Sen. Brownback's "Office of the Repealer?" Wow, an Unelected Repealer Czar.

Remember the Republican mantra: "We don't need no unelected government bureaucrat making decisions for us. That's a job for the legislature (or congress)."

So imagine my surprise how hypocritical it was for Sen. Brownback to try and bypass our elected officials and do away with "needless, over-the-top regulations."

Sam Brownback, the Republican from Kansas who is hoping to become governor … he has proposed a new Kansas entity, the State Office of the Repealer, whose job it would be to start disposing of all the silly, needless, over-the-top regulations that state officials have dreamed up.

Imagine one guy making these decisions for us, whether recommending them for repeal, or having the power to do it on their own. Important decisions too, like superficial, feel good displays of patriotism.

Case in point, in Mr. Brownback’s telling: the rejoicing of residents in Saline County, Kan., when a strict fireworks ban was lifted there. Mr. Brownback recalled the mood: “It was kind of like, ‘I got a little piece of liberty back!’ ”

And that's what conservatives are talking about when they bring up liberty and freedom. Not the financial freedom of knowing you'll never lose your retirement savings on a unregulated Wall Street, or knowing you'll never go bankrupt due to a health care issue.

Conservatives aren't even talking about the freedom that comes with a stable economy that assures us all a regular paycheck and job security.

Liberty and freedom is getting your fireworks back.