I heard a commentator for the Republican Party on NPR this morning. He, like most others interviewed this week, explained what the party needs to do to regain its soul. His solution? Concentrate on the basics as the party of business fighting for lower taxes, especially on businesses, less regulation, and free trade without all those unpleasant conditions regarding fair labor standards and such. The only thing wrong with that is that it is an agenda that belongs to a trade organization such as the U.S. Chamber, NAM or NFIB. It should not belong to a broad based political party that is supposed to at least pretend to be interested in the well being of the nation as a whole. If that’s his idea of a party’s soul, it’s a pretty small thing of no real consequence, and I suggest they just go ahead and lose it. So far the only thing I’ve heard from Republicans is a series of attempts to restore the country and the party to an imagined golden age that never really existed and the corrupt ideas of Gingrich and his Contract with America. I think there is such a thing as a responsible conservative voice to be heard in American politics, but until the Republicans get rid of Harding, Hoover, Limbaugh and Hannity, they are not the ones to speak it.