill Frist and Lamar Alexander and President George W. Bush.

Mr. Teets’ editorial was cleverly titled “Send Bush back to ranch.” Well, let’s think about our alternative. Currently, Howard Dean is the front-runner in the race to receive the Democratic nomination for President. Does anyone really want to send Bush “back to the ranch” in exchange for a former pot-smoking draft dodger who wants to take our hard-earned money, endorses assisted suicide, opposes parental notification of children receiving abortions and claims to be “the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks?” You decide.

Christin Hayes is a junior Political Science major from Martin.