Then who is good enough to sip tea with you?

There is a lot of talk about the house and senate being over-run by Republicans in the 2010 mid-term elections this November. I'm not saying they will not pick-up a seat or two, but when the elections are over, the Democrats will still remain in power in congress. Why? No, it is certainly not because of brilliant campaigning by the Democrats (although I thought Admiral Sestak's campaign in Pennsylvania to bring down Arlen Specter was very impressive). However, it is because the Republican party has turned so far to the right, that all centrist or moderate Republicans have been completely pushed out. From Charlie Crist in Florida, to Bennett in Utah, unless you are radically conservative, get out of the party. Ironically, this is the type of small tent campaigning that would have driven Reagan crazy. Let's look at some of the past few Republican presidents would have passed the test:

NIXON - Surely, this conservative would have passed muster with today's tea party. He slashed taxes, and vowed to hunt down commies. However, the Tea Party would call him a socialist. He, more than any other president, helped protect America's environment. He created the EPA, the Clean Air Act, and The Clean Water Act. Let's not forget that he also pushed hard for complete universal health care for every American. The hawks in the modern day GOP would have been furious at Nixon for abandoning the South Vietnamese and pulling the troops out of there. By the way... he was pro-choice. Yup, Rush would have hated him.

FORD - He created the Education for All Handicapped Children in 1975, thus, giving millions of tax dollars to aid families with those of the handicapped. What would Bill O'Reilly say about such "waste"? Ford was hardly pro-Israel. He repeatedly admonished them and expressed his disappointment with their hubris. By the way... he was pro-choice, too! And guess what? He was the first president to push for gay rights. Nope, the Religious Right would have hated him.

REAGAN - This man is revered as a deity in most conservative circles. However, I think if he were running today, the tea party would dislike many of his "socialist" views. Reagan shrank the federal government, right? Nope, he created 60,000 new positions. Reagan slashed taxes? Nope, four of his eight years he raised taxes. He needed to raise taxes to continue expanding programs he liked such as socialized medicare and social security. Reagan also was hardly an enemy of illegal immigration. He recognized the benefit illegals would have on our economy and loosened restrictions on immigration. He also passed many environmental and anti-smog pieces of legislation. In addition, Reagan pushed for tougher gun control laws. What about foreign affairs? Well, when Hezbollah murdered 250 Americans in Lebanon, did Reagan declare war? Nope, he retreated. He also was furious at Israel for a pre-emptive strike against Iraq? What would have thought of W's pre-emptive strike against Iraq? What about social views? He placed Sandra Day O'Connor to the supreme court - a moderate. He also got rid of California's proposition six - which discriminated against gays in education. Yes, Reagan was a conservative but he was hardly as conservative as the Sean Hannity's make him out to be. Just look at the incredible deficit he created.

H.W. BUSH - He raised taxes, and had a huge federal deficit. He actually blamed Reagan "voo-doo economics" for forcing him to raise the taxes he promised not to raise when he was campaigning against Dukakis. Bush Sr. actually would have made the tea-party fairly happy. He did increase environmental protection spending, unemployment insurance, and highway protection but besides that he was actually pretty conservative. He did make one colossal conservative mistake. His one appointment to the supreme court, David Souter, turned out to be one of the most liberal justices ever.

W. - He is probably the most conservative president in generations. The debt swelled under his watch, he grew medicare, was moderate on immigration, and supported a cap on green house emissions. Other than that, what can I write that hasn't already been written? Bush was a tea-party dream.

But the problem with the modern day Republican Party/Tea Party is that most American got fed up with Bush's America. They elected Obama as a change. I just don't see the United States reverting back to how we were, quite yet, under W. At least I sure hope I am right. We have a lot of time until November. So much can happen.