Coburn: Convention of States Needed Because Washington Will Never Fix Itself

cnsnews.com ^ | March 5, 2015 | Barbara Hollingsworth

[Article10]

I would rather the 17th amendment repealed first...use article V as leverage...

The organized liberal political machines on the state level will over ride any conservative agenda..

trust but verify. ..walk before running. I say this out of the fact conservatives cannot unify and time and again fail to organize to win on serious election matters...

[nathanbedford]

I do not understand your post. If the organized liberal political machines on the state level will override any conservative agenda, what advantage does it yield if we return the election of senators to state legislatures?

As to whether we should advance only an article 7 repeal as the purpose of the Article V movement, I think that emphasis would be misplaced. First, there are other more important amendments such as term limits, balanced budgets and review of regulations; second, repeal of the 17th amendment would not be popular, certainly not as relatively popular as term limits or balanced budget and to emphasize that reform to the exclusion of others would be to waste political energy; third, we only have so much political energy much of it will be expended in the first effort and that attempt should be done right, for a very popular cause, and one which has a good chance of working real reform.

I have often posted that I do not believe that state legislators are any more noble than federal legislators, only that they have a different set of motives for veniality which should work in favor of genuine reform for a time.

[nathanbedford]

I do not understand your post. If the organized liberal political machines on the state level will override any conservative agenda, what advantage does it yield if we return the election of senators to state legislatures?

As to whether we should advance only an article 7 repeal as the purpose of the Article V movement, I think that emphasis would be misplaced. First, there are other more important amendments such as term limits, balanced budgets and review of regulations; second, repeal of the 17th amendment would not be popular, certainly not as relatively popular as term limits or balanced budget and to emphasize that reform to the exclusion of others would be to waste political energy; third, we only have so much political energy much of it will be expended in the first effort and that attempt should be done right, for a very popular cause, and one which has a good chance of working real reform.

I have often posted that I do not believe that state legislators are any more noble than federal legislators, only that they have a different set of motives for veniality which should work in favor of genuine reform for a time.

[Hostage]

Repeating here an illustrative example of how the power of Article V can be unlocked by the States to restore federalism:

************************************************
AMENDMENT XXVIII

To redress the balance of powers between the federal government and the States and to restore effective suffrage of State Legislatures to Congress, the following amendment is proposed:

************************************************
Section 1.
A Senator in Congress shall be subject to recall by their respective state legislature or by voter referendum in their respective state.

Section 2.
Term limits for Senators in Congress shall be set by vote in their respective state legislatures but in no case shall be set less than twelve years nor more than eighteen years.

Section 3.
Upon a majority vote in three-fifths of state legislatures, specific federal statutes, federal court decisions and executive directives of any form shall be repealed and made void.
************************************************

If Section 1 above can be replaced with a repeal of the 17th, then that’s even better but it may be a hard sale. Section 1 above gets the job done by making US Senators pay attention to their State Legislators and at the same time requiring both to interact with the state voters.

I would strongly recommend the following must-see video of Mark Levin be watched, consumed and studied:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdZuV8JnvvA

And I would strongly recommend all to urge respective state senators and state representatives, and the people that work for them, to view it

[b4its2late]

This needs to happen NOW!

[b4its2late]

“The Republican Party is not the party of small government,” Coburn replied. “I’ve been in Washington for 16 years, when Republicans controlled Congress and the White House, when Democrats controlled Congress, and every combination in between. There is no difference. There’s no difference,” he emphasized.

Amen.

[ReaganGeneration2]

It’s my understanding that the states must send to the Article V convention only very specific amendments and topics to discuss and vote up or down. One of the topics that has been moving through some stares, to rein in the Feds, is a Balanced Budget amendment.

Getting all Levin’s amendments to be sent there, all at once, would be very difficult, but possible under the Constitution. Would take a lot of time.

[ReaganGeneration2]

Let’s hope this gets momentum. For those of you who want to see change, maybe this is where your talents should go.

KNOWN: Any freeper who spends time and/or money on any national GOP candidate is wasting his/her treasure.

[Article10]

Having watched multiple important elections at the state level the Liberals are way more organized on important issues. they will not be as organized or motivated if the 17th amendment is repealed. For a convention...they will be out in force...repeal of the 17th, the left will not understand as much, thus the chance to get it repealed.

Conservatives at least have a fighting chance state level for senators being appointed as the founding fathers intended.

Term limits will only produce a permanent class of bureaucracy much like the byzantine empire

Our Founding fathers knew history well

Repeal the 17th first...then ponder the 16th

[Whenifhow]

3:22 Minutes
Should We Have a Convention of the States? | Tom Coburn on “Dana”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPGyF6uNBLw

[charlie72]

“You have to wonder about people like Coburn.”

EXACTLY. Coburn was the leading Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee which refused to vet Obama, but made McCain jump through hoops. He has never explained nor apologized. BTW Hillary and Obama were on that same committee. Obama was even allowed to write the part about others once thought ineligible were actually eligible—a big lie. COBURN CANNOT BE TRUSTED.

[Jacquerie]

<> It’s my understanding that the states must send to the Article V convention only very specific amendments and topics to discuss and vote up or down<>

Actually, that isn't true. It is an American Bar Association construct totally detached from the Framers' Article V design. The ABA wrote that nonsense up almost fifty years ago to prevent the people and states from exercising their God-given and constitutional right to frame our government. The history of Article V is in six parts below.

Congress’ Present Duty to Call a Convention:

Part I
Part II
Part III
Part IV
Part V
Part VI

[Jacquerie]

That was good. Coburn is getting the word out. Now, if only a sitting senator . . . say Ted Cruz would get aboard, it would immediately take center stage in all media.

[ReaganGeneration2]

Thanks!

[LaRueLaDue]

Your last paragraph needs repeating:

Oh, and since Obama is a full-fledged tyrant, there is absolutely nothing to lose. We The People have a God and Constitutionally given right to frame our government. History will not look well upon an enslaved people who had the right power to restore freedom and did nothing about it.

So true, and so well stated. The way I view it is this: if the convention fails, or is somehow subverted, it will just hasten the revolution that will be coming if the overreach and lawlessness of the federal government is not contained and controlled.

[central_va]

A Constitution ignored is worse than no Constitution at all.

[Da Bilge Troll]

"I wonder which ones?"

There's a list here: Convention of States by the numbers

[Da Bilge Troll]

"I’ll need to read up on Article V."

A good place to start: Convention of States Project

[Baynative]

"I have often posted that I do not believe that state legislators are any more noble than federal legislators, only that they have a different set of motives for veniality which should work in favor of genuine reform for a time.

This is where "we the people" can make a difference and MUST become energetically involved. Read some history about significant battles of the revolution where rag tag groups of citizens stared down organized armies and their cannons. Then look at the turn defending liberty has taken in the 21st century.

The most effort put out by the majority of people is to forward a hand full of email jokes and cartoons to friends every week. When it comes to getting up and showing force against the tyranny of growing government most people shy away.

THAT IS WHY WE LOSE ...and they win. The Article V alternative can work to the benefit of the republic is, as Ben Franklin said: We care to keep it.

[papertyger]

This seems to be our last hope short of bloodshed.