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Soros, Birchers fight constitutional fix to limit Obama, Congress
Convention of States ^ | March 16, 2015 | Paul Bedard

Posted on 03/25/2015 7:41:21 PM PDT by VitacoreVision



Soros, Birchers fight constitutional fix to limit Obama, Congress

Convention of States
March 16, 2015

A nationwide drive by mostly conservative states to throttle President Obama and Washington's grab for more power and taxes is running into an odd left-right combo of opposition: Liberal financier George Soros and the conservative John Birch Society.

Documents provided to Secrets show that the Soros-backed Montana Budget and Policy Center recently urged the state's lawmakers to reject the so-called "convention of states" pushed by advocates such as radio talk show host Mark Levin as a way to pass constitutional amendments limiting the power of the federal government and especially the Supreme Court.

In an email to lawmakers, the liberal group called on supportive Montana lawmakers to "direct your questions" to the John Birch Society, which believes a states convention, provided in Article V of the Constitution, won't stop Washington from expanding its power and taxing authority.

The opposition effort succeeded last month when the Montana House rejected a convention.

Already facing liberals who fear that a convention would trim spending on their causes, the proponent conservative group Convention of States is also facing an unusual Soros partner in the John Birch Society, which believes the answer to Washington is to cut spending and the bureaucracy.

"Until the massive bureaucracy that is part of the federal government is curtailed, downsized or eliminated, federal officials will find a way around the Constitution no matter what amendments are ratified," the group said. Groups like Birch oppose the convention out of concerns that the conservatives running it will go too far to limit government powers and fear that the public isn't smart enough on the Constitution to change it.

But that opposition is being forcefully rebutted by Michael Farris, director of the Convention of States project for Citizens for Self-Governance. In a 23-page memo, he argued that simply trying to choke Washington's power by sending more conservatives to Congress won't work.

"Trying harder with the same old tactics won't work," he wrote.

So far, 23 states have endorsed the convention but 38 are needed before one is called.

Levin, Farris and other supporters are focusing on the power the U.S. Supreme Court has in interpreting the Constitution and claim that decisions like a recent one endorsing much of Obamacare violated the document.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: articlev; georgesoros; homosexualagenda; johnbirchsociety; libertarians; medicalmarijuana; michaelfarris; paulbedard; soros
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1 posted on 03/25/2015 7:41:21 PM PDT by VitacoreVision
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To: VitacoreVision

Anything soros opposes is definitely worthy of consideration !


2 posted on 03/25/2015 7:43:45 PM PDT by faithhopecharity (Foolish people ... have eyes and see not)
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To: 5thGenTexan; AllAmericanGirl44; Amagi; Art in Idaho; Arthur Wildfire! March; Arthur McGowan; ...
So far, 23 states have endorsed the convention but 38 are needed before one is called.

Wrong. 3 states have applied, and there are 31 to go.

3 posted on 03/25/2015 7:44:19 PM PDT by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)
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To: VitacoreVision
Groups like Birch oppose the convention out of concerns that the conservatives running it will go too far to limit government powers...

Really? I very much doubt that is the reason for their recalcitrance.

4 posted on 03/25/2015 7:45:05 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either satire or opinion. Or both.)
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To: VitacoreVision

How old is Soros? Will he never die?


5 posted on 03/25/2015 7:46:37 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: VitacoreVision

The Federal Reserve legislation was passed when banks came out in opposition to it.

The public figured if banks were against it, it must be good for regulating banks.

If Soros and his elite masters want to get conservatives to support a convention so they can really massively overhaul the constitution, gutting the Bill of Rights, etc., all they have to do is have Soros oppose it.


6 posted on 03/25/2015 7:47:37 PM PDT by PieterCasparzen (Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.)
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To: VitacoreVision
Simply enough, who among us thinks that if the Government ignores all the limitations on Federal power already inherent in the Constitution and Bill of Rights, that one or two more amendments will make any difference?

It is as logical as assuming that the "no guns" sign on the front door will stop a crazed mass murderer from going on a killing spree at a shopping mall, as if one more law or rule will deter those already hell-bent on breaking the other, existing laws.

7 posted on 03/25/2015 7:51:11 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: Publius

While we’re waiting, lets see if we can get some states to start nullifying some egregiously unconstitutional federal acts.


8 posted on 03/25/2015 7:51:12 PM PDT by PapaNew (The grace of God & freedom always win the debate in the forum of ideas over unjust law & government)
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To: VitacoreVision

John Birch is against this... a bunch of kooks...


9 posted on 03/25/2015 7:54:04 PM PDT by ExCTCitizen (I'm ExCTCitizen and I approve this reply. If it does offend Libs, I'm NOT sorry...)
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To: Smokin' Joe

What constitutional principles are they ignoring when they set an income tax? When Senators run for lifetime gigs? Or a whole host of other abuses?

The progressives have spent 100 years building up judicial precedents and constitutional amendments so they can get to this point. Putting in amendments to block them is precisely what we need to start unpeeling this onion.


10 posted on 03/25/2015 7:55:00 PM PDT by Bogey78O (We had a good run. Coulda been great still.)
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To: Smokin' Joe

Sounds like one of the arguments put forth by the JBS’ers.

There is a good deal of discussion on specific amendments to curb the feds, and I believe that their wording is mindful of your concern. The founders left some things unsaid, and progressives have a field day. The ArtV has in mind amendments such as VERY specific term limits, with NO wiggle room.

To just give up, and not try Art V is to just say, well all is lost, lets just start shootin right now.


11 posted on 03/25/2015 7:59:57 PM PDT by C210N (When people fear government there is tyranny; when government fears people there is liberty)
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To: PieterCasparzen

I don’t think you understand how A convention of the states to propose Amendments to the Constitution works. It is not a Constitutional Convention. It does not rewrite the Constitution.

The Federal Reserve Legislation is not in the Constitution. It is simple Legislation.


12 posted on 03/25/2015 8:00:30 PM PDT by Jim from C-Town (The government is rarely benevolent, often malevolent and never benign!)
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To: Publius

Wonder where they got that number? We can’t get past the Senate President in Az otherwise I think we would be there.


13 posted on 03/25/2015 8:05:17 PM PDT by Nuc 1.1 (Nuc 1 Liberals aren't Patriots. Remember 1789!)
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To: Nuc 1.1

Ignorance. The article reads like it was written by a student.


14 posted on 03/25/2015 8:06:06 PM PDT by Publius ("Who is John Galt?" by Billthedrill and Publius now available at Amazon.)
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To: VitacoreVision
It seems the Birchers can almost be counted on to oppose any conservative cause or activity that promises success. I was once a member of the JBS, but one of the main reasons that I left was their opposition to Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign in 1976. Two years later, the Birchers opposed Proposition 13, the California property tax limitation initiative, and they remained cool toward Reagan throughout his presidency.

The New American, the magazine published by the Birchers, ran articles attacking Rush Limbaugh after he became a media star. Following the 1994 GOP landslide, it ran article after article attacking Newt Gingrich and his "Contract with America" platform. Conservative polemicist and publisher William F. Buckley was also long a target of the Birchers.

Why are the Birchers such naysayers?

15 posted on 03/25/2015 8:11:09 PM PDT by Fiji Hill
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To: Bogey78O
So, you think a couple of amendments are going to upset a 100 year old applecart?

How about simply repealing the 16th and 17th Amendments? Start the push. Keep it going.

The reasons the Government has become the leviathan are many, but chief among them is the reelection of those who distribute freebies to a significant proportion of the population using our tax money and a promise of generations yet unborn to pay off debt.

If enough people will vote for that, how are you going to put the brakes on that gravy train? How are you going to keep the coalition of gibsmedats and corporate welfare types from dominating the convention of States, too?

We have yet to fully rein in the GOPe in the electoral process, and they are only one part of the problem--the horde of progressives, communists, and parasites in the other party will have a hand in this, too.

The potential for hijacking by anti-Constitutional elements is tremendous, and the likelyhood for any positive results to be ignored or worked around equally great.

I'm sure Soros has been exposed to Uncle Remus at some point, and is familliar with the concept of "Please Br'er Fox, don' throw me in that briar patch!".

Just because he feigns opposition and the media alinsky the JBS by trying to pack the two in the same box doesn't mean Soros' opposition is real or that the two are somehow in alignment.

16 posted on 03/25/2015 8:14:05 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: ExCTCitizen

How did I know you would have a blank “about page” before I clicked on it?


17 posted on 03/25/2015 8:16:17 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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To: VitacoreVision

Soros is always wrong; so is 0bama. You can bank on it, no exceptions.


18 posted on 03/25/2015 8:18:39 PM PDT by grumpygresh (Democrats & GOPe delenda est. President zero gave us patient zero.)
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To: Jim from C-Town

Soros may never die. Satan is afraid Soros would lower the standard of morality in Hell.

And Soros has kids, at least one boy who shows all the signs of being fully indoctrinated against America, Christians, Jews, UK, Israel, Bible, moral values, etc., as near as I can tell reading about him. .... you might say, a sh... er, rather, a chip....off the old block.

Alas.


19 posted on 03/25/2015 8:22:09 PM PDT by faithhopecharity (Foolish people ... have eyes and see not)
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To: C210N
All this is very nice, but there are those in opposition to the principles of the founders who will bring their amendments to the table as well. There is an assumption around that Conservatives will somehow dominate the process, despite not even being able to get one political party to effectively align with Conservatives on a day to day basis.

Considering the political climate, what guarantees are there that the Amendements repealed won't be from the first ten (already savaged by legislation and executive agency regulations), instead of later or more favorable amendments?

20 posted on 03/25/2015 8:23:01 PM PDT by Smokin' Joe (How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing.)
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