Heritage Inaction for America

By Ryan McNeely

This is very inside-the-beltway, but the Heritage Foundation recently incorporated a 501(c)(4) organization — Heritage Action for America — presumably as a right-leaning counter to the Center for American Progress Action Fund, which hosts this blog.

Here are the four things that Heritage Action has used as its launch issues to mobilize conservatives to act:

Take Action: Big-government global warming legislation will destroy jobs and weaken the American economy.  Tell your Senators to reject any energy legislation that would harm the economy.

Take Action: Senators cannot fulfill their constitutional duty of “Advice and Consent” with incomplete information.  Tell the Senators on the Judiciary Committee to delay a vote on Kagan’s confirmation until they have received and evaluated all the relevant documents.

Take Action Now: In June, Congressman Steve King of Iowa filed a petition that would force the U.S. House of Representatives to vote on repealing Obamacare.  We must repeal Obamacare, now!  Tell your Member of Congress to sign the petition to repeal Obamacare.

Take Action Now: Senators must know that America should not enter into a treaty that weakens our defensive capabilities and sovereignty.  We need to stop the New START Treaty, now!  Sign the petitionto make your voices heard.

The only thing on this list that remotely resembles an affirmative agenda item — barely — is to “repeal Obamacare,” which is unpopular and will not happen. And this is from a “think tank”! The list simply represents a stalwart defense of the status quo and an embodiment of the “party of ‘No’” philosophy. I understand that conservatives are currently out of power, so they can’t set the agenda, but maybe just promoting a single idea would help assuage fears that the conservative movement is not ready to govern?