BINGO
The 42nd Co-presidents of the USA
The 43rd Co-presidents of the USA
The 44th Co-Presidents of the USA
Posted on 05/26/2006 7:46:49 AM PDT by Reagan Man
For centuries monarchs defended the doctrine of the divine right of kings, a concept that vanished with the development of parliamentary systems limiting royal powers.
That doctrine is now being reasserted; this time by an heir to the parliamentary system—the U.S. Congress—whose leadership is up in arms over the FBI acting on a search warrant to enter the office of a member of the House caught taking a bribe.
Although evidence exists that Rep. William Jefferson (D.-La.) was accepting bribes, and had defied a legally issued subpoena—an action that led a federal judge to issue a warrant authorizing the FBI to search his office for the material—the royal members of the congressional leadership are ranting that the search has violated their alleged constitutional rights.
They base their contention on Article 1, Section 6 of the U.S. Constitution that states: “The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.”
Note that it makes no mention of any constitutional privilege extending to the offices of members, or granting them immunity to investigations of wrongdoing by agencies of the executive branch charged with the enforcement of laws.
In short there’s not a damned thing in the Constitution that states that the offices of members of congress are immune from lawful searches authorized by members of the judiciary.
To claim otherwise is simply arrogance, a characteristic now common to members of Congress, regrettably from both parties. It wasn’t just the Democrat leader in the House making the specious claims about the separation of powers. Standing with the pitiful Nancy Pelosi was the Republican Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, and GOP Senate leader Bill Frist.
Doesn’t Denny Hastert understand that he is being suckered by Pelosi? Doesn’t he recognize that by raising a ruckus about poor Rep. Jefferson being abused by the FBI he’s playing right into Pelosi’s hands by helping her transform Jefferson—evidently caught red-handed by the FBI of taking a $100,000 bribe—from a lawbreaker into a martyr persecuted by a GOP Justice Department?
Doesn’t he realize that he’s allowing the best defense the GOP has against Democrat charges that his party is nurturing a culture of corruption is the corruption of Democrats such as Jefferson? Is he blinded by the arrogance of power?
Arrogance, it seems, is contagious. We have Sen. John McCain, for example, haranguing his colleagues and members of his party about the outrageous immigration reform bill he and “Chappaquiddick” Teddy Kennedy are championing against the wishes of the majority of Republicans, and the 59 Republicans who voted a week ago to kill a bill that would have allowed offshore drilling for natural gas exploration in the midst of an energy crisis, and the eight Republicans voting to block an amendment that would have stopped illegal aliens from getting Social Security benefits they would receive as a result of having used false social security cards.
A minority of Republicans are making a majority of Republicans look like fools. Moreover, they have formed a majority by hooking up with the Democrats who want nothing more than to drive every single conservative Republican out of office.
The Senate majority is now a DemoRino majority—part Democrat and part RINO—Republicans In Name Only.
If this keeps up, a lot of Republicans are going to be job hunting after November. They are going to discover that it is not wise to go against the base that put them in office, and is up in arms over the flawed Senate immigration reform bill.
My Dad, Ronald Reagan, proclaimed the 11th Commandment—thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican. He couldn’t have foreseen what a minority of arrogant Republicans would someday do to his party. So, as his oldest son and conservative political heir, I feel entitled to now repeal the 11th Commandment.
BINGO
The 42nd Co-presidents of the USA
The 43rd Co-presidents of the USA
The 44th Co-Presidents of the USA
I have to quibble with the title; this was done with the full knowledge and support of the GOP "leadership", at least the portion not in the House of Representatives (they'll be added after the conference committee completes the sell-out).
Michael Reagan, those with the greater numbers rule the Senate (as long as they can avoid the filibuster) Like it or not, there are more Rino's+Democrats than conservatives. The Republican leadership lost control of nothing because they never had control. Instead, McCain and the gang of Rino's had the control all along.
No use crying over spilled milk or punishing the conservatives for the RINO's actions. What we can do is use the tools our system provides us and await the RINO crowd to come up for reelection and then beat them in the primaries with conservative candidates. Failing that, we sit out the elections where they are running. Better a wolf than a wolf in sheeps clothing.
Thus, I eagerly await 2008 so I can see the look on McCain's face when he doesn't get the nomination. Eagerly await when Lindsay Graham is up for reelection in a conservative state and pays a price for supporting McCain. But, I am not going to give up the ship just because it has been hijacked.
Check that; I skimmed right past the point where Michael wrote about Denny "I Quit" Hastert's attempts to become minority "leader".
I would have to differ slightly, in that only a majority of Republicans... can make a majority of Republicans look like fools. This is nothing being done to them- they are pulling out the pretty grenade pin all by themselves.
We had a right to expect that those champions of the conservative cause would have previously prepared and steeled themselves for the job that they willingly sought and campaigned for, and which was known to have been inevitable.
Now, it looks like they are all deer caught in the headlights... totally unprepared to go to the canvas.
An yet- who are we to blame when, here in Ohio, RINO Senator Dewine pulls 71% of the primary vote? Voters in other states have variously examined the mix of conservative and liberal republican candidates in their primaries, and made their choices accordingly.
By the evidence, it would seem that nominating truly conservative candidates would seem to be a bridge too far.
If we send these people to represent us... who do we blame?
Don't let this stuff keep you from supporting the conservatives we do have in the House and Senate. I say target The Whine and send the message, but don't stay home. That's exactly the wrong thing to do.
GOP Leaders Lose Control of Congress (Dems, RINOs exert more power than conservatives)
more evidence that we need a 3rd party. CAll it "Connection to the People's Party"
Platform
Domestic oil production and refining.
Reducing our imports of oil.
Close the borders and throw out the illegals.
Accept campaign contributions from the people and not big business and their lobby.
Protect and enforce the Constitution BY THE LETTER!
I think that those four issues, straightforward, will win dispite what critics and the current politicial machine throws at it.
Well put, from the sole remaining conservative in the Reagan family.
Kavanaugh - confirmed
Hayden - confirmed
ANWR - passed by the House
ROTFL!!!
The history of White House spokesman and W himself DEFAMING Reagan Conservatives as narrow-minded bigots...when they think they can get away with it... in this administration is simply beyond dispute. They would rather side with the Marxists in the Southern Poverty Law Center, and reiterate their phoney accusations.
To help maintain their protective camouflage as "conservatives" the White House will make a show of backing some conservative issues (but strangely do nothing about a lot of them), and give Lip-Service to safely-dead true conservatives at their funerals...
"Like it or not, there are more Rino's+Democrats than conservatives. The Republican leadership lost control of nothing because they never had control. Instead, McCain and the gang of Rino's had the control all along."
You are SO right, and I've believed this for a long time. The Republicans were never in the majority, and Feckless Frist was never the "majority leader". The RAT/RINO party IS the majority, led by Kennedy and McCain.
Helloooooo... FIVE YEARS OVERDUE.
Hayden - confirmed
So?! Porter Goss never should have been fired! [And my Congressman John Kline confirms that is precisely what happened...]
Negroponte should have been.
Now, by a lot of undenied reports, Hayden will be doing as Negroponte insists, and re-hiring some of the key Xlintonista RATs! OH, that'll really help our security.
NOT!
ANWR - passed by the House
It has before. It will be stopped by the RINOS and RATs in the Senate again.
The White House will not play hardball on this issue.
The only way the articles timing can be faulted is for being tardy. It would have been just as true in 2001. And the weakness of the leadership was so profound...they lost it to the RATS with jumping Jim Jeffords. Wusses.
And frankly a feckless White House. A seriously conservative White House would have long ago called for the internal party ouster of McCain and Specter. But the fact that they went the other way...
"A seriously conservative White House would have long ago called for the internal party ouster of McCain and Specter."
Oh, that it were so!
On the most important issue facing congress this year. Bush supported the Dems over the conservatives. If Bush brings pressure on the house to accept the senate's version than it will be official Bush is a Rino just like his father and no better than McCain or Specter.
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