Actual excerpts from the 2000 Republican platform (I kid you not)

For those of you who don't know what a political party's platform is (I imagine most people who read this know - but if you don't), it's basically a statement the party issues just before every presidential election, showing where it stands on key issues. (Here's the Democratic Party platform from 2004.)

Here's an interesting piece I found on Democratic Underground.

Honest Government

“Trust, pride, and respect: we pledge to restore these qualities to the way Americans view their government.”

Keeping Intelligence Free of Politics

"Nor should the intelligence community be made the scapegoat for political misjudgments. A Republican administration working with the Congress will respect the needs and quiet sacrifices of these public servants as it strengthens America's intelligence and counter-intelligence capabilities…”

Diplomacy and Maintaining Allies

“The arrogance, inconsistency, and unreliability of the administration's diplomacy have undermined American alliances, alienated friends, and emboldened our adversaries."

Endless Military Missions, Exit Strategies and Troop Readiness

"The current administration has casually sent American armed forces on dozens of missions without clear goals, realizable objectives, favorable rules of engagement, or defined exit strategies.” (Emphasis added.)

"Sending our military on vague, aimless, and endless missions rapidly saps morale. Even the highest morale is eventually undermined by back-to-back deployments, poor pay, shortages of spare parts and equipment, inadequate training, and rapidly declining readiness. When it comes to military health, the administration is not providing an adequate military health care system…"

Restoring the Rule of Law and the Justice Department

The rule of law, the very foundation for a free society, has been under assault, not only by criminals from the ground up, but also from the top down. An administration that lives by evasion, coverup, stonewalling, and duplicity has given us a totally discredited Department of Justice. The credibility of those who now manage the nation’s top law enforcement agency is tragically eroded. We are fortunate to have its dedicated career workforce, especially its criminal prosecutors, who have faced the unprecedented politicization of decisions regarding both personnel and investigations.”

Gas Prices (then $1.55 per gallon)

“Today, gas prices have skyrocketed, and oil imports are at all-time highs....By any reasonable standard, the Department of Energy has utterly failed in its mission to safeguard America’s energy security."

Other than a sole appearance by the word Republican, It looks like a compilation of excerpts from the Democratic platform... but no, these excerpts are indeed from the 2000 Republican Party platform.

Fast-forward seven years. Few people trust the government; our intelligence systems have been compromised by what appears to be politics; our stature in the world is dwindling; Iraq is obviously a mess; the rule of law has been neglected; and don't get me started on gas prices.

As Republican President Dwight Eisenhower once said, "How I wish the Republican Party was still the GOP, the "Grand Ol' Party."