I will leave to Democrats how best to resolve their heretofore hallucinatory interpretations of the Massachusetts special election to finish out Ted Kennedy’s Senate seat (e.g., “the same anger that swept [Obama] into office swept Brown into office” – really? anger at Bush the Younger invoked Massachusetts voters to put a Republican in the US Senate?!). Despite Scott Brown’s oft repeated promise to stop the repugnant conduct of Congressional Democrats by being the 41^st vote against ObamaCare, administration spokesman Robert Gibbs assured all who would listen that Massachusetts had nothing to do with voters’ dissatisfaction with ObamaCare. Messrs Axelrod and Imanuel have spent the time since trying to convince us that Massachusetts voters in no way rejected administration style or substance. No wonder these guys have trouble connecting the national security dots.

I do, however, have some suggestions for professional Republicans going forward.

In the eyes of independents and centrist partisans (of both parties) – the voters that decide elections – the Republican brand is still damaged goods. Having said that, the Democrat brand has become a self-licking ice cream cone of despicable behavior, almost guaranteeing Republican gains in the mid-terms. This would allow Republicans to sit on the status quo, not risking rocking the boat during an election year. I would recommend against that tactic.

Michael Steele should forget refereeing the “big tent/purist” intramural food fight and articulate some specific principled stands on issues that span political boundaries. An argument can be made for the wisdom of saying “no” to the programs being offered by the administration, but in absentia of alternative proposals, the label of “Party of No” is hard to refute. He should work with John Boehner and Mitch McConnell to arrive at the framework of a Republican agenda. Virtually every poll taken shows three items that finish ahead of healthcare for the majority of likely voters – jobs, the economy, and our deteriorating counterterror efforts – and that would be a great place to start.

Jobs: At any given point, the unemployment rate represents the metabolistic equilibrium between economic activity and the labor pool, and at any given point, economic activity represents the metabolistic equilibrium between the business environment and the disposable income of consumers. Unemployment, as an economic indicator, can be lowered only by permanently modifying one of those four parameters – increase economic activity, shrink the size of the labor pool, improve the business environment, or increase consumer disposable income. Shrinking the labor pool is, of course, unacceptable, but the other three can all be helped by cutting taxes – not a rebate or a one-year credit, but cutting the rate. This would be an excellent use of the unused “stimulus” money.

Economy: The Democrats seem to think they can wring $50 billion a year of waste, fraud and abuse out of Medicare, tell the president to instruct HHS to begin that process – without taking a dime out of legitimate services or doctors’ and hospitals’ reimbursements. The RNC should convene a standing Entitlements Commission to study ways to streamline the process – it’s a shameful fact that only 30 cents of each entitlement dollar reaches the recipient, 70% being absorbed by the bureaucracy. Monies recovered by these two projects should go to debt retirement. Republicans should take a public stand against earmarks – to include stopping the practice themselves.

Counterterror: The rallying cry – and this could be started now – should be to stop the civilian trials of terrorists and stop treating enemy fighters like shoplifters. This is the only issue that polls worse than ObamaCare among all likely voters. Every effort should be made to get Justice to reverse its policy on holding the KSM trials in New York City. It’s not too late to return the trials to military tribunals. Public pressure should be marshaled to get President Obama to rein-in Attorney General Holder and give interrogation back to the professionals who kept us safe for eight years.

These three areas could provide the foundation of a positive Republican message on an alternative agenda for the American people.