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Now that the election is over, I hope the Republicans don’t get too carried away with themselves. There as still two other branches of government controlled by Democrats.

As I’ve said time and again, I belong to no party. My votes this last time were split. Like the majority of the citizens, I view the Republican Party with the same skepticism that I view the Democrats.

There were tell-tale signs that the Republicans now ensconced in office were licking their lips in anticipation of bringing all the newbies into their fold. I almost choked on my coffee one morning when I read of the party leaders suggesting the newcomers leave their staffs behind and instead simply use the staffs the party provided.

I implore the newcomers to Washington to do what the Trojans failed to do so many centuries back, “Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.” (Greeks in this instance is spelled r-e-p-u-b-l-i-c-a-n-s)

While I’m not real swift, even I can see the old staffs would simply be business as usual. Those staffs are Washington insiders yesterday, today and tomorrow. And I don’t care for that. Neither does a large percentage of this country. We need to see things from a different perspective.

“Let us help,” cooed the Republican leaders. That Trojan Horse entreaty is right up there with “Come into my web, said the spider to the fly.”

But before anyone celebrates too much, a word of caution. The real struggle is just beginning. Like overcoming the worldwide terrorist plots, getting Washington back on the right path will take a long time. A long, long time. That translates into probably “several” elections - if we’re lucky.

I was bothered by both Senator McConnell, Minority Leader, and Representative John Boehner, Speaker of the House, coming out with unrealistic specifics. McConnell said “we will repeal healthcare” as well as targeting several other specifics.

Although I opposed the current administration’s methods and ideas, that doesn’t mean I did not see much value in bits and pieces of what they proposed. For example, if you have daily medication, then you’ve seen your prescription costs decline.

I picked up two prescriptions a while back that my co-pay is ten bucks each. I handed her a twenty, and she gave me almost twelve dollars back. When I asked for an explanation, she said the rules had changed. She couldn’t explain it, but there it was.

And it wasn’t just that particular pharmacy chain. Another prescription that normally cost a hundred dollars for three months dropped to eighty-five.

If Obama had not attempted to change the world in one fell swoop, he would have had a better chance. There were cries of changing health care in increments. I’d suggest to the Republican leaders, go about achieving your goals the same way.

From what I read this last Sunday, the House has decided to go the incremental route. That’s smart for I promise you, if they try to do away with it all at once, they’ll fail.

We need health care reform, but it needs to be one step at a time with clear explanations. The Democrats could not explain the plan because they had never read it. That was made shockingly clear by Speaker Pelosi’s remark, “we need to pass it so we’ll know what’s in it.”

That kind of leadership is scary, folks.

And if the Republicans pull the same stunt, they’ll get their derrieres torn up in two years.

No more platitudes, Washington. Let’s have specifics.

And when you give us specifics, tell us how you plan to accomplish them. Most of us are realistic enough to know that if we want to pare down our own debt, we have to sacrifice something.

Suggest something, then listen to us.

Start with government agencies. See if they meet their mission. If they don’t, get rid of them. If they are necessary, then study how they could be out-sourced to the private sector.

Only in a politician’s giddiest dreams can the public sector outperform the private. Medicare would have been out of business decades back if it had been run by the private sector instead of public servants because the unbelievable waste would have bankrupted it within a couple years of its inception.

Do something about school choice. Give kids from lower income communities a chance to pick a school. Whichever school they attend will draw additional money for the child.

Cut out earmarks and establish term limits.

There’s more, but that’s enough to keep you out of trouble for the next few years.