North Star Writers Group

My grandfather was a farmer. Though he was the grandson of slaves, he was able to own his small farm in rural Douglas County, Georgia and earn a modest return as the fruits of his labor. Many times as a little boy when I would visit my grandparents, Granddad had to take a load of potatoes into the local farmer’s market. When he finished loading the wagon Granddad would announce to all the grandchildren running around in the yard, “Them that’s goin’, get on the wagon! Them that ain’t, get outta the way!”

Once we had settled in on top of the potatoes or in the seat next to Granddad, he would drive his wagonload of potatoes to the market in town. But Granddad never took the straight and easy road to the market, where the wagon tracks had smoothed out over the years. Instead, Granddad drove his wagon over the roughest and longest roads to town. He hit as many rocks, hills and wagon wheel ruts as he could.

I always wondered why Granddad didn’t take the straightest and shortest road to the market, where we wouldn’t have to cross so many bumps and ruts. When I was a little older, I discovered why. When we arrived at the farmer’s market I saw that all of the big potatoes rose to the top of the wagon, while all the small potatoes had fallen to the bottom. The jolting rough roads of the journey to the farmer’s market made it easy for Granddad to find and sack the biggest potatoes, which earned him a premium price.

Like my Granddad, there are millions of Americans, and a handful in Congress, who are willing to endure the jolts of the bumpy road on the journey toward achieving their goals. Unfortunately, the big potatoes in Congress often seem outnumbered. In just the past year Congress has failed to make the 2003 tax rate cuts permanent, restructure the Social Security and Medicare programs, secure our borders and end pork-barrel spending.

Simply put, too many little potatoes are in charge in Washington, D.C. Think about it – we have actually elected to Congress men and women who believe the future of our great nation will be bright with high tax rates, bankrupt Social Security and Medicare programs, tens of millions of illegal aliens running amok over our borders and an open checkbook for our representatives to spend as many taxpayer dollars on any program they choose.

The few big potatoes in Congress deserve our recognition and support. In the Senate, they include Saxby Chambliss (R-GA), the lead sponsor of the FairTax, which would replace the income tax code with a national consumption tax. Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) is a passionate advocate for responsible federal spending and protection of our tax dollars. Senator John Sununu (R-NH) is a leading sponsor of legislation to restructure the Social Security program by giving younger workers the option of contributing to personal retirement accounts, similar to the accounts all members of Congress enjoy.

In the House, Congressman John Linder (R-GA), introduced the FairTax legislation and, with radio host Neal Boortz, co-wrote a best-selling book on the subject. Congressman Paul Ryan (R-WI), co-sponsor of the Ryan-Sununu bill to restructure Social Security, has shown great political courage by firmly grasping the so-called “third rail” of politics and leading the effort to keep the system solvent. Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) is an outspoken advocate of border security, reminding his colleagues and all Americans that any immigration legislation must first secure our borders and enforce the laws already on the books against both employers and illegal aliens. Finally, Congressman Mike Pence (IN) has proven his leadership abilities as chairman of the Republican Study Committee, a group of over 100 House members dedicated to promoting conservative legislation.

This list of congressional big potatoes is not exhaustive, but it is illustrative of the fact that despite Republican control of the House and Senate, those dedicated to taking the rough road toward common sense, conservative policy solutions are in the minority.

While we admire, respect and encourage the efforts of the congressional big potatoes, we must remember that “we the people” have a charge to keep in the policymaking process. We must constantly remind all our elected officials that they do not work in a vacuum. We are watching their votes and keeping score.

You don’t have to be president, a member of Congress or a Supreme Court Justice to change policy. You just have to speak up and demand that your representatives support conservative solutions, or you will fight to replace them on Election Day.

The very fact that you are reading this column means that you are a big potato – a part of we the people – who wants members of Congress to fight for the conservative principles that define the character of our nation. We know the path and the journey will be rough, but it’s the rough road that separates the little potatoes from the big potatoes. The big potatoes will rescue the future of this country.

To all of the naysayers in the media, the liberal politicians of both parties, to all of those who would destroy the future of the greatest country in the world, my message to them is the same as Granddad’s: “Them that’s goin’, get on the wagon! Them that ain’t, get outta the way!”

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This is Column # HC16. Request permission to publish here.