Jackson Free Press

The national electoral gains that Democrats have made in the 2006 and 2008 elections are nothing short of historic, and at the expense of a devastated GOP. Those gains even include large swaths of voters in the South, including nearly every ZIP code outside of Appalachia and the colder climes of Arkansas.

Why is this important? Because southern Republicans need to take note of this shift if they decide to keep ideologically fiddling while our economy burns. As an example, history is rather unlikely to remember to celebrate their staunch, ideological, anti-union mindset if the U.S. automotive industry goes up in smoke, particularly if it disrupts a million jobs and tips us into a more profound recession nationally and globally.

Instead of erecting statues to these white-haired gents for standing firm in ideological opposition to unions, they may instead find that people remark on their apparent fealty to an interesting ally for these deeply patriotic Sen-ah-tours—their "good friends" at German and Japanese automakers.

The argument against the bailout, suggested by Sen. Roger Wicker and others, is that it's the UAW and other unions that are at fault.

If U.S. companies would just stop negotiating with unions and lower worker's wages, they'd be better able to compete with the foreign automakers, who pay their employees lower wages in so called "right-to-work" states.

The high cost of labor is indeed part of the issue facing GM, Chrysler and Ford—which was why the UAW was at the table for the congressional negotiations and would have faced considerable concessions. And there's no doubt those companies have been poorly run by upper management that takes home too much of the dwindling pie for themselves.

But by holding out for a wholesale destruction of unions—thus scuttling the bailout with a filibuster—these Republican senators have willfully ignored a few realities along the way, such as the high cost of health care for all American corporations that has gone unaddressed during a GOP administration and Congress.

Likewise, Congress in general (GOP and Democrats) have been lackluster in efficiency-encouraging regulation and funding for U.S. autos. Ask those foreign automakers if they get any help back home with their R&D for new, efficient engines and processes.

We know foreign automakers are lining the pockets of southern politicians; but enough is enough. Right now, it's time to work together to solve the United States' economic crisis with practical solutions instead of ideological roadblocks.

Sens. Wicker and Cochran, there's a new dawn of pragmatism in this country as we face new challenges. We encourage you to lead us—with good, conservative ideas and observations—into a post-ideology world.