I heard a familiar string of words last week. Nothing special really, except for the fact that I had heard that same string of words several months ago when America was in the heat of a national election.

Of course, the phrase “too far to the right” was everywhere in the media last week with Sen. Arlen Specter’s not-too-surprising switch to the Democratic Party.

However, to be real, there can’t be a more empty statement than that, especially when uttered from so-called “conservatives” or “Republicans.”

When one thinks about the phrase, it essentially means nothing. It meant nothing when Colin Powell declared his support for President Barack Obama, and it meant nothing when Specter uttered it last week.

Obviously, the media has done a tremendous job running with it, as if the Republican Party is no longer a comprehensive party at its core dedicated to solid principles.

But examining the statement as it pertains to a couple of issues that have been addressed by so-called “conservatives” or “Republicans,” we can see that their statements do not hold up philosophically.

When it came to the TARP bill, any true conservative — for a myriad of reasons — would have to oppose such an expansion of government power into the private sector. Not to mention true conservative philosophy is diametrically opposed to any form of a “bailout” for any major corporation and financial institution — and when the president is firing GMs and allowing unions to take control of companies.

On the issue of immigration, it is the conservatives that are not bowing down to big business by granting amnesty to illegal immigrants. And more importantly, they are pushing for swift action to protect our southern border from one of the most politically unstable nations in the world.

Sen. Specter clearly was never a true conservative through and through, so to suggest that the party has moved too far to the right is inexcusable. If anything, Specter moved too far to the left of the conservative philosophy that he no longer could fit under the conservative umbrella.

The real problem that exists with conservatives in America today is that they lack an intellectual voice to lucidly express the conservative philosophy to the American people.

In President Obama’s first 100 days in office, he has expanded the power of the federal government far more than any president before him. And let us not forget he has another three and a half years to go. Where are the William Buckleys or the Barry Goldwaters to denounce this reach of the federal government and ground the American people on the ideals and principles ­— free markets, limited government, individualism, etc. — of our Founding Fathers?

The real question that conservative people in America face is if they can find their voice before they become completely futile.

Reach Joseph at joseph.hermiz@asu.edu.