Hoosier on the Hill could lead GOP out of desert

Indiana's Mike Pence is a thoughtful and articulate spokesman for conservative values. As such, he's a fine choice as the House Republicans' conference chairman, the top communications job and the number three slot in the caucus.

Pence's most difficult task, however, rests not in communication with the public but in persuading fellow Republicans that their return path to power lies in less partisanship, better performance and zero tolerance for the kind of corruption that has plagued the party in recent years.

Pence has argued that voters didn't hire Democrats, they fired Republicans in 2006, when the GOP lost control of the House for the first time in 12 years. The same thing happened again this year, with Democrats winning the White House and gaining seats in the House and Senate.

The Republican brand these days is about as battered as AIG, Lehman Brothers and General Motors.

Pence needs to help lead a reform effort in the GOP that cleans up the excesses of the recent past. That starts with accepting the proper role of the minority party, one that involves dissent not for the sake of partisan gain but serves to raise legitimate questions about the majority's policy initiatives.

House Republicans also need to return to their conservative roots, especially when it comes to fiscal discipline.

The blatant disregard for the dangers of rising budget deficits and soaring national debt has been a bipartisan failure of leadership.

Pence, a stalwart of fiscal conservatism, needs to persuade House Republicans that they must lead by example on fiscal matters. That means swearing off excessive earmarks, voting against appropriation bills that bust the budget and pressing to address looming shortfalls in Social Security and Medicare.

Finally, Pence needs to insist that Republicans discipline their own when it comes to public corruption and private indiscretions. House Republicans in particular have been far too accepting of their colleagues' misdeeds. The party needs to clean up its image if it has any hope of regaining a measure of power on Capitol Hill.

Mike Pence has gained a leadership position in part because he's media-savvy and well-spoken. But his emergence could prove to be far more valuable than articulating partisan points if he champions reform within the GOP and in Congress as a whole.

REPRINTED FROM THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR.

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