A New Direction for Conservatives (pt 2) – The Agenda

In A New Direction for Conservatives (pt 1) I outlined the reasons why I believe it is time for Conservatives to abandon the Republican Party and establish a new political organization dedicated to advancing conservative policies. In that post I also described the principles I believe should guide this new political party, which I have named the Foundations Party.

In Part 2 I will stop short of describing a full party platform for the sake of brevity, but I will describe what I see as “Top 10” Agenda for the Foundations Party. Once again, I invite comments and discussion on the ideas I am presenting.

Top 10 Agenda:
Budget Reform – The current budget deficit and looming economic cliff are a result of a lack of budget discipline and planning. Clearly, the budget process in Washington is broken and in desperate need of reform. We support immediate reforms that will include:

• End Baseline Budgeting
• Immediate across the board cuts in current spending levels of an average of 10%.
• Temporarily cap federal spending at 30% of GDP until other reforms are put into place.
• Give the President line item veto authority
• Pass a balanced budget amendment

Economic growth – The U.S. Constitution does not give the federal government either the authority or the responsibility of regulating the economy. A free market economy was the driving force of our growth as a nation, and is vitally important to our continued survival. Government management of the economy is antithetical to a free market economy, and is therefore something to be avoided if at all possible. While federal action cannot and should not be used to stimulate economic growth, there are many actions that could be taken to eliminate the negative impact of excessive government influence on our economy which will have an overall positive effect on economic growth. Reduction of burdensome government regulations, changes in tax policy, and repeal of Obamacare are all examples of these types of reforms. We support a coordinated effort to immediately identify and act upon government reforms that will restore the free market to our economy and allow for economic growth.

Energy – Development of clean, sustainable and renewable energy is a goal we must work towards, but we cannot reach those goals by government decree. Our nation is blessed with abundant natural resources and large amounts of energy sources that are necessary to drive a growing economy. We must continue to use these energy resources wisely while at the same time allowing the free market to drive the quest for alternative energy technology. Our government should encourage development of our energy sector rather than stifle its growth.

Reducing the size of government – The Constitution founded a federal government that was limited in size and power, and over the years those limits have been violated and ignored. The result is an enormous, unwieldy, inefficient, and over reaching burden on freedom and prosperity. Many federal programs provide services that are desirable, but are more appropriate for state or local governments. We support government reforms to identify and eliminate government programs and agencies that are either not authorized by the Constitution, unnecessary, or ineffective.

War On Drugs – Illegal drug use is a scourge on our nation and a danger to our society as a whole. It is also true that the federal government’s “War on Drugs” has been a drain on the federal budget, and largely ineffective. Since the manufacture and sale of these drugs is by definition a type of commerce, the federal government’s role is constitutionally limited to stopping importation across the U.S. border, and regulating the sale and transport of drugs across state lines. All other drug legislation should be at the state level, with state enforcement of those laws.

Healthcare Reform – Despite the Supreme Court’s unfortunate interpretation, the Constitution does not give the federal government the responsibility or authority to provide medical insurance to citizens, or to interfere in the doctor/patient relationship. We support immediate and full repeal of the misnamed Affordable Care Act. Reforms to our healthcare system on a federal level should be limited to those which reduce the federal government’s role in what should be a private transaction between a patient and a healthcare provider. Any further reforms should be left to the discretion of individual states.

Tax Reform – The Constitution gives Congress the authority to levy and collect taxes for the purposes of paying our debts, providing for the common defense, and to provide for the general welfare of the nation. No authority or responsibility is given to the federal government to use that power for any other purpose such as social engineering, wealth redistribution, or behavior modification. The tax burden should be evenly distributed across the population in a manner that is fair and equitable, and tax laws should be written in such a way that they are easy to understand and to comply with. Our current tax system fails to meet those standards. We support efforts to fundamentally change the nature and scope of our tax system in such a way that the tax burden is shared by all citizens without placing an undue burden on any, and that simplifies the tax code.

Immigration Reform – A nation cannot exist if it does not have borders which are secure. Efforts to secure the borders are made infinitely more difficult when we adopt policies that encourage and reward illegal immigration. We support the following steps to reduce illegal immigration:

• Elimination of the “anchor baby” path to citizenship, with a Constitutional amendment if necessary.
• Strict enforcement of laws requiring employers to verify their employees’ eligibility to work, and heavy penalties for those who fail to comply.
• Establish sanctions against those localities which adopt a sanctuary city status, including doubling of income tax rates, limits on federal spending and employment.
• Strengthen border security and adopt a zero tolerance policy for illegal border crossing.
• Once the border has been secured, and illegal immigration has been reduced to the fullest extent possible, provide a path to legal residency for those people who can prove they have been law abiding residents of the country for more than 25 years, and for their immediate family members who have been here with them. A fine should be included as a part of the process, and no path to full citizenship should be made available. A one-for –one reduction will be made in the immigration quota for the person’s home country.

Legislative Reform – The legislative process has become simply a tool to grow government rather than a means of ensuring good government. In order to return common sense to the process, we support the following reforms:

• Members of Congress shall not exempt themselves from any legislation they might pass, and all past exemptions will be nullified.
• All legislation shall cite the specific Article of the Constitution granting Congress the authority to pass that law.
• No legislation may be voted upon until sufficient time has been allowed for members to read and understand the bill being considered. Any member in a leadership position in any party may require the bill to be read aloud on the floor of that legislative body before it is voted upon.

Amendments – Pass and ratify the following Constitutional Amendments:

• Require a balanced budget
• Repeal the 17th Amendment
• Establish term limits totaling 12 years for members of both the House and Senate

A New Direction for Conservatives (pt 1)

On Christmas Eve of last year, I wrote an article expressing my disgust and frustration with the Republican Party. Now, almost a year later, the GOP has once again proven that it has become a completely ineffective vehicle with which to advance the conservative agenda. The election is over, and now is the time to start the process of choosing a suitable replacement.

This is not a step I take lightly. For more than 30 years I have been a loyal Republican, serving in positions within the party as well as being a vocal supporter of GOP candidates and the party itself. For years I excused the failings of the party and did what I could to bring about change from within. During that time it became increasingly clear that the party organization was more interested in playing political games for the sake of winning elections rather than advancing an agenda. It also became increasingly clear that they were not even very good at playing the game. The fact that the GOP was unable to win an election against the undisputed worst President in modern history is testament to need for new direction.

I know all of the arguments about it being easier to change the GOP from the inside because I’ve used them myself. I have reached the conclusion however, that the Progressives within the party are too well entrenched, and that they have so badly tarnished the GOP brand that it is not worth saving. From this point the two options we have are to either adopt an existing minor party and shape it into something more effective, or we can start from scratch and build a completely new organization. Frankly, I believe we’ve spent enough time trying to change an existing party, and that our best bet is to start fresh. Aside from the Libertarian Party, none of the others have enough of an organization to make them attractive. The Libertarian Party does have a fairly well established organization, but there are enough associated negatives to make it an unattractive option.

The task of creating a brand new political party is daunting, and obviously it will take a lot of time and effort to accomplish. I believe that, to be successful, we will need to begin at the local level and establish ourselves as a serious, credible organization. Once we run candidates at the local and state level, we can then set our sights on Washington.

One of the earliest hurdles we must jump will be to decide among us exactly what will be the mission and guiding principles of our new organization. In order to accomplish this, we must begin to have a conversation among ourselves. Having given this idea some thought over the past year, I have a vision for what I would like to see, but I recognize the fact that there are many points of view in the conservative community, and those points of view have great value. I will begin the process by describing my vision for the ideal political party and in the following days I will present its platform. I would invite my readers to comment on what I propose, and to give some thought to what your version of the ideal political party would look like. If there is enough interest, I will invite others to share their vision as guest bloggers.

My Vision
Part 1: Principles
It would be the overall mission of my party to restore the foundational principles upon which our nation was built, and which enabled her to become the great nation that she is, so the name I have chosen to call my organization is the Foundations Party. Those principles include:

• Our rights were bestowed upon us by our creator. In order to protect those rights we, as free men, established a government charged with the responsibility of guaranteeing our freedom to exercise those rights to the greatest extent possible without infringing upon the rights of our fellow citizens.
• Government is the antithesis of freedom, and it is therefore necessary for any legitimate government to be limited in scope and nature to only those functions absolutely necessary to carry out its role as the protector of our freedom.
• All men are created equal, and are therefore entitled to equal protection and treatment by the government that serves them. No official or de facto recognition of any race, gender, or class shall be permitted.
• The authority to levy and collect taxes is one that is only legitimate when those taxes are used in accordance with the letter and intent of the U.S. Constitution in its enumeration of the powers granted to each branch of government. As a result, the federal government should never write a check for which it does not receive goods or services necessary to carry out its legitimate functions.
• James Madison once said, “I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents.” Charity is both necessary and commendable for individuals and private organizations, but it is not a proper function of the federal government.
• The federal government was created by the various states, and those states should be represented in Washington as our founding fathers intended. In order to restore that right to each state, the 17th Amendment to the Constitution should be repealed.
• The power and authority of the federal government is clearly defined in the Constitution, which specifies that all other powers not specifically granted to the federal government are reserved for the states and for the people. All proposed federal legislation should begin by citing the specific article of the Constitution which grants the federal government the power to enact that legislation.
• Citizenship in this nation is a precious privilege which should only be afforded to those who were born in this country to parents who were here legally, and to those who properly complete the legally established naturalization process.
• An open, honest, and secure election process is vital to keeping our nation free. The right to vote should only be afforded to those who have legal standing as citizens of this country, and of the state in which they reside. Each state has the responsibility and right to establish and enforce its own voting laws without interference from the federal government.
• As it is necessary for elected officials to have and maintain the confidence of those whom they serve, it should be the responsibility any candidate who seeks election to public office to provide adequate proof that he or she meets the legal qualifications to hold that office as a part of the filing process. The name of candidates who have not provided such documentation shall not appear on any ballot.
• It was the intent of our founding fathers for our government to be made up of ordinary citizens, not career politicians. The number of terms for members of the House of Representatives should be limited to three, and members of the Senate should serve no more than two terms.

Continue reading A New Direction for Conservatives (pt 2) - The Agenda

The Next Steps

Well, the voters have spoken. Unfortunately, most of them said something very, very stupid. Despite the best efforts of many freedom loving Americans, Barack Obama will fail to lead this nation for another four years and Joe Biden will provide us all with incentive to pray for the President’s good health. While you’re at it, you might ask the Lord to enlighten him and set him on the right path. Don’t forget it was a talking ass that He used to get Balaam’s attention; perhaps he could do the same for Obama.

Following the election we have been subjected to an amazing number of theories as to why Romney failed to win, but what it boils down to is that a whole lot of people made an exceedingly poor decision while standing in a voting booth. Obviously those of us on the right need to take steps to prevent that from happening again, but there is not going to be a single magic bullet to make things right.

Along with every other political observer and commentator in the country, I can see several things that contributed to Romney’s loss. The first thing is that, once again, the Republican Party opted to go with the moderate because he was “the only one that can beat Obama”. Once again, they were wrong. One thing that seriously hurt Romney’s chances of winning was the fact that he tried to pretend the Tea Party didn’t exist. In 2010, the overwhelming victory enjoyed by the GOP was a result of Tea Party activism that turned out the conservative base in droves. Romney failed to tap into that much necessary energy and it cost him dearly.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to his loss was the failure to convince people that his plan would work. It is not enough to simply state your plan and expect everyone to nod affirmatively and give their approval. Those of us who already buy into conservative principles and economic ideas will more easily do so, but that isn’t enough to win the election. A successful conservative candidate will be one that has the ability to form a plan that will work, and to then present that plan in a clear and convincing manner that will not only secure the base but convince others as well. In order to convince those who are not already believers, we must explain how and why our methods will work. Reagan had that ability, but it turns out that Romney did not.

Despite the anguish and frustration many of us feel, all is not lost. Certainly, we are in a much worse position as a country due to the election results, but there is still a way out of this mess that we cannot afford to ignore or squander.

Following his election in 2008 Barack Obama became seriously over impressed with himself and proceeded to act upon his imagined mandate and rammed his agenda through Congress without regard for the political futures of the members of his own party. The following mid-term elections, with the invaluable help of a sea of Tea Party activists across the country, ended the political careers of many Democrats and even a few Republicans, and handed the reins of the House of Representatives to the GOP. In true form, the GOP leadership in the House did their best to minimize the effect of the Tea Party and continue with their old ways. This, coupled with the GOP’s decision to once again back a moderate candidate for President, led to the most needless Presidential election loss in modern history.

Obviously, the GOP has once again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. During the campaign process, we cited Obama's failure to lead as reason to not give him another four years. As disappointed as we are that the voters chose to do so, we must ask ourselves the same question about the current GOP leadership. The obvious answer, to me at least, is a resounding NO!

Where then, should we turn? Why not turn back to the source of power our founding fathers intended? The only success we have had recently has come through the efforts of Tea Party, the grassroots of the American conservative movement. Rather than rely upon the establishment political machines that have let us down so many times, it is time for us to take control of the system from them and re-establish our control over the Federal government.

We have two years until the next round of federal elections, when a third of the U.S. Senate is up for re-election and all of the House of Representatives. In the Senate, twenty Democrats are facing re-election, and in the House 186. In addition there are some Republican seats that will need to be considered. Given Obama’s disregard for the political careers of his fellow Democrats, it will be a reasonable assumption that the next two years will be much like his first two years in office, giving the American people ample time to learn just how wrong they were.

If we are going to seize upon this opportunity, we must begin now. With the help of the Tea Party organization that already exists, we must once again tap into the intensity of feelings that conservative, freedom loving Americans feel and use that energy to bring about the kind of changes we saw in 2010. This time however, we must focus our efforts on building veto proof majorities in both the House and the Senate. At the same time, we must impress upon our Republican legislators the need to replace the current GOP leadership with those who understand and support our agenda.

We know what we have to do, let’s get started.

A Time To Choose

The election is finally upon us. According to the pollsters there are some people who have still not decided for whom they will cast their votes. Since there are not that many people in America in prolonged and irreversible comas, I can only assume they have simply decided to not disclose their choices to complete strangers calling in the middle of dinner.

Just in case I am wrong however, allow me to offer a few thoughts that might help people reach a decision.

First and foremost, I would like to point out that Barack Obama is the man ultimately responsible for allowing four Americans to die at the hands of terrorists on a live video feed without so much as lifting a finger to help. To make matters worse, he appears to be punishing those who wanted to ignore his order to stand down. Just to rub salt into the wound, he then departed Washington to travel to Las Vegas to raise funds for his campaign. In an effort to really compound his sins, our Coward-In-Chief then embarked on a prolonged effort to lie and attempt to cover up his abject failure to lead.

For me, this would be enough to turn any public servant out of office, even if that person happened to be one I had previously supported. I do recognize (but don’t understand) that there are some who need further convincing. Please, allow me to pose a few questions designed to provoke thought.

Do you believe you pay too little in taxes? If you do, could I point out the fact that you always have the freedom to pay more voluntarily without imposing an unwanted burden on others who might not suffer from the same misfortune? If you do not believe you pay too little in taxes, you should know that a second Obama term in office will most certainly result in higher taxes for you, regardless of how much money you might earn.

Do you believe you have an excessive number of job opportunities available to you? If so, I applaud you for obtaining so many marketable skills that you find yourself in high demand. I would caution you however, that you are in the minority, and that many of your fellow citizens are struggling and barely getting by. Some, in fact, are not even doing that well. If you do not find yourself in this situation, it would be worth noting that our current President has implemented not one policy that has improved the job situation in this country, nor has he indicated any inclination to undo any of the policies he has implemented that are demonstrably adverse to job creation. Do you have any reason to believe he intends to do anything in his second term that will help your job prospects?

Do you believe that you have been endowed with an excessive number of constitutionally protected freedoms? If so, might I point out that one of your freedoms is to decide for yourself which of those freedoms you should exercise? If not, you should be aware that President Obama has expressed a desire to deny Americans their freedom to exercise those rights guaranteed under the Second Amendment of the Constitution. Additionally, he has demonstrated willingness and even a desire to infringe upon the religious freedoms of millions of Catholics in the United States. Ask yourself, if President Obama is willing to deny religious freedom to one of the largest religious groups in America, what is stopping him from coming after yours?

Do you believe our nation’s deficit is too small? If so, rest assured that Barack Obama is more than capable of solving this problem. Since he has taken office, our national debt has risen by five trillion dollars. Given the fact that President Obama has expressed a desire for a do-over on his failed stimulus plan, another four years of Obama will certainly provide us with a truly awe inspiring national debt that will resolve your addiction to red ink. If however, you are not having an unnatural desire to spend more money than your grandchildren can repay, you might want to consider other options.

Do you believe the same organization that is providing disaster relief to Coney Island should be in charge of your medical care? Just in case you still have a desire to receive medical care for conditions that have developed this decade, you might want to cast your vote for the candidate who’s political legacy is not vested in the single most unpopular piece of legislation in our lifetime.

Believe me, I could go on, but I think the point has been well made. Nothing Barack Obama has done thus far has been a positive for our country. If you feel led to take part in the destruction of the greatest nation on earth, Barack Obama is your man. If however, you have a desire to provide your children with the same freedom and opportunities that your parents passed on to you, the only sane choice you have is to cast your vote for Mitt Romney.

Some Things To Consider Before You Vote

Election Day is just around the corner and believe it or not, some people have yet to decide which candidate they will support. Those of us who have long been focused on this election find it hard to believe that anyone could still be on the fence, but we tend to forget that many people go through life doing their best to ignore the political wrangling that goes on every day.

Quite often when I speak to people such as this, they tell me that they “vote for the man, not for the party”. While I can understand the appeal of this, I also recognize the folly. Certainly one candidate might well be more personable than another, but the fact cannot you ignored that when you elect the man, you get the party as well.

This will be one of the most significant elections since the days preceding the Civil War, and it is the responsibility of every American to not only take part In the electoral process, but also to make the necessary effort to make an informed decision. Obviously, at this stage in the game it would be difficult for the American Idol crowd to change channels and suddenly become well informed, but it is not too late to become better informed.

All of us need to be aware that this election isn’t just about a choice between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney; it is about the direction this country will take in the next four years. Neither Obama nor Romney will be able to accomplish anything on his own; it will take the co-operation and teamwork those few in Washington who still believe in doing what is right for America.

Currently we are living with the results of the divisions that have existed in Washington for much too long. It is not enough however, to simply get enough people in Washington to agree, they must agree to do the right things. During Obama’s first two years in office, the Democrat Party had majorities in both the House and the Senate, but during that time they failed to accomplish anything that could be described as good for America. In fact, the one significant accomplishment they had during that time will probably go down in history as the single most unpopular piece of legislation in modern history.

When we go to the polls on Tuesday, we will elect a new President, and we will have the opportunity to vote for our U.S. Representatives and many of our Senators. Although the Presidential election has monopolized the spotlight this election season, these Congressional elections are just as important. Obviously we need to maintain a Republican majority in the House of Representatives, but the Senate races are critical if we are going to be able to repeal Obamacare. If the Democrats are able to retain control of the Senate, we will have four more years of Harry Reid and a Senate that is absolutely unwilling and unable to do anything of value for the American people. If we are going to demand results from our elected officials, we must do our part and put people in place who are committed to doing the things America needs so desperately.

When you go into that voting booth, remember that voting for the man gets you the party. Are you going to “vote for the man” who chooses to align himself with those who have worked so hard to destroy our economy? Will you “vote for the man” who stands in support of our Coward-In-Chief, and who refuse to voice outrage at the disgraceful abandonment of our embassy staff in Benghazi? Will you pull the lever for the man who has remained silent as the Obama administration attacked the religious freedoms of millions of Americans?

Barack Obama does not exist in a vacuum. Everything he does is done with the assistance and approval of every member of the Democrat Party, as well as every citizen who continues to support those who have chosen to associate themselves with these people.