I would like to congratulate the Republican Party a little prematurely on their mid-term victories this Tuesday. I must admit I never thought they could pull it off.

After eight years of digging an economic hole for our country, somehow, Republicans have managed to pin their mess on the Democrats and the current administration.

And to think that only 10 years ago we had a balanced budget. It is just hard to believe that a group of so-called conservatives ever managed to create such huge deficits in the first place. All their outrageous spending and ill-advised tax cuts were almost beyond belief.

But, really, the brilliant part of their plan was that they somehow got the American people angry enough at those tasked with fixing their mess to put the GOP back in the driver’s seat. It simply amazes me.

Thankfully for the GOP, I am not a Republican political strategist. I, for instance, would never have put out that Pledge to America so close to the election. It seemed silly for them to re-release the paperback version of their Republican hardcover classic “Tax Cuts for Rich People and Hope Prosperity Trickles Down” to remind people of all their failed policies of the past. And then to promise more of these failed policies?

Needless to say I was surprised. But I stand corrected. The polls have proved me wrong, and I now know my career as a Karl Rove disciple is over before it started.

I also would never have adopted the Republicans “just say no” philosophy in Congress. It seemed to me that they were elected to do a job and playing politics by obstructing every proposal and breaking the record for filibusters seemed, oh, I don’t know, childish. Turns out I was wrong about that, too. History will show that a minority party desperate to regain power need only try to make things worse for the country to get a foothold in the next election as voter angst turns to anger.

The bottom line is the Republican Party did everything right to snatch a victory in what should have been a generational defeat after their profound failures of the last decade. They deserve credit for this stupendous achievement. Even the millions of dollars in corporate money that helped support their campaigns didn’t leave a mark of dirt on them. I stand in awe. Congratulations again.

Brian Anderson

Albert Lea