Contributors
Carol Platt Liebau - Columnist

Carol Platt Liebau is a senior member of the CaliforniaRepublic.org editorial board. She is an attorney, political analyst and commentator based in San Marino, CA, and has appeared on the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, CNN, Orange County News Channel, Cox Cable and a variety of radio programs throughout the United States. A graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Law School, Carol Platt Liebau also served as the first female managing editor of the Harvard Law Review. [go to Liebau index]

A Thrill of Hope
2003 Ends on an Optimistic Note
[Carol Platt Liebau] 12/22/03   

As many know, Advent (the four weeks before Christmas) is a time of hope, concentrating on the events that culminated in the birth of Jesus – Himself a fulfillment of God’s promise and a testament of His love. So in this blessed season, as even politicians and pundits take a brief rest from strategizing and opining, it somehow seems fitting that we pause for a moment of gratitude for all that is going right in our state, our country, and the world.

Last week, with the capture of Saddam Hussein, joyous congratulations from civilized nations across the globe began pouring in. One couldn’t help but be reminded of the words to “O Holy Night” – a French (how’s that for irony!) Christmas carol: “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices / for yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.” For the terrorized and long-downtrodden Iraqi people, it may now seem possible to visualize an existence as free men and women. Just as the statue of Saddam fell last spring to the delight of Iraqi crowds, the last vestiges of his shadowy and evil regime are surely and thoroughly being eradicated.

And Americans are safer – because the deed has proven the truth of George W. Bush’s pledge in the wake of 9/11: Terrorists and those who harbor them will be hunted down and brought to justice, just as he promised in the bitter days after September 11, 2001. Let any group or country who would harm innocent Americans take note – they will be held to account. In the delightfully straightforward words of Terry Bradshaw, signing off on last Sunday’s football broadcast, "Osama, my friend, you´re next."

Within our own nation’s borders, there is likewise reason for cautious optimism about the nation’s economy. The President’s tax cuts are working. Real GDP grew at a sizzling 8.2% -- the best in nearly 20 years – and the stock market’s value has increased by nearly $2 trillion. 382,000 jobs have been added in the past four months, at the most robust rate in nearly three years. And surveys indicate that manufacturing orders are stronger than they have been for nearly 20 years. On the non-economic side, although the Medicare bill was not an unalloyed policy triumph for Republicans, it was undoubtedly a significant political failure for Democrats – a boon for the GOP that’s at least worth noting.

Even here in California, the end of this tumultuous political year ends on a note of cheer. The citizens of the Golden State succeeded over the past year in recalling an incompetent and self-interested governor – and at the same time, sent a message to the state legislature about the importance of restoring the state’s fiscal health. It’s too soon to know whether Governor Schwarzenegger can prevail over the forces of liberal extremism and complacency that dominate Sacramento, but at least California’s governor is now a hard-working and capable man who seems to be trying hard to make the right decisions for the majority of the state’s citizens, rather than for his campaign contributors and his own political advantage. And that’s all to the good.

Yes, there are still plenty of reasons that all of us must remain vigilant. Next year’s national elections promise to be as bitter and as hard-fought as anything we witnessed in 2000. The Democrats seem to be on the cusp of selecting a presidential nominee whose views on international terrorism – and what must be done to combat it – are naïve at best, and dangerous at worst. Liberals on the Senate Intelligence Committee conduct investigations on the nation’s intelligence system, with no thought aside from partisan gain; those on the Senate Judiciary Committee continue to play politics with President Bush’s judicial nominees, trashing good men and women in the process. The Supreme Court itself seems intent on ushering in a brave new world – where homosexual sodomy enjoys more constitutional protection than political speech does. Here in California, the state legislature clings stubbornly to its so-called “right” to spend taxpayer money.

But even so, as we celebrate the birth of Christ later this week, let’s pause just for a moment to offer grateful thanks for all that makes this truly a season of hope: Freedom in a great and good nation, a fine and courageous leader, brave and devoted soldiers willing to risk all for their love of country – and a body of principles worth defending to the death. As American patriots and Republicans, we can be grateful that we have been given eyes to try to see the truth, lips to speak it, and hands to write it. And so, as we all prepare to bid farewell to 2003 and embark on the challenges of 2004, let us do so with a firm remembrance of our blessings, and a redoubled commitment to use our gifts on the side of truth, justice and real peace.

I wish for you all the blessings of the season. See you next year.

CRO columnist Carol Platt Liebau is a political analyst and commentator based in San Marino, CA.

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