In a follow-up to my previous post about Why Conservatives Struggle Holding On To Power…We WORK!, the anti-free speech elitists in Washington DC and the media are trying to intimidate us into shutting up.  It won’t work.

Who are we that are gathering together to push back against an out-of-control federal government? 

NEWS FLASH, we’re average Joe’s and Josephine’s with jobs and families; that’s who.  We’re not part of some grand insurance company conspiracy or rabble brought together by the local republican party…most of us are way past party labels.  No, we’re just plain ole’ common folk who provide the revenue the federal government needs to exercise power over us.  In some sense, we’ve been played as suckers for many decades - and perhaps we’re culpable in this regard - but, we’re waking up.  We’re getting up from our Lazy Boy’s and taking to the streets and a bully like Dick Durbin is hardly enough to stop us.

Many of us have been in the military so elitist snobs like the leaders of the House and Senate don’t make us quiver in our boots; we understand there’s strength in numbers and they’re beginning to grow.  So, it will be the elected leaders in the House and Senate who will quiver as in a short 14 months, we’ll take to the ballot boxes in our districts and vote them all out.  A voter tidal wave is building and it won’t be like we’ve seen before and it won’t be about republican or democrat…it will be about the Constitution, specifically Article 1, Section 8, the Enumerated Powers section.  We will force Congress to obey it by putting those, and only those who pledge fidelity to it, into office.

What we’re seeing at the Town Hall meetings is many decades of pent up anger as Congress encroached more and more on the freedoms many of our forefathers died protecting.  We’ve called and mailed letters hoping they would listen, but you didn’t.  Well, now Congress has woken a sleeping and slumbering giant and we’re not looking to any leader in particular to lead us, we already have it…The United States Constitution.  Congress has ignored the limitations it has placed on it and We the People, the greatest check and balance of all will force Congress to follow it.

Our constant and piercing battle cry will come in the form of a simple question: Where in Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution do you find the power to__________ (fill in the blank)?  The average congressperson will try to trick us with high-minded language about the General Welfare, or Commerce, or Necessary and Proper Clause, but we will not be tricked.  We know that the Founders (including Hamilton) never intended those clauses to give you unlimited power; we’ve read Federalist 45 and James Madison’s letter to Mr. Pendleton.  Then, it will be Congress who will quiver as they give account for their votes in the cleansing light of history as they face the ultimate judge this side of eternity; us, the voter.

So, it’s us, the common folk of America who are coming to these Town Halls and demanding a reckoning.  Congress may run, they may ridicule, they may try to bully, but they can’t hide in November 2010. 

We’re awake now.

Patriots Constitution

We all intuitively know that conservatism, at its core is a winning ideology. It’s the basis for our Constitution and central to the Declaration of Independence; “We hold these TRUTHS to be self-evident…” When articulated properly, conservative principles will usually win the day. So why aren’t we in power? Why isn’t the government small, like the Founders intended? How did this all get away from us so that we find ourselves meeting in secret with our little Meetup groups or teabag protests across the country?  Simply put, we’re busy.

Conservatives are busy. Without us being so busy, America would come to a grinding halt, but there is a cost to this busyness.  And here’s the dirty little secret the politicians hope and pray we never figure out…pssst, they know we’re busy being the responsible party in America. And they know we’re too busy being responsible to spend a lot of time opposing them.

This has been the game they’ve played since the 1930’s whether republican or democrat; the names have almost become interchangeable at this point. One slaps us in the face, and one promises to take us to the dance but never shows up at the door.

Well, as thousands have already said, America is at another one of those defining moments in her short 230+ year history; a new moment where a new cost will need to be paid if we’re to leave anything behind for our children and their children.

Our lives of relative peace and quiet are coming to an end and soon you will find more and more liberties taken from you by the very force the Founders attempted to limit…the federal government. ACORN and its agitators may soon show up at your doorstep if you’re identified as one who opposes broader sweeping government intervention. Look at what happened to the AIG executives who lawfully took bonus payments…protesters actually showed up at their house.

These are transitional times folks.

The big question is; will we answer the call?

Some of you reading this and not currently in elected office are going to need to come out of your comfort zones and actually run. But before you run, you need to know why you’re trying to obtain power, and let’s not kid ourselves, that’s what this whole game is about…the Founders set it up that way; they intended the peaceful transfer of power through elections.

Power is not an ugly word for a conservative, or at least it shouldn’t be. We hate the word because we’ve seen both parties exercise it over the populace in highly oppressive ways and so we chill at the use of it. But principled power (conservative principled power) can be a great thing and thus each of us needs to know what we believe before we seek it. In the end, we need to take power to reduce power, there’s no other way…Constitutionally.

In this regard, I’ve got to hand it to the liberals, in some ways they’re more principled than we are. They fundamentally believe in socialism and have been working diligently at bringing it to our shores for 70 years. Talk about patience! They’ve rallied, marched, ran for office all in an attempt to seek and hold power and they’ve just about reached their goal. Soon, very soon, over 50% of the country will pay no income taxes, nationalized healthcare will be implemented and business regulation will govern business decision making. The government will hold all the cards and there won’t be much we can do about it.

So, my statement stands, the liberals in some ways have been acting on their principles far more effective than we have. Because we’re busy, I’m too busy.

Well, as many a fisherman has said; it’s time to fish or cut bait.

No one is asking you to become a politician, at least as it’s understood through the lens of a modern definition of politician. I don’t trust politicians myself and I’ve been deep in the belly of the whale before…no thanks. But you do need to consider being a conservative citizen leader, driven and beholden to no one but principle. That’s the only way this mess is cleaned up, and it will be a herculean task. We’re pretty far down the road to socialism and if I’m honest, it might be too late.

Misc

Search the web for “tea parties” or The Constitution and you’ll find hundreds of groups forming and organizing…Operation “Restore America” is well underway.

Cap and Trade today, socialized health care tomorrow, a 3rd “stimulus” next, all signs of a frantic push by this administration to gain more and more control over the population.  But will it work; I don’t think so.  There is growing unease on Capitol Hill, even by some moderate democrats that they’re going too far and this will have a chilling, delaying effect on a good portion of the legislation that will transform our country into a European style socialist nation.

But, it cannot stop there…this is the time for the conservatives to seize control of the debate and move it from radical socialist policy to restoration of the Constitution.  This opportunity cannot be missed for it is a very small window to fix the mess once and for all.  We cannot settle for stopping these albatrosses as victory, it’s just a beginning.  Next is to make sure Congress and the Federal Government are severely limited SEVERLY (in keeping with the Constitution).  By clarifying the General Welfare, Necessary and Proper, and Commerce Clauses, the good ship America can be righted.  This will necessitate a Constitutional Convention, but if we don’t convene one now, there will never be another opportunity and similar to gravity, things will just return to normal.  Liberal democrats will manipulate with rhetoric and seek to regain power and control over us all.

So, while we may be able to slow down Obama, it’s only temporary if we do not seize the opportunity and tweak the Constitution to make sure the federal government stays limited, forever!

Restore America

The rhetoric floating out in the world wide web is unmistakable and uninspiring, it lacks courage.  Yes, we complain exceedingly well about how bad Obama will be or how horrendous the bailout is/was, etc, etc.  We complain about the decline of a once great nation, how morality is old school and accepting the inevitable is the “new conservatism”.  Blah, blah, blah.

Where’s the leadership, where’s the battle plan, where’s the courage of our convictions?

I read over and over how the public schools have been used over generations to inculcate our children with socialism and its twin sister, moral relativism.  Yet, in the very same sentence, I read people respond to this with in-congruent statements like; “yep, the public schools are brainwashing our children but my neighborhood school, well, it ain’t that bad.”  Which of course is akin to “yep, them thieves in Congress sure are bad, but my congressman, well he/she is just swell.”

Well my question is this, if 58 million people voted against Obama because they were afraid of his socialist leanings, why aren’t the ”X” percentage of the 58 million who have children in public schools pulling their children out for a better alternative such as private schools or home schooling?  Is this evidence of the courage to complain but the lack of courage to actually do something?  We home school our 4 children and two are in college right now.  We are actually trying to back up our convictions with courage to do something other than just complain.

We complain about how bad big government is and how it reaches into just about every aspect of our lives.  Case in point; the threat of nationalized health-care.  Well, how many churches out there, instead of being a beacon of multi-media, plush seats, and beautiful buildings chose to put off the new addition, new multi-media system or 27th pastoral position and open a clinic in their community where the less fortunate can access free (truly free as in donated) health-care?  Let me assure you, there aren’t many.  Sadly, even in the contemporary Christian community, bigger is ALWAYS better.  Yes, yes, its easy to point the finger at the less fortunate and accuse them of being irresponsible, etc, etc and you’d be right.  They largely are the sum of many many bad decisions and choices.  Yet, for those of use who consider ourselves to be Christian conservatives, do we really want to cede the solution and care of the poor to the government?  Doesn’t this very act of ignoring the poor give socialism one of its greatest weapons against conservatism?   Of course is does.

Well my question again is this, if 58 million people voted against Obama because they were afraid of his socialist leanings, why aren’t the ”X” percentage of the 58 million who belong to churches not demanding that their church actually do something tangible to help the poor or less fortunate on a regular week-to-week basis, not just around Christmas?  Or, how many of us who are doing well financially would decide to put off buying a boat or second house or European vacation to help pay a health insurance premium for a family who’s struggling?  Is this further evidence of the courage to complain but the lack of courage to actually do something?   As a family, we have acted on the admonition of Jesus to care for the poor and you know what, we actually had the ability to impact a couple of families in ways that actually got them away from government handouts and on to more responsible choices.  Sure, it cost us money out of our pockets, but who cares.  We had the privilage of actually impacting a life and it was well worth it.

We complain about the size of government and the amount of waste, fraud and abuse in the system and there is a lot.  We decry higher taxes and government encroachment into our daily lives, yet, as I continue to conduct my informal poll over the last 3 years by asking the following questions of my fellow conservatives:

1. What is our federal debt?
2. What is our current federal budget?
3. What is the nations GDP?
4. What is the total consumer debt?
5. What are the total projected federal liabilities related to Medicare and Social Security?
6. Finally, I ask my pollees to describe the Federalist Papers?

Guess what happens…blank stares.  And these are stares I receive from my fellow self identified conservatives.  Is it any wonder the Titanic is sinking?  If the average Conservative can’t even understand the basics of the mess we’re in, how are they ever going to be able to help pull us out.  Again, is this evidence of the courage to complain but the lack of courage of our convictions to actually do something?  My family is well read (at different ages of course) and they’re aware of the size of our government and how much of GDP is related to federal spending.  I took the time to make sure they did.  They’re the next generation and I feel an obligation to turn over a good citizen rather than a proficient X-Box 360 expert to society.

In the end, either the average conservative is asleep at the wheel or they lack the courage of their convictions…it’s that simple.  To be sure, as a movement, we lack leadership and maybe that alone would suffice to rally the troops.  But at some point, sacrifice is going to be needed, financial and time.  Are we really just a movement that has a vociferous appetite to complain but lack the courage to actually do something? 

I’ll give it to the liberals, they at least act on their convictions.  Unlike us conservatives, liberals had the courage of their convictions to actually do something and take over public schools and higher education; we have little if any influence there.  Unlike us conservatives, liberals had the courage of their convictions to actually do something and they have completely dominated media (Hollywood, News, entertainment).  Unlike us conservatives, liberals had the courage of their convictions to actually do something and just about take over the federal and state governments.  This war too is just about over.

Now, I know I’ll hear the typical push back from my fellow conservatives that I’m being too gloom and doom, or I’m judgemental or we’re too busy raising our families and working to get involved.  I know, I know, there’s always an excuse.  But, if we’re not willing to do anything, then why do we think we have the right to complain?  I guess we do have the courage of our First Amendment convictions which is why we do complain as much as we do.

Want some ideas as to how you can act on your convictions?

1. If you believe the public schools are generally more harmful to your children than helpful…pull them out.
2. If you believe the federal government should NOT be involved in mandated socialized health-care, ask your church, synagogue, temple, whatever to assist in developing a free health-care clinic in your community.  Pool together money from your fellow conservatives and help a family in need.  Do something.
3. If you believe the government is too big, learn how big it really is.  Learn what our Founding Fathers said about the idea of a strong centralized government.  HINT; they weren’t for it.
4. Finally, get involved financially and with your time with conservative organizations that are going to try to stem the tide.  They need your help and money.

Last step, if you’re going to complain, back it up by actually doing something; it’s not very courageous or inspiring to just rant.

Patriots

Well, the petal is coming off the rose.  The federal government is delivering the sweet kiss of death to freedom as this column is written.  Fortunately, there are thousands around the country who are trying to force the government to wipe off the lipstick.  This number will only grow.

Tea party’s, from across the country were held in State Capitals, Senate Offices and Washington DC in an effort to demonstrate to the Congress and the White House that people are sick and tired of being pushed around.  They are weary of playing by the rules and being asked to do more for those who don’t.  People are angry and the passion is palpable.

Demonstrating the bipartisan nature of the fight, one speaker at the Washington DC party who could only be identified as a republican operative received the least amount of support when she attempted to point peoples passion towards electing republicans in 2010.  Clearly, she had missed the point of the protest.

In fact, most in attendance refused to make the protest a republican/democrat fight, instead, they opted for a liberal/conservative tussle, freedom/oppression.  There were shared views that the republicans had offered the same rose to the voters as the democrats and most we’re tired of the only pick being to “pick your pain.”

What was a critical component of the demonstration was a deep desire to get back to the Constitution for all seemed to understand there was safety in that document.  The government as evidenced by President Obama’s budget including a nice 1.75 TRILLION deficit for our children and grand children to pay off is out of control.  Where is the honor in that.

Folks, as evidenced by Glenn Becks “We Surround Them” kick-off event last Friday, along with the tea parties, people aren’t just going to sit back this go around.  FDR played class warfare in the 1930’s and got away with it and the government has been a malignancy on freedom ever since.  This time, we have a voice and can organize and assemble under our First Amendment rights and push back.  We got rolled by the “progressives” in the 30’s, it won’t happen this time.

Get connected!  Go to meetup.org and join a Glenn Beck or We Surround Them meeting in your area.

Real Change, Restore America

Have you noticed an absence of phrases like “as the Founders wrote” or “as we’re directed by the Constitution” from politicians these days.  Hmmmm, I wonder why?  Could it be that they no longer recognize the Constitution as authoritative?  Is it possible they’ve strayed so far from the principles of the Republic that they no longer submit themselves to the authority of the Founders writings?  I think so.  Their silence is deafening.

We’re living in surreal times, times where the “living” constitution has supplanted the real Constitution and it’s going to take some heavy lifting to get back on course, if that’s even possible.  The 9th and 10th Amendments have been all but  obliterated.

What can you do?

1. READ the Constitution.  Learn it, know it.
2. READ the Declaration of Independence.  Learn why the Founders declared independence from ole’ King George.
3. Read the 5000 year leap.

Be prepared to stand for what the Founders intended us to be, a small centralized government the protected our liberties, life and the pursuit of happiness.  It’s getting very close to a time where people are going to have had enough and you’re already beginning to see signs of the at the tea parties across the country.  This movement is just at it’s very beginning stages, much more will come.

Become good citizens again, learn what the Founders understood to be our unalienable rights from our Creator, not privileges granted by a government.

Restore America

This is a difficult column to write, but the reality is, the American Experiment just about ended last night, certainly as the Founders understood it. 

“When the people find they can vote themselves money,
that will herald the end of the republic.” - Ben Franklin

The ole’ prophet Ben Franklin called this one and we’re living it now. 

Barak H. Obama, Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid just ushered in the nightmare Franklin feared all under the guise of stimulus.  And as a little aside, Obama also just about delivered a knockout blow to conservatives. 

Naively and blindly, we silly conservatives put our hope and confidence in this little quaint document called the Constitution.  We really believed that the principles and tenants described in it would hold the government in check and maintain maximum freedoms.  How silly of us.  If only we were as enlightened as the liberal left who instead see the Constitution as an evolving document, changing with the winds of time, molded into popular cultural trends. 

Not me.  I’m tired of complaining and not acting.  The Frog In The Kettle fable has moved from the surreal to real and has reached the boiling point; the heat is really getting turned up.

Is there any reason to be hopeful?  Not on the federal level. 

This battle will now necessarily move to the states and already, we’re beginning to see signs of an awakening.  As I reported earlier, there are 20 States with some sort of 9th and 10th Amendment resolutions in their hoppers that at least are putting Washington DC on notice that there is a fomenting disgust at the reach of the federal government.  I predict soon there will be more blatant speeches and press releases from some of the governors of the Southern and Midwestern states and this will determine many of the next steps.  It will all be couched under the growing frustration with unfunded mandates or strings attached taxpayer monies, but we’ll all know what they’re really complaining about…federal power.

So, stay tuned.  

Finally, let me emphasize to all readers…calm heads MUST prevail.  There is no need for “lock and load” rhetoric as this will only hyper-inflame an already unsettled group of people. 

Restore America

I have a disabled son.  He’s had a pretty tough go of it during his short 15 years on the earth and because of the “stimulus” hurried through Congress, it quite possibly is going to get a lot harder for him.

You see, there are tiny (huge) provisions in Title IV of HR.1 called the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act or the ‘‘HITECH Act’’.  Senator Tom Coburn lambasted this act with the following press release.  Under this rather innocuous title, my son’s health care needs will eventually be a cost effective decision not a safety and effectiveness decision. 

As you can imagine, this doesn’t sit too well with me nor many other freedom loving parents of disabled children.  After all, I’m not asking the taxpayer to pay for any of his surgery, I just don’t want the government to tell me my son can’t receive the preventive surgical care I and let me emphasize I determine he needs.

Recently, I’ve been re-reading the Declaration of Independence and oddly, the charge made by the Founder that King George “has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance” sounds strangely familiar to events of today if we just change a few words.  Try this: “Obama, Reid and Pelosi has erected a multitude of New Offices such as the Director of Health Technology, and sent hither swarms of bureaucrats to harass our people and take our money and freedoms.”

Perhaps its time to shake the dust of what is arguably one of the greatest documents of all time and change all the wording to make it more contemporary. 

In the end, trust me, the politicians in DC do not want you to read this document.  They shudder at the idea of an informed electorate.  So, unless your a member of the “living Constitution” crowd, I would advise you to ignore them and take some time this weekend to remember what the Founders intended this country to be.

Health Care

Take a minute to read this wunderkind’s idea.  And we wonder why we’re in trouble.  Geeez.

I own a company myself and while my income is far less than Mr. Hastings, I would NEVER offer more of it to the federal government…never.  Instead, if he’s so caring about the less fortunate in the country and wants to “invest” into it via tax policy, perhaps he should reconsider and provide half of his salary to people in his company…even if he already has a program, he can always add more to it.  Or how about a local charity or abused women’s shelter or….you get the point.

We’re cancelling our membership to Netflix today and every reader who follows this column should do the same.  Mr. Hastings does not deserve mine nor your support with nonsense like this.  Perhaps I’ll start a taxflix company and you can rent movies from me and I’ll pledge to give my whole salary back to the people working for me, not the silliness of giving it to the least efficient most powerful entity like the federal government.

Just goes to show you that business success doesn’t always require a lot of common sense.

Unbelievable

This is the headline from AP this morning: Analysis: Obama says GOP can’t criticize stimulus  Oddly, they’re correct…in general.

Republicans lost the House and the Senate in 2006 because they acted more liberal than conservative and Obama will level this charge until the economy becomes his economy.  Sadly, this is precisely the opening the republicans gave him when they went to the trough of taxpayers money just like the liberals do.

So, get ready to bear up under this charge as you’re going to hear this refrain over and over and over for the next few months.

This is why I’m encouraging all like-minded conservatives to shed the term republican, it doesn’t fit us well.  (Reminder: Olympia Snowe, Susan Collins and Arlen Spector are “republicans”).  We may vote republican, but only because the person we’re voting for is conservative.  My advice - Stick to your principles not a party.   As an aside, just so you know, there are conservative democrats out there.

If you’re for a small government, don’t praise GWB for being a great president as he presided over a massive increase in debt and I mean MASSIVE.  He was great in protecting our country from terrorism, but didn’t do so well in protecting our children and grandchildren and sentencing them to a lessor standard of living that we’ve had.  What a shame.

When republicans act like liberals they deserve the criticism and shouldn’t whine, it’s very unbecoming.  As conservatives, we should reorient ourselves to core principles and this time stick to them.  Don’t get caught up in the emotion of having one of “ours” (a republican) in the White House, it’s not always what you think it will be.  Remember: “Read my lips, NO NEW TAXES“?

Though I oppose absolutely everything the President Obama stands for, you gotta give it to him last night at the press conference; he’s taking the gloves off and taking it to the pragmatic big-tent republicans.  Trouble is, they gave him the two-by-four to beat them over the head with. 

As an aside, any republican leaders who swerve into this post, please, don’t give me the “I’d rather have someone with me that agrees with me 80% of the time baloney.”  Try leading and you’ll be surprised how many people might follow you when you actually have some principles that you’ll die for.  Otherwise, what 20% don’t you agree with that is ok in your party?  What if their 20% disagreement is:

1. Abortion
2. Universal Health Care
3. Defense Cuts
4. Social Security reform
5. Federalism
6. The 10th Amendment
7. Judicial Activism
8. Etc. etc.

Pragmatic leaders are not that compelling and again, you gotta give it to the One, I think he really believes what he’s saying.  He’s clearly inspiring his base and the murky middle and we’re about to pick up 2 TRILLION dollars of debt because of it.

So, perhaps you’ll reconsider calling yourself a republican and instead use the phrase I do: “I’m a conservative who generally votes republican”.  These guys at the RNC have not earned my respect yet thus only receive my most tepid of support.  I doubt they ever will.

Political Parties