Bill Weld 2006? OK by me

I lived in Massachusetts during the last half of Bill Weld's tenure as Governor of that fine Commonwealth. At the time, I was a Deadhead Republican, and I happened to have a Deadhead Republican Governor. I was quite happy with him. In fact, I hoped that he would move on to higher office. Weld was my kind of Republican - the kind that's been completely marginalized and demonized by the hard-right theocrats who now run the party. They're denigrated as RINOs - Republicans in Name Only - because, although they believe in fiscal conservatism and responsibility, they don't curry to the whole radical right-wing Christian control over every aspect of your private and personal life bullshit espoused by such free thinkers as Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Sam Brownback, Rick Santorum and others. Since the GOP became hijacked by these nuts, I found no more place for me there, and switched to the Democratic Party which had a wide enough tent to accommodate people who believed in financial and personal freedoms. I don't hear a lot about DINOs. When Spitzer announced, I instantly backed him because I'm through with Pataki and Bruno and all the other little petty, petulant assholes who pretend to be Republicans in this state. (I say they're the real RINOs, because they sometimes pander to the right-wing bullshit artists - e.g., recent hubbub over the morning-after pill, yet do absolutely bugger-all to promote fiscal discipline, conservatism, and responsibility in this spendthrift state of ours.) Since then, it's become apparent that Weld is throwing his hat in the ring, with Giuliani's blessing. Let me be clear: in my opinion, whether Weld or Spitzer ends up being governor of this State, the true winners will be the people of the State of New York. Read these notable Weld quotations to get a sense of where this guy's coming from.

• I suggest to you that increasing the size of America's economic pie - which can be achieved only if everybody has a seat at the table - is the most important challenge facing our country today.
• I think coercive taxation is theft, and government has a moral duty to keep it to a minimum.
• I think government has a major role to play in helping us with the pursuit of happiness.
• I thought it was madness for the Republicans during the first Bush administration to be opposed to the Family Leave Act.
• It's healthy for government to be a kind of moral catalyst, using the bully pulpit of high office.
• It's not good for government to tell people that the world owes them a living and that things are free.
• Liberals often don't see the problems, and conservatives don't see the promise, of government.
• Managing from a distance, from Washington, is not a great role of government for a country this big and this disparate.
• Managing people's sex lives is something that I don't think is a good role for government.
• Micro managing anything is not a great role for government.

That kind of stuff isn't just music to my ears, it's a bloody symphony. And no one else in New York state politics is saying any of it. But ultimately, my real reason for liking Bill Weld as a potential governor, is the fact that in 1997 he spearheaded the voluntary abolition of Massachusetts county government. Hell yeah, baby. It's time for a repeat.

If Massachusetts Governor William Weld (R) has his way, county government will close shop by 1997 in pursuit of his goal to “support only that level of government which is necessary for the public good.” Gov. Weld introduced “An Act Abolishing County Government,” Jan. 23, as part of an overall legislative package designed to reorganize state government. Weld’s proposal would retain county-elected sheriffs, but abolish all other county offices and absorb them into a state structure.

You want reform? THAT'S reform.