Freedom Update ~ 11.09.09

The 20th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall could not have come at a more strange time in history. Today, we mark the anniversary of the triumph of freedom over evil, over control, over tyranny, and over human misery. Neither the Wall nor the great plague of communism could withstand the natural, God-given right to one’s pursuit of happiness.

The fall of the wall bears witness to the transformative power of freedom, even in the face of the man’s darkest challenges. However, it is at this juncture in history that we face a domestic challenge and a divergence from this kind of liberation and freedom at home. The healthcare (more accurately health insurance or health rationing or life control) debate rages forward in the midst numerous other instances where this administration has moved to usurp freedom and liberty. It is astonishing to think that on one day we can celebrate the success of freedom on one hand and yet watch it taken away on the other.

Like so many other days throughout the year, we mark the advances and triumphs of freedom knowing that, while powerful when released, the defense and preservation of freedom is a daily struggle – both at home and abroad. We go forward from days like today mindful that our struggle for freedom is one worth fighting and one we must fight.

Near the end of Reagan’s address before the Brandenburg Gate in 1987, he left Berliners with a word of confidence and optimism rooted in freedom.

Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall, for it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.

It is this confidence on which we must rely in order to energize us in our fight against this Administration and liberalism throughout our society. For we must know that the lies and deceit of liberalism, like the foundation of the Berlin Wall, cannot withstand freedom.

American Attitude Update ~ 10.29.09

Over the last 12 months, it has become a daily occurrence to wake up to a headline, blog entry, or government announcement that has made me shake my head; made me wonder what is next; and angered me to contemplate another heretofore-unimaginable loss. So much has been destroyed:  our system of government through a careful balance of separated powers has been eradicated; personal fortunes have been decimated; nationalized industries have been radically changed; and millions of jobs have been cut. We know empirically that economic cycles are healthy, but cycles that are exacerbated and exploited by politicians are anything but healthy.

Michigan’s nine-year, one-state recession continues apace undaunted because the state government has for decades advanced policies of socialist destruction, which have been enhanced by the follow-on actions of the federal government. There is no better modern example of what happens to formerly free markets that “operate” under the crushing pressure of bad public policy. As we look out at our national landscape, we see much the same happening. As our nation continues to feel the crippling weight of this sustained recession, we have watched as Washington continues on its path of destruction.

We have witnessed our “elected representatives” in Washington do nothing but to destroy the last remaining threads of fabric that bound them to principle of law. To form the right mental perspective of this, a recap of the just last NINE months is necessary.

In late January, President Obama was inaugurated and immediately began to capitulate to the “international community” and initiate his “American Apology Tour” by issuing an executive order declaring that he will close Guantanamo Bay within one year.

During January and February, many of Obama’s top nominations for cabinet positions were forced to withdraw their nominations due to criminal (though not prosecuted) histories that included tax evasion and bribes/kick-backs, while others were deemed “too critical” and were confirmed by the Senate regardless of their crimes.

On February 4, the day after Tom Daschle (HHS Secretary) and Kathy Killefer (Chief Performance Officer) were forced to withdraw their nominations, Obama capped executive compensation of those who worked at companies that received TARP funds.

In late February, the yet-unread “stimulus” bill was passed by Congress and signed by Obama. Since then, we have been forced to grimace as the printing presses churn out greenbacks to fund the colossal waste of pet project spending that was contained in that bill.

In early March, while on her first international trip, Secretary of State Clinton announced that the US would pledge nearly $1 billion dollars to assist a terrorist organization, Hamas, with its so-called “humanitarian and development” projects in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

In mid-March, the Administration issued a new legal standard for the murderers being held at Guantanamo Bay; they dropped the concept of “enemy combatant” in favor of INTERNATIONAL LAW.

In late March, the Administration’s supposed genius of a Treasury Secretary, Tim Geithner, unveiled an absolutely embarrassing, incoherent bomb of a plan to have the government purchase “troubled” assets from bank’s balance sheets.

On March 29, Obama fired General Motors CEO Rick Wagner; on March 29, the President of the United States of America fired the CEO of a “private” company.

In early April, Obama demonstrated his utter contempt for America’s importance in the world and her steadfast grip on the right side of history. He attended the G-20 conference in the UK and the NATO summit in France, where he proceeded to issue apologies to the world community in an attempt to “repair America’s image.”

In mid-April, the Administration initiated its assault on the CIA and began to undermine America’s best weapon in the War on Terror by issuing memos on the so-called enhanced interrogation techniques.

In mid-April, Obama further advanced his disastrous foreign policy by posing, embracing, and conversing with Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez on terms one might reserve for a best friend. The resulting pictures were worth 1,000 words to our former allies throughout the Americas.

In mid-April, the Department of Homeland Security (headed by Secretary Janet Napolitano) released a memo warning Americans of the domestic terrorist threat posed by returning soldiers from Iraq and Afghanistan.

On April 30, the Administration held a photo-op with Air Force One and a pair of F-16s in New York Harbor over the Statue of Liberty. Instead of informing people in advance, the White House decided to do whatever they wanted and terrify everyone in Lower Manhattan on that day.

On May 1, Chrysler was nationalized in a bankruptcy filing that not only ignored bankruptcy law and rejected contract law, but also smashed the separation of powers and expanded the executive branch’s reach further beyond its Constitutional bounds.

In mid-May, Obama announced plans to arbitrarily increase American automotive fuel economy standards to 35.5 mpg in an effort to curb carbon emissions and to slow down the out-and-out lie that is global warming. All of this under the guise of a regulation that further harms the struggling auto companies – the very companies that he claimed to be seeking to help. (Remember the talk of Michigan’s one-state recession; see MPG federal standards as one more regulation that tanked Detroit.)

In late May, Obama signed the “Helping Families Save their Homes Act of 2009,” which further tore up contract law by granting the government the power to restructure people’s mortgages versus allowing banks to act upon their contractual recourse to the underlying assets.

Two days after the mortgage act, Obama signed the Credit CARD Act of 2009, which further regulated a formerly private industry by controlling the prices (i.e. fees) that a credit card lender could charge for lending and providing services to its cardholders.

Four days later, Obama nominated Judge Sonia Sotomayor to fill the open Supreme Court seat. Sotomayor’s record of re-writing Constitutional law based on her own standards of empathy and personal wisdom speaks for itself.

On June 1, GM became the second auto company to be nationalized; an action taken just over two months after the Administration replaced its CEO.

In early June, Obama took a trip to the Middle East to “introduce himself to the Arab world” where he continued his apology tour in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, but who could forget one highlight of his trip – his bow to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia?

On June 23, Obama held a press conference where he discussed the protests surrounding the Iranian election. In an effort to reach out to the “Iranian government,” Obama failed to verbally support the protesters; instead, he said he was prepared to meet with and negotiate with the Ahmadinejad “administration,” as if it were legitimate.

On June 26, Obama signed the bill authorizing “cash for clunkers.” It was billed as a way to both stimulate Detroit and improve fuel efficiency; it instead destroyed economic value and increased Toyota’s sales (we learned today that we spent $24,000 per clunker).

On June 29, the Honduran people staged a coup to overthrow President Zelaya, a Castro/Chavez ally who was seeking to implement himself in a dictatorial role. Instead of supporting freedom and democracy, Obama sided with Chavez in calling the coup illegal and called for Zelaya’s reinstatement.

On July 22, Obama held a press conference to discuss the public’s outcry over his healthcare proposals. At the end of the night, he was asked about the arrest of a Harvard professor; instead of withholding comment until all of the facts were known, Obama called the police officers “stupid” – a “stupid” comment that resulted in a Rose Garden beer-festival eight days later.

On August 29, Obama delivered the eulogy at the funeral service of Senator Ted Kennedy, where he called Kennedy “the greatest US Senator of our time.” While the competition for this distinction would make for a slow race, it is not that slow.

On September 6, Van Jones, Obama’s ‘green jobs’ czar resigned after his background as a 9-11 conspiracy theorist and as a leader of Marxist organizations came to light. The Administration claimed that it had not “properly vetted” Mr. Jones. Was Google broken that week?

On September 8, Obama delivered an address to America’s elementary schoolchildren where he also mandated a curriculum for the address and orchestrated a classroom response to it. Mao had his Little Red Book and Hitler formed the Hitler Youth, but Obama just hasn’t come up with a title for his yet, but there is still time for Rham and Axelrod to come up with something.

One day later, Obama spoke before a joint session of Congress to “lie” about his healthcare proposal (thanks to Congressman Joe Wilson for the wording).

On September 21, Obama made his second late night TV appearance on David Letterman’s show WHILE HOLDING THE OFFICE OF POTUS. The President on late-night TV …

On September 22, Obama addressed the Climate Change Summit at the UN; a day later, he addressed the General Assembly; on the 24^th, he addressed the Security Council. In all instances, he did his best to hand American sovereignty to the UN.

On October 2, Obama flew to Copenhagen to promote Chicago’s bid to host the Olympics in 2016. The bid summarily failed that day, as Chicago was the first city eliminated.

On October 9, it was announced that Obama would be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for having brought hope and change to the world during the campaign. Never mind that he has brought destruction to the American way of life, but I guess that is the chief requirement for actually winning the prize in the first place – just ask Gore and Carter.

On October 15, Obama flew to New Orleans to visit areas “still recovering from Hurricane Katrina.” IT HAS BEEN FOUR YEARS. Can we stop it with the government aid and sob stories? People living on a coastal area below sea level ought to be able to prepare and recover from such an incident.  This is AMERICA, not some island nation, but I can’t make that comparison because the island nations have already rebuilt. I guess it has been all of that Federal aid and the fifth-wheel trailers that helped New Orleans recover so quickly.

Throughout October, the military has looked to the Administration to provide a course for action in Afghanistan; the Administration has, however, balked at making a difficult strategic decision.

On October 27, Democrat ‘leaders’ in both houses of Congress revealed that they were once again going to pursue the addition of a “public option” to their un-American healthcare legislation.

And that has occurred over just nine months … nine months of oppressive, pessimistic, shameful, and unconstitutional actions. These nine months have created quite a reason for people to be pessimistic about the future and about the direction of our country. I have on several occasions been tempted to be pessimistic and to write the whole thing off as a lost cause, but the greatness and power of our cause always pulls me back from the brink. One such incident recently has me jazzed up, and it is the momentum of that incident coupled with next week’s elections that have cemented my optimism.

The incident that I referenced above took place about three weeks ago in Denver International Airport. I arrived at the airport about four hours before my scheduled flight because my meetings during the day had ended early, and I was trying to get on an earlier flight home. When it was clear that an earlier flight was not going to be available, I took my seat in the lobby and began to read an edition of National Review, as I made my way through the recap of the last week at the beginning of the issue, my frustration was growing with each paragraph. Further, I was forced to listen to the commentary of some quarter-wit CNN anchor, who was being broadcast on the TVs throughout the terminal. The pessimism of the news, the Administration’s actions in response, and the corresponding destruction was about more than I could take. I was nearing the edge of thinking that recovering from and undoing this was going to be impossible.

It was one of those moments where one’s faith in our fellow citizens was shaken; we know in our hearts that there are so many good individuals committed to the American cause out there, but it is overwhelming to think of those who do not even know of the cause; those who do not understand why and how we got to where we are today. Those are the same people who were willing to throw it all away at the promise of ‘hope and change.’ Such defeatist lines of thought can really be overwhelming, if we allow them to be so; however, there is another alternative.

As I sat and shook my head at what I was reading and hearing that afternoon in Denver, I was reminded of this alternative in a powerful way. From where I was sitting, I was facing the walkway in the center of the terminal, and I just so happened to look up from my magazine long enough to catch a glimpse of camouflage – there was a group of 10 soldiers approaching the area where I was sitting. As they got closer, they stopped, huddled up to talk, and put their bags down about 15 feet from me. I could not help but to keep staring at them; I was struck with a great sense of admiration and respect. In similar cases, I often pass by and wave with a word of thanks, but that afternoon in Denver was different. I remained in my seat and my gaze continued steadfast. Scanning the group, I estimated that the average age of the group was about 19 or 20; they were beaming with camaraderie and were certainly enjoying each others’ company. But there was something more present – on their faces, I saw the look of resolve, of victory, of faith, of hope, of freedom, of optimism, and of the American spirit. It is through their sacrifice and through their commitment and the commitment of the thousands like them that we are going to rebuild this country.

On that afternoon in Denver, I realized that the American dream and the American ideal is far from dead. The green shoots of the revitalization of our Nation were right there in front of me. To be sure, their faces bore the pain of sacrifice and hard work, and there is no doubt that the revitalization is going to take much of both from many, but those soldiers through their inspiring commitment should serve as witness that there are plenty of citizens still committed to the cause of 1776.

This hard work, sacrifice, and commitment will again be on display this week across many states, especially in the East were elections are being held. Bob McDonnell is going to be the next governor in Virginia. Chris Christie is within the margin of error in his race against Jon Corzine for governor of New Jersey – in one of the bluest states in the country, the Republican is close to victory (and may very well be winning in a blow-out without the hindrance of a third-party candidate). In New York’s 23rd Congressional district, Conservative Party candidate Doug Hoffman is within the margin of error against the Democrat, and would certainly be winning if it were not for the Republican Party’s nomination and support for a liberal candidate. Across three states, conservatives are on the march. They are united against government over-reach, against out-of-control spending, and against the policies of this Administration. The fight between conservatives and the liberal, Republican establishment in NY’s 23rd district is truly inspiring ahead of the 2010 elections.

As we have outlined, the revitalization of America has to start at home with a conservative revitalization of the Republican Party, and it is happening right in front of us. Our goal is to elect representatives who are actually committed to the cause of the Constitution; those who will uphold their oath of office, and it appears that Doug Hoffman has stepped forward to be the first in a new wave of just that sort of candidate. While it is important for us to find these candidates and support them to victory in the traditional Republican primary process in 2010, the absence of such a process in NY-23 has created an opportunity for truly inspiring action in the democratic process.

As has been widely reported across many news outlets, a new Gallup poll shows that conservatives are now the largest ideological group in the country with a 40% share; moderates are second at 35%. We conservatives make up 40% of the population, and yet we have far less than 40% of the representation at the federal level. Even if the Republican Party has 40% of the seats in the Senate, conservatives occupy just a handful of those. A conservative revitalization is being launched right now; we are sitting at the edge of fundamentally changing things. Most of the 2012 front-runners for the Republican Presidential nomination have come out to endorse Doug Hoffman – when was the last time that the Republican front-runners were coming out to embrace conservatives? That is fundamental change.

The negativity that results from thinking about the last nine months and the current legislative agenda is no doubt striking, but we have to remember that we are about one year away from the next Congressional election. The healthcare reform that is being contemplated today does not really go into effect until 2013 and the spending/programs that have been passed have impacts that can be stunted and reversed by the branch of congress that controls the purse strings (the House). With a renewed and energized conservative effort in 2010, we can make bring plenty of paper shredders, garbage cans, and scissors to Washington. Our effort must be first trained on cutting, reversing, and deregulating so that we can set free the engine of ingenuity – the men and women of the United States of America.

Those soldiers in Denver reminded me that if the American spirit survived a four-year war for independence, a constitutional convention, a civil war, and southern reconstruction, it could certainly survive a nine-month or even four-year assault from the Obama Administration, especially when we are going to win important battles along the way towards winning the war for the preservation of American freedom.

The Foundation ~ 09.02.09

Tonight, we gather united around a common cause, a common purpose, and a common goal. Unfortunately, we gather at a time when our cause is under the most perilous assault it has ever faced; this is an assault more disastrous in effect than those waged by foreign threats of Nazism, Communism, or Terrorism. We face today a domestic assault that has been waged between our shores for more time than Nazism existed, for a longer period of time than the Soviet Union was held together by force and coercion, and for a longer period of time than terrorists have trained their bombs and threats on our infrastructure and civilians. The assault we face is from within; this assault has been waged against our principles and our way of life since the 1930s; liberalism and its many domestic leaders have done more to undo our nation than Hitler, Stalin, and bin Laden combined.

At present, we stand in this struggle leaderless and seemingly powerless, but that status is nothing new. Since 1930, our federal government has advanced in its scope and power at a rate that has been unchecked by any leadership. There have been tax cuts and promises of spending restraint, but not once has our leadership cut a meaningful program, ended a handout, or radically reformed the putative tax code. The federal government, over this period, has added program after program, expanded entitlement after entitlement, and increased taxes both overt and hidden. The federal government under the guise of progressivism and the lies of liberalism has disregarded the Constitution at nearly every turn.

This Constitution of which I speak is the one that was founded on the ideals laid out in the Declaration of Independence, taking from it the notion that government’s sole purpose is to acknowledge and protect the fact that we are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights that among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Instead, we live in a time where that premise is under the attack of the very government and the people who are sworn to uphold the very principle itself. The oath of office taken by so many has been callously disregarded so much so that the framework has been lost. In practice, we retain the Constitution for reference as a historical document, but pay no attention to it as THE guiding and governing principle.

I feel today as if we are the few surviving commanding generals in an army that has lost a major battle. We are left to take measure of what has been lost, and it is indeed a mighty sum. We have lost the founding premise upon which our Founding Fathers built the greatest nation in world history. Our Founders acknowledged that the government that governs best governs least, and, therefore, that the best form of government is one rooted in individual responsibility and individual freedom. Today, we are burdened with a government that believes it governs best when it governs more in large part because a significant portion of our population believes that government can provide more and better services than either they can as individuals provide themselves or they can procure from the reliance upon the ingenuity and efficiency of free markets. That is an incredibly huge loss and an incredibly sad loss at that, but we must remind ourselves that this loss has been suffered in a long battle, not the war itself.

It is our knowledge of the power of our founding principles that must propel us back to the battlefield. Throughout the early days of our Revolution, the future looked bleak and our chances looked slim, but our first citizens pressed on toward the goal for which Providence called them. They knew in their hearts that the prize was worth fighting for; they knew that their sacrifices would be repaid through the success of future generations who would be liberated from the chains and restrictions of the British Crown. It is that spirit and those sacrifices that we must harness today. We must press on now towards the goal to which Providence is calling us:  toward a restoration of the freedoms and back to a government that recognizes the inalienable rights with which we have been endowed.

The imagery of this sacrifice and spirit as well as our goal is depicted so well in the movie The Patriot. The film’s main character Benjamin Martin is a delegate to the South Carolina assembly and is, at the outset, opposed to going to war with the British. Martin advocates for diplomatic resolutions and civil disobedience as opposed to declaring war and independence. However, as the war moves south, Martin is confronted with a battle in the midst of his plantation. As the battle concludes, he and his slaves provide care and comfort for the wounded on both sides. For his troubles, the commanding officer of the British orders our wounded soldiers killed, confiscates Martin’s horses, kills one of Martin’s sons, and orders the house and barns burned to the ground. It is then that Martin realizes the resolve of the enemy and is compelled to enter the war in grand fashion. Martin serves valiantly throughout the war, leading the South Carolina militia in successful battle after battle. Following the end of the war, Colonel Martin and his family travel home by horse and wagon expecting to find the ashes of their house and barns. As the wagons roll to the top of the hill overlooking their home, Col. Martin pauses the horses in astonishment of the sight before them. They see the frame of a new house being erected upon the home’s original foundation. The soldiers who just fought under their Colonel took it upon themselves to begin building the new nation with his home. The former slave and now free man says to Col. Martin as he pulls up to the home: “Gabriel said that if we won the war, we could build a whole new world. Just figured we’d get started right here, with your home.”

To complete the metaphor, we, like Martin at the outset of battle, have had our house and barns of freedom and liberty burned to the ground over the last 80 years. During that time, conservatives have generally supported Republican candidates who have sought to slow or make more efficient the ideas proffered by liberals, but we have always underestimated the strength of their resolve. Republicans have assumed that Democrats have wanted to uphold the same Constitution that we hold dear; many have assumed that the intention of the left is to advocate solutions that will advance the cause of America. However, every one of those assumptions have been wrong. We now, like Martin, have been forced into battle – this is a battle for our nation’s identity and its future. It is now our goal to fight back against liberalism at every turn and, in victory, resurrect the government that once stood proudly upon the foundation of the now smoldering ashes of our Constitution.

In this battle against liberalism, we must first fight, but at the same time, we must be able to articulate a vision for what the new frame of government will look like when we again have control. We need to hold a common vision that will be advanced and taught by many. The teaching component is integral because in order for the resurrection of our Constitutional Republic to be complete, it must once again be founded upon a citizenry who believes in its premise. Unlike the promises of “hope and change,” our revolution will be rooted in widespread knowledge of the plain truth.

Texas singer, songwriter Pat Green recently released a song entitled, “What I’m for,” and in that song, there is a key line that says:  “You don’t have to guess what I’m against,  if you know what I’m for.” That line has to ring true for us as leaders of the conservative movement. We must be at the forefront, erecting the frame, and setting boundaries. It is not simply enough for us to be anti-liberal; in order for us to propel the nation forward, we must lead on our agenda of conservatism and Constitutionalism. We have to clearly define what the blueprint for the frame of our new house so that we can go out and convince the American people to construct it.

In order to define our goals, we must start by setting the record straight. The American public has for most of the last century confused conservatism with the Republican Party, and we have to start by articulating the differences and rejecting the wrongs of the party. As I stated in my Party Declaration of Independence last fall, the following grievances must be aired and explained:

The Party, over the last 11 presidential election cycles, has only twice nominated a leader guided by our founding principles (Reagan) and has only twice more nominated a candidate (W. Bush) whose views were mostly aligned with the founding principles.

The Party, after the Reagan Revolution and the Contract with America, turned away from the principles of conservatism and has not looked back to the truth of the conservative platform as the way to advance the cause of the founding principles and advance the country.

The Party, during its time in control of the Senate over the last decade, appointed two of the most ineffective leaders ever to hold the office (Frist and Lott).

The Party, and its leadership in the Senate, was unable to control its most outspoken and wayward member (McCain) over the last decade and ended up capitulating to the advancement of policies and programs that he supported, which also stand in contrast to the founding principles.

The Party and its leadership, advocates more government regulation of the free market (e.g. cap and trade), new entitlement programs (e.g. prescription drug plan), infringement upon free speech (e.g. campaign finance reform), expanded federal government control of education (e.g. No Child Left Behind), class warfare (e.g. rebates for the middle class and McCain’s middle class tax cuts), and a weakened position in the War on Islamofacism (e.g. closure of Guantanamo Bay and Terrorist Bill of Rights).

Through these programs the Party has sought not to uphold our Constitution, rather is sole effort has been to maintain political control and expand its own influence by reaching out and attracting new voters to its cause by adopting liberal views, not by advocating and convincing others that the founding principles are the views of liberty and prosperity.

The Party has failed to advance Social Security and entitlement reform, fundamental tax reform, government spending reductions, deregulation, and further tax cuts.

With that record, there is no wonder that the American public does not quite know what it means to be a conservative and what conservative solutions to today’s problems look like. The entire problem comes down the fact that the nation has changed the premise of government over the last 80 years, and this cannot be stressed enough – we have lost the premise of government itself. Both parties now articulate a bigger and bigger government that will continue to grow well beyond its Constitutional bounds. At best, Republicans today seek to streamline liberal programs or come up with a way to add “free market solutions” to these liberal ideas and government-centric programs, but that is still nothing more than an unconstitutional application of government.

Due to this confusion, we must begin anew our battle by articulating our premise because if people understand our premise, they will truly know what we are for. As the integral basis for defining our premise, let’s first remember the powers granted to the Federal government in the Constitution. The enumerated powers of Article I Section 8 clearly established the only legislative powers granted to the federal government; those are the familiar powers to collect taxes, to provide for the common defense, to borrow money, to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, to set citizenship rules, to construct a bankruptcy code, to coin money, to regulate the value of money, to establish patent law, to establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court, to declare war, to raise an army and navy, and to, most importantly, to “make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.”

It is, therefore, per the 10^th Amendment, that we leave all other responsibilities to the individual state governments and to the consent of the governed in those many states.

Now, with that as the background, we need to clearly state our premise:

We believe that self-government is the best form of government, but that superior governments must be established to form a cohesive state. Provided, further, that any superior government must be established solely to promote a society’s general welfare by providing the basic framework so as to allow a society to operate efficiently. Further, we recognize that this basic framework is solely bound to acknowledge and protect the sacred, undeniable, God-given rights to “Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” From this fundamental acknowledgement, we grant to the federal government certain powers and leave the balance to the states, where the power at all levels of government is exclusively derived from the consent of the governed.

Our premise is 180 degrees out of turn with the direction of our nation today. In order to examine this, let’s take the issue of the month, healthcare as an example.

First, it seems that it is universally accepted in Washington that the “healthcare problem” is Washington’s to fix – even if there are differences of opinion on either side of the aisle as to how to fix the so-called “problem.” Washington believes that it can lower the cost, provide “insurance” to more people, and create a healthier society in the process. Now, how on Earth does this even fit into our premise? What is our solution? Well … the answer is: “IT DOES NOT FIT, AND WE OFFER NO GOVERNMENT-SPONSORED SOLUTIONS.” This is the free market’s problem to fix once the federal government winds itself out of sponsoring Medicare and Medicaid. I can find no place in the enumerated powers of Article I where the federal government is given the authority to create entitlement programs and provide health insurance to the people. If we operated this country under the founding premise, this wouldn’t even be a debate. Healthcare would be an issue left to the states, to the free market, and to non-profit institutions to which individuals would support/create to provide for those who truly cannot afford care. I have little doubt that without the government’s intrusion into healthcare today, the state of our currently world-class healthcare system would be even better than it is today.

This debate, however, runs deeper and even further into our premise. Even if government operated efficiently and it could take costs out of the system, we would still reject the idea of government’s intrusion into healthcare. It should not be the government’s concern to lower costs in ANY industry; pricing and profit making must be left to the private sector to control. The profits garnered in the free markets exist as an incentive to produce and to innovate – without those the market will cease to operate. Price controls are the last thing we want to see from the government; we do not want the government to artificially sweep away the profits and corresponding advancements under the flawed premise that it will “lower costs” for citizens. Lowering costs through price controls and legislation means lower quality and less access to the good that is being controlled, regardless of intent or the nature of the good.

The nationalization of healthcare is simply a vote-buying and behavior-controlling scheme established by a bunch of elected officials who have no idea what they were even elected to do and who, by advancing such causes, violate their oath of office on a daily, if not hourly basis.

I could go from issue to issue making similar points, but the answers are obvious; with this simple acknowledgement of the historic truth as our premise, all will know what we are against when they know what we are for.

I recognize that we cannot revert back to a constitutional government overnight, and this is a point that has been recognized by others in the conservative movement since the enactment of the Great Society programs in the 1960s. Once we win the war for the premise of government, we will have to being slowly rolling back government and its programs. This is a reform that is going to take decades to complete. We will have to cut off new entrants into entitlement programs, reduce current enrollees where possible, and transition others back to the market and non-profit organizations. We have to burn the tax code and start over. We have to return education to the states. Most importantly, we have to advance the truths in education so that we return to a society built on competition between individuals – not a competition between individuals and the government.

It is unquestionably a tall task.

We stand here on the smoldering ashes of a defeated foundation, but the foundation still exists. We are here to once again resurrect the structure that created the most prosperous country in the history of the world. We are ready to do battle; we are ready to stand on the shoulders of the giants who gave us the foundation by following in the footsteps they left behind. We do so with the knowledge that when we do win, we will set the United States on a course toward unimaginable prosperity both at home and abroad.

Independence Update ~ 07.08.09

This past weekend, we celebrated the anniversary of the day on which the text of the Declaration of Independence was approved by the Continental Congress. Two days prior, on July 2, 1776, our Founding Fathers voted in favor of declaring our independence and August 2 marks the day on which the last signature was affixed to the Declaration. That one-month period during our history marked the birth of our nation and charted a course by which the best ideas generated by Western political study were enacted for the first time.

The Fourth of July is unquestionably a time for celebration, as it has been throughout our history; however, without the correct ingredients, most notably a tremendous sense of gratitude, that celebration and the national holiday itself is an utter waste of time. I fear that time has eroded the consciousness, that the lack of historical education has evaporated citizens’ knowledge of the reason behind the celebration, and that the indifference generated by time and ignorance has led us to societal decay and the ensuing political nightmare in which we now live.

Gratitude holds this level of importance because it requires a person to firstly know what it is that one has been given and secondly to value and protect that which has been gifted. In this case, we, as Americans, have been given the most precious gift that man has ever given to man. If a citizen truly believes and understands that singular concept, it follows very easily that he will be willing to actively protect and uphold that gift.

Our gift of independence, freedom, and liberty is a precious gift that was born out of the sacrifices of so many throughout our history. Independence Day is meant to commemorate the day the gift was created, but we must also appreciate the great sacrifices that have been made in preservation of that gift over the last 230 years. The celebration should be one that honors the American spirit and marks a time of rejoicing that this gift has been preserved for yet another year.

The American spirit of individual freedom and equality of opportunity under the law has not come free. Our Founding Fathers created this freedom first in a war of independence and then protected it in the Civil War, in two world wars, in the Cold War, and now in the War on Terror. Many have given of their most productive years, others have given of their services, and countless citizens have made the ultimate sacrifice in preservation of this gift.

A gift that has garnered such sacrifice and that is of this value is not something for which we can ever fully repay its benefactors. It is because we are unable to repay or recreate such a gift that we must pledge to do the only commensurate thing possible – preserve this gift for the next generation to receive. The gift of the American spirit is one that exists because all generations of the past have taken the pledge that the Founders used as the conclusion of their Declaration 230 years ago – “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” It is our willingness to make the same pledge that will preserve this American spirit for our posterity.

We have received the gift from the previous generations with the stains of “The New Deal” and the soiling of the “The Great Society” which have both been permitted to grow during subsequent administrations and congresses, but the gift has remained relatively strong and vibrant. These stains left by the existing government intervention has created life-threatening issues (i.e. Social Security), but contained to its current list, the American spirit could be counted upon to overcome those approaching challenges. It is, however, the threat we face from “Hope and Change” that is apocalyptic.

As our country stands today, we look out over an uncertain landscape. The erosion of freedoms and the encroachment of government on our lives have brought us perilously close to losing this gift. We stand today at a point where our elected representatives have put forth legislation that will create the largest, most oppressive, most controlling government in the history of our nation. The new programs and policies, along with their repressive taxation measures, will so advance the trend of a growing government that we will become a nation unfounded. Our Constitution, which has already been thrown to the curb, is about to be shredded by usurpations of power that the Founders could only warn about in their wildest dreams.

The centralization of governmental power at the federal level and the corresponding elimination of individual freedom have presented us with a frightening picture of the not-so-distant future. We were left to celebrate Independence Day 2009 in the shadow of increased control and with the storm clouds of oppression overhead.

We are close today to destroying the gift. Freedom is always one generation away from extinction, Ronald Reagan reminded us, and a generation lacking knowledge and appreciation for our founding principles will allow for just that extinction. Launching fireworks, hosting barbeques, pool parties, and other gatherings are wonderful ways to spend the holiday, but unless those celebrations give us pause to reflect on the sacrifices of previous generations and grow in appreciation for what we have been given, they represent nothing more than an off day for a French worker during the midst of a summer shutdown.

Our annual celebration on July 4 marks a day in history, but it in order for America to be America, we must not only pause to energize our spirit and renew our vows to freedom and liberty once a year, but we also must live this July 4^th spirit on a daily basis.

Happy Independence Day (I know; it is July 8).

Barry Update ~ 06.29.09

I had a chance today to first peruse the day’s headlines and then to ponder the implications, as a four-hour flight delay provided ample time for me to think. Here is a synopsis of June 29, 2009.

Today’s domestic judicial headline was of course that the Supreme Court upheld the concept of law and dismissed the Obama/Sotomayor empathy standard. Yes, Barry’s first SCOTUS nominee was overturned again, but when that nominee’s decisions have no basis in law, then I don’t know why we would be surprised that her decisions have been overturned so many times in the past. I am sure that this verdict did not sit well at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, and will inspire Barry to dream about all sorts of Roseveltian Court-packing fantasies. We are truly blessed to have men like Scalia, Thomas, Roberts, and Alito on the Court; imagine our society without anyone in positions of power who remembers what the original Constitution says.

On the foreign policy front, Barry has managed to align himself with Castro and Chavez while taking the opposite position as the EU. Ignore the issue for a minute, and just soak in that thought – yes, this man really does sit behind the desk in the Oval Office. Now to the issue – the Honduran people have decided to uphold their Constitution in the face of a presidential effort to re-write the constitution to allow him to stay in power for an uncapped period of time (i.e. become a dictator). This president – Mel Zelaya – is a friend of Chavez and an ally of Venezuela.  We ought to be supportive of an effort where

people have taken action to maintain freedom, uphold the rule of law, and (we hope) detach themselves from alliances with despotic rulers in neighboring nations; instead, the President of the United States has come down on the side of the despotic ruler.

Continuing the backwards foreign policy theme, Barry has maintained his position on Iran, which is to leave them to their own resolutions without speaking out on behalf of freedom. The unrest in Iran is the fruits of our victory in Iraq, and instead of capitalizing on the opportunity to help effectuate a regime change in yet another member of the Axis of Evil, the President has chosen to sit back and watch the events unfold. These two foreign policy positions tell us a great deal about Barry’s willingness to advance the cause of freedom.

America’s leadership defined by a clear vision that advances the cause of freedom is needed now just as it has been needed so many times in the past 100 years. As Reagan so eloquently outlined in a speech he delivered at a memorial service commemorating the sacrifice of men who were killed aboard the USS Stark in 1987, “In our great hour, we must answer, as did they, the call of history. It’s a summons that, as a nation or a people, we did not seek, but it is a call we cannot shirk or refuse — a call to wage war against war, to stand for freedom until freedom can stand alone, to live for liberty until liberty is the blessing and birthright of every man, woman, and child on this Earth.” That is the vision that George W. Bush advanced for the last eight years and watching its undoing by the hands of an amateur is unbearable.

With all of this going on today, Barry was still able to make time for more important issues. Barry delivered a speech today with his Energy Secretary Steven Chu to announce new efficiency standards for light bulbs. Three quotes in The Washington Post story on this particularly stood out:

“Obama has spent the past few days pressuring the Senate to follow the House while also seeking to show that the administration is making quick, clear progress on energy reform WITHOUT LEGISLATION [emphasis added].”

“In February, the president directed the Energy Department to update its energy conservation standards for everyday household appliances such as dishwashers, lamps and microwave ovens. Laws on the books already required new efficiency standards for household and commercial appliances. But they have been backlogged in a tangle of missed deadlines, bureaucratic disputes and litigation.”

“The administration already had released new standards on commercial refrigeration. Lamps were next.”

Anger at the first; laughter at the second and third. Yes, folks, we pay people to do this. Just wait until Barry gets to decide YOUR healthcare needs in just the same way.

And in other news, Bernie Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for stealing millions of dollars from people; to which I asked a colleague: “When is the same trial set for the Democratic Party?”