Carpe Diem, Marianas!

George W. Bush won the U.S. presidential election. After eight years of Clinton, America will soon have a Republican president.

Conservative Republicans still retain control of the U.S. House of Representatives; and with Mr. Cheney as the Vice President, the U.S. Senate is essentially Republican-controlled as well.

Indeed, both Houses of the U.S. Congress belong to the American Republican Party, and the U.S. Supreme Court is also dominated by freedom-loving conservatives.

What does this all mean for the CNMI?

Since most U.S. Republicans are our friends, should we now rest easy on the crucial Federal takeover question? Is it really all over now—-finally, at long last?

Not at all. On the contrary, we are now entering a highly promising new stage—-a fundamental shift, if you please.

Those who argue that it is now time to scrap funding for our Washington, D.C. lobbyists (Jack Abramoff) could not be more wrong. Abramoff helped us through the defensive stage. He successfully fought against numerous U.S. Federal takeover attempts. Now is the time to go on the offensive—-to go beyond merely, defensively, resisting a federal takeover and to embark upon some bold, sweeping free market reforms.

We need to shift from the anti-takeover political defensive to the liberating free market offensive. In other words, to use business management S.W.O.T. (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) parlance, we need to move away from threats and into glorious opportunities.

George W. Bush’s victory and Republican control have afforded us this unprecedented opportunity for true reform. Our lobbyists can help us with this high aim.

Among many other possibilities, we might consider re-negotiating the Covenant agreement and securing more freedoms from Washington, D.C. These initiatives should roughly coincide with mainland American reforms, as the Republicans aggressively pursue tax, education, and much needed Social Security reform.

Now is the time to work hand-in-hand with our Republican friends in the United States. Now is the time to pursue common goals—-goals guided and united by the Republican philosophy of limited, decentralized government, individual liberty, and economic growth.

Indeed, in 2001, the CNMI should elect a governor who can work with Mr. Abramoff and our Republican friends in the U.S. Congress and in the White House.

Strictly a personal view. Charles Reyes Jr. is a regular columnist of Saipan Tribune. Mr. Reyes may be reached at charlesraves@hotmail.com