Newt Gingrich has a list of eleven points that the Republicans should adopt in order to stay in power. He’s dead-on with this list. But the chances of the gutless wonders that pass themselves off as Republicans these day listening to him are two: slim and none.

The list is as follows. My comments are under the headings.

Make English the Official Language of Government

This is such a no-brainer, but Republicans are terrified of it. If you come to live in this country, you had better learn to speak English. This doesn’t mean you have to abandon your native tongue. It just means that we stop catering to people too lazy to learn English, or those who just refuse to do so.

Control the Borders

We are being invaded from Mexico. It’s long past time for it to stop.

Keep God in the Pledge

91% of Americans support it.

Require a Voter ID Card

I’m a little uncomfortable with this one, but something has to be done to stop dead people and illegal Mexicans from voting in our elections. I don’t like the idea of “Papers, please,” but we need to at least decide that something has to change.

Repeal the Death Tax, for Good

It’s absolutely obscene the way the government rapes you once you’re dead.

Restore Property Rights

The Kelo decision from the Supreme Court is a travesty. Without property rights, there is no liberty.

Achieve Sustainable Energy Independence

We need to lessen our dependence on the Middle East for our fuel. I completely support ramping up (rapidly) our nuclear capabilities, but some of his other points, I’m not so sure about.

Control Spending and Balance the Budget

When the Republican’s won the House in 1994, they preached controlling spending. But after a few years in power, they started spending like drunken sailors. I have no doubt that if Democrats had remained in power all this time that we’d be worse off than we are, but claiming “Hey, we’re not as bad as we could be” is not a valid defense.

Tie Education Funding to Teacher Accountability

I don’t use the public school systems because they are not much more than liberal indoctrination centers. However, they need to change for those people who have to use them. Holding teachers accountable for student performance is a reasonable thing to do.

Defend America From the Irreconcilable Wing of Islam

Stop referring to the so-called “War on Terror.” It’s not a war on “terror.” Terror is a concept or a strategy. Our enemy is radical, militant Islam. Practitioners of the great “Religion of Peace” are our enemy. Not all of them, but many. And given the silence from so many quarters of Islam, they may not support what the jihadists are doing, but they don’t altogether oppose it, either.

Focus on Iran and North Korea

The weird-beard in Iran and the little troll in North Korea are going to become more of a problem the longer they are allowed to continue to try to become nuclear. No matter what either of them says, their uranium enrichment is not for “energy purposes.” They are working on weapons and we can’t afford to let them have them. North Korea claims to already have a nuclear weapon, though (to my knowledge) this hasn’t been confirmed.

That’s the list. If every Republican in the House would adopt these principles and campaign on them, things would be heading in the right direction. But they won’t.