Conservatives: Reset Your Course

Human Events ^ | Posted Jan 23, 2004 | Rep. Mike Pence

[Federalist 78]

The Decline of a Nation

A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largess out of the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidate promising the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy always followed by dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations has been 200 years. These nations have progressed through the following sequence: From bondage to spiritual faith, from spiritual faith to great courage, from courage to liberty, from liberty to abundance, from abundance to selfishness, from selfishness to complacency, from complacency to apathy, from apathy to dependency, and from dependency back into bondage."

Are the American people determined they still wish to have a Constitutional Republic

Q. Sir, on May 6th, on the floor of the house you asked the question: "Are the American people determined they still wish to have a Constitutional Republic." How would you answer that question, Sir?

A. A growing number of Americans want it, but a minority, and that is why we are losing this fight in Washington at the moment. That isn't as discouraging as it sounds, because if you had asked me that in 1976 when I first came to Washington, I would have said there were a lot fewer who wanted it then. We have drifted along and, although we have still enjoyed a lot of prosperity in the last twenty-five years, we have further undermined the principles of the Constitution and private property market economy. Therefore, I think we have to continue to do what we are doing to get a larger number. But if we took a vote in this country and told them what it meant to live in a Constitutional Republic and what it would mean if you had a Congress dedicated to the Constitution they would probably reject it. It reminds me of a statement by Walter Williams when he said that if you had two candidates for office, one running on the programs of Stalin and the other running on the programs of Jefferson the American people would probably vote for the candidate who represented the programs of Stalin. If you didn't put the name on it and just looked at the programs, they would say, Oh yeah, we believe in national health care and we believe in free education for everybody and we believe we should have gun control. Therefore, the majority of the people would probably reject Thomas Jefferson. So that describes the difficulty, but then again, we have to look at some of the positive things which means that we just need more people dedicated to the rule of law. Otherwise, there will be nothing left here within a short time.

 

The President can veto. Congress can override by a two thirds vote of each house and Congress can Impeach/Remove.

Has the Republican in Chief vetoed anything? Has the Republican controlled Congress attempted to Impeach the Republican in Chief?

Proposal: Vote for an Independent President. If voting for an Independent results in a Democrat in Chief, wouldn't a Republican Congress Impeach/Remove him when he strays too far? Or would they just go along; proving that the GOP tent is big enough to accommodate the remainder of the DNC?

Will the conservative base continue to "lie back and enjoy it" or put Principle Before Party?

In 1990 Clayton Williams was the Republican candidate for governor in the state of Texas. He was locked in a tight race with Democrat Ann Richards but seemed to be gaining momentum in the final weeks of the campaign. Then it happened. The brash millionaire opened his mouth and inserted his foot up all the way up to his knee.

Hoping to curry favor with the press, Williams invited several reporters for some informal "off the record" time at his ranch. In casual conversation, the subject of the weather came up. Williams could not resist the temptation to play meteorologist and commented that bad weather is sort of like rape: "as long as it's inevitable, you might as well lie back and enjoy it."

Compare the goals of Free Republic to The Bush Record and then to anyone of these:

1. Welcome to the Constitution Party National Internet Headquarters
2. America First Party
3. American Patriot Party Website Home

[Little Bill]

Congress is the problem, remove the benefits to serve, pensions, exemptions from socalist security, medical care, and pay. In other words let them suffer as other citizens suffer under the yoke of the time servers.

[jimkress]

BUMP!

[ex-snook]

Hey Washington has a Conservative President, Senate and House, what conservative legislation has been enacted? Just a mere half-dozen would be helpful.

[GSWarrior]

That quote from Alexander Tyler always depresses me. It's coming true. I'd say we are somewhere near the "apathy to dependency" stage.

[spodefly]

BTTT

[arrow107]

BUMP

[WOSG]

UH the Senate surely doesnt have a Conservative majority.
And the President is only somewhat Conservative, pushing big Govt "compassion" items.

I'd saw our most conservative institution is the House, only because DeLay and Hastert can pull together and make conservative bills happen.

So for example, the House can put ANWR into an energy bill ... but overall, even though the energy has some good stuff, it has way too much pork to be called 'conservative'.

The 6 conservative things last year were:
1. Tax cut in may 2003.
2. Partial birth abortion ban in november 2003.
3. Getting some conservative judges approved.
rest is minor-league:
4. bills on fast-track trade agreements.
5. supporting our military in Iraq.
6. fixed the policies on forest fires.
7. Work rule relaxation in the (non-conservative) omnibus spending ... medical savings acounts in non-conservative medicare bill.
etc.

[Poohbah]

If voting for an Independent results in a Democrat in Chief, wouldn't a Republican Congress Impeach/Remove him when he strays too far?

Were you hiding under a rock in 1999?

[lodwick]

bttt

[ex-snook]

Hey thanks for your [conservative legislation??]

"The 6 conservative things last year were: 1. Tax cut in may 2003. 2. Partial birth abortion ban in november 2003. 3. Getting some conservative judges approved. rest is minor-league: 4. bills on fast-track trade agreements. 5. supporting our military in Iraq. 6. fixed the policies on forest fires. 7. Work rule relaxation in the (non-conservative) omnibus spending ... medical savings acounts in non-conservative medicare bill. etc.

Will agree with #2. #1 Tax cuts are not conservative, reducing size of government is. #3 is not legislation. The rest are 4 - 7 are joint with Democrats.

[George W. Bush]

It was the "No Child Left Behind Act": The largest expansion of the Department of Education since President Carter created it. About 30 House conservatives fought against the bill, but we were soundly defeated by our own colleagues.

And every conservative education activist in the country knows exactly how he feels. Right up to the part where Bush is scribbling away with Teddy Kennedy hovering over him, making sure he spells his name right.

I knew I shouldn't have read this thread. Blood pressure at 800/500 now.

[skeeter]

The time has come for conservatives to retake the helm of this movement and renew our commitment to fiscal discipline and to what we know to be true about the nature of government: Conservatives know that government that governs least governs best.

The story at the end about Reagan brings tears to my eyes. I remember those times. What happened?

[ovrtaxt]

I have a dream.

That the Democrat party will continue it's slide into bitter irrelevancy, as more and more of it's constituents will refuse to be viewed as obedient slaves.

That the Republican party will receive a high voltage shock at it's very core, as more and more of it's constituents realize that they are being taken for granted.

That a new force will emerge, made up of individuals who are jealous for liberty, suspicious of anyone who weilds power, violent in their passion for freedom, and held together by a united love of the Constitution.

Let the political animals rot.

[bvw]

As long as fiat money works I do not think big-govenrment-osis can be checked. (Not that I think fiat can work much longer, but I wonder how long "much longer" is. It could be more than a lifetime.)

[Tamzee]

The 6 conservative things last year were:

I have another to add to your list.... I consider this one a biggie.

The left half of the U.S., our enemies abroad, some significant "allies" abroad, present Democrat members of Congress, even past U.S. Presidents and every Socialist and Communist entity around the world tried to use Iraq to force America into being permanently crippled and subservient to the U.N.

When the game went high-stakes and our country had blood pouring down its back from all the knives embedded there by Americans and "friends"... Bush saluted our flag with one hand and flipped them all the bird with the other.

[jim35]

Tamsey, you're right on about the U.N. So convenient that the Bush bashers just leave that out entirely.

[Tamzee]

It never occurred to me that America's future as a free country was in question, even when we were attacked on 9/11. We could survive any cowardly terrorist action and even if I died during a bombing or attack, my children would of course enjoy a strong and secure liberty.

Last spring I realized that our future was NOT guaranteed and our defeat would probably come from "diplomacy" with socialists and not nukes. This diplomacy can only kill the country if we have a leftist at the helm to bare her throat to our enemies.

Now THAT scares me....

[hripka]

FROM http://www.freerepublic.com/~mo1/

2 posted on 08/31/2003 8:52 PM EDT by Southack (Media bias means that Castro won't be punished for Cuban war crimes against Black Angolans in Africa)

President Bush - First 30 Months Presidency of George W. Bush --the first 30 months

Killed the Kyoto Global Warming Treaty.

Killed U.S. involvement in the International Criminal Court.

Killed the U.S. - CCCP ABM Treaty that was preventing the U.S. from deploying our ABM defenses.

Reversed Clinton's move to strike Reagan's anti-abortion Mexico Policy.

Killed Clinton's CO2 rules that were choking off all of the electricity surplus to California.

Killed Clinton's "ergonomic" rules that OSHA was about to implement; rules that would have shut down every home business in America.

Passed 2 tax cuts----1 of which was the largest Dollar value tax cut in history

Pushed through TWO raises for our military.

Increased Defense Dept funding which had deteriorated during the previous 8 years

Signed TWO bills into law that arm our pilots with handguns in the cockpit

Currently pushing for full immunity from lawsuits for our national gun manufacturers.

Ordered Attorney-General Ashcroft to formally notify the Supreme Court that the OFFICIAL U.S. government position on the 2nd Amendment is that it supports INDIVIDUAL rights to own firearms, NOT a leftist-imagined *collective* right.

Successfully executed 2 wars: Afghanistan and Iraq. 50 million people who had lived under tyrannical regimes now live in freedom.

Changed the tone in the White House, restoring HONOR and DIGNITY to the Presidency

Reorganized bureaucracy...after 9/11, condensed 20+ overlapping agencies and their intelligence sectors into one agency: the Department of Homeland Security.

Initiated discussion on Social security and individual investment accounts.

Improving govt. efficiency with .8 million jobs put up for bid...weakening unions and cutting undeserved pay raises. Wants merit based promotions/raises only.

Executed a WAR ON TERROR by getting world-wide cooperation to track funds/terrorists (has cut off much of the terrorist's funding and captured or killed many key leaders of the al Qaeda network)

Stopped foreign aid that would be used to fund abortions.

Supported and upheld the ban on abortions at military hospitals

Signed E.O. reversing Clinton policy of not requiring parental consent under the Medical Privacy Act

Told the United Nations we weren't interested in their plans for gun control.

Set to sign Partial Birth Abortion Ban

Orchestrated Republican control of the White House, the House AND the Senate.

Killed the liberal ABA's role in vetting federal judges for Congress.

GWB signed an executive order enforcing the Supreme Court's Beck decision (re: union dues being used for political campaigns against individual's wishes)

Brought back our EP-3 intel plane and crew from China without any bribes or bloodshed

Started withdrawing our troops from Bosnia and has announced withdrawal of our troops from Germany and the Korean DMZ.

Signed the LARGEST nuclear arms reduction in world history with Russia

Initiated comprehensive review of our military, which was completed just prior to 9/11/01, accurately reported that ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE was critical.

Has CONSTRUCTION in process on the first ten ABM silos in Alaska, so that America will have a defense against North Korean nukes

Turning around an inherited economy in recession.

Passed tough new laws to hold corporate criminals to account as a result of corporate scandals.

Reduced taxes on dividends and capital gains

In process of eliminating IRS marriage penalty.

Increased small business incentives to expand and to hire new people

Signed into law the No Child Left Behind legislation delivering the most dramatic education reforms in a generation (challenging the soft bigotry of low expectations)

Reorganized the INS in an attempt to safeguard the borders and ports of America and to eliminate bureaucratic redundancies and lack of accountability.

Signed trade promotion authority

Committed US funds to purchase medicine for millions of men and women and children now suffering with AIDS in Africa

Urging Medicare Reform

Urging federal liability reform to eliminate frivolous lawsuits

Supports class action reform bill which limits lawyer fees so that more settlement money goes to victims

Submitted comprehensive energy plan--awaits Congressional action (works to develop cleaner technology, produce more natural gas here at home, make America less dependent on foreign sources of energy, improve national grid, etc.)

Endorses and promotes The Responsibility Era ("In a compassionate society, people respect one another and take responsibility for the decisions they make in life. My hope is to change the culture from one that has said, if it feels good, do it; if you've got a problem, blame somebody else -- to one in which every single American understands that he or she are responsible for the decisions that you make; you're responsible for loving your children with all your heart and all your soul; you're responsible for being involved with the quality of the education of your children; you're responsible for making sure the community in which you live is safe; you're responsible for loving your neighbor, just like you would like to be loved yourself. " -----this quote was too good to leave out)

Started the USA Freedom Corps

Pushing for privatization of Medicare and CHOICES based on current Federal Employee Health benefits program.

Initiated review of all federal agencies with a goal to eliminate federal jobs (review to be done by September 2003) in an effort to reduce the size of federal gov while increasing private sector jobs.

Part of coalition (Russia, Israel, Palestine, USA) for Israeli/Palestinian "Roadmap to Peace"

Challenged the United Nations to live up to their responsibilities and not become The League of Nations ( in other words, completely irrelevant)

Nominated strong, conservative judges to the judiciary.

Changed parts of the Forestry Management Act to allow necessary clean-up of the national forests in order to reduce fire danger.

As part of the national forests clean-up, the President restricted judicial challenges (based on the Endangered Species Act and other challenges) and removed the need for an EIS (Environmental Impact Statement) before removing fuels/logging to reduce fire danger.

Significantly eased field-testing controls of genetically engineered crops.

President Bush signed the workplace verification bill to prevent hiring of illegal Aliens S. 1685, the Basic Pilot Extension Act of 2003, was signed by President Bush on December 3, 2003. It extends for five years the workplace employment eligibility authorization pilot programs created in 1996. It expands the pilot programs from the original five states to all 50 states.