Posted on 08/17/2002 12:31:38 PM PDT by Cato
by John McManus
During President’ George W. Bush’s climb to the White House, the Republican Party of Texas produced a series of comprehensive and hard-hitting platforms that he has either refused to endorse or has ignored. In 1998, for instance, Texas Republicans called for abolishing the EPA, ATF, HUD, the Department of Energy, and the IRS.
They urged the U.S. to quit the United Nations, repeal our nation’s entry into NAFTA and GATT(WTO), cease funding the IMF, and curtail all commitments to NATO. They also urged the U. S. House of Representatives to investigate thoroughly the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission to determine if these organizations “are promoting the establishment of a One-World government to the detriment of U. S. interests and sovereignty.”
Commenting on this 1998 blockbuster, the Houston Chronicle reported that then-Governor Bush discounted the recommendations of his fellow Texans. He claimed that “a platform is a statement of the delegates of the convention” and he “runs on his own agenda.”
Early in 1999, however, Hoover Institute fellow Arnold Beichman revealed that the Bush agenda was already being structured by a “brain trust” whose members included such Establishment luminaries as George Shultz, Condeezza Rice, Dick Cheney, and Paul Wolfowitz, each of whom held membership in the CFR. These providers of “advice and ideas”, said Beichman, had convened their “first session” with the future president in April 1998 and maintained close contacts with him throughout the next two years.
Presumably, none of the members of what Beichman termed “this all-star cast” would find comfort in the Texas Republican platform.
In 2000, the Texas Republicans repeated their demands with another hard-hitting platform, which would end the stranglehold over government possessed by the liberals and one-worlders of both parties. Mr. Bush didn’t even comment on it while he busily toured the nation touting his conservatism.
The hearty Texas GOP leaders met again in 2002, and, even though they issued a seemingly obligatory resolution commending Mr. Bush for his leadership in combating terrorism, they repeated most of their previous demands. In the preamble, they praised the system devised by our Founders who intended “to restrict the power of the federal government over the states and people.”
They reminded Congress that it can “impeach and remove federal judges” who abuse the Constitution; stated that the greatest threat to individual liberties “is overreaching government controls established under the guise of preventing terrorism”; and firmly opposed international entanglements such as “the Kyoto Agreement and the Biodiversity Treaty.” As before, the 2002 party officials urged state and federal government “to repeal Any and All laws that infringe on the right of individual citizens to keep and bear arms.”
Responding to newer national concerns, the Texas GOP platform called for arming pilots, defining marriage as “a God-ordained, legal and moral commitment only between a man and a woman,” barring the presentation of homosexuality as “an acceptable ‘alternative’ lifestyle,” respecting the sanctity of life “from conception to natural death,” phasing out Social Security, opening up ANWR for energy production, and resisting “the federalization and militarization of local police forces.”
Demonstrating an awareness of a little known provision of the U.S. Constitution, the Texans urged Congress, “as permitted in Article III of the Constitution, “ to remove jurisdiction of the federal judiciary on the matter of homosexuals in military service. They further recommended excluding “women from combat roles” and the right of service personnel to be free of requirements to “wear any item of uniform, other than that of the United States,” or “serve in any capacity under an officer of the United Nations or any other foreign state.”
Addressing the most important issue facing fellow Americans, the Texas GOPers claimed that “it is in the best interests of the citizens of the United States that we immediately rescind our membership in, as well we financial and military contributions to, the United Nations.” Their platform explicitly urged Congress to pass Rep. Ron Paul’s H.R. 1146, the American Sovereignty Restoration Act of 2001.
They formally requested their two U.S. senators “to unalterably oppose any agreement or treaty that seeks to establish an International Criminal Court,” and they expressed staunch opposition to UN control of U.S. “land or natural resources,” using Presidential E.O.s to implement UN treaties,” and “any attempt by the federal government, or the UN, to directly or indirectly tax United States citizens for UN support.” The portion of their 23-page platform dealing with the UN concluded:
It is extremely encouraging that the Republican leaders of our nation’s second largest state have taken such sound positions.
Hopefully GOP leaders in other states will do likewise.
CATO
It didn't do one bit of good. Might as well have been trying to teach a rock to roll over. That's why "Baby Bush" don't amount to a gnat's nuts in my neck of the woods.
Boonie Rat
MACV SOCOM, PhuBai/Hue '65-'66
Even this?
They also urged the U. S. House of Representatives to investigate thoroughly the Council on Foreign Relations and the Trilateral Commission to determine if these organizations “are promoting the establishment of a One-World government to the detriment of U. S. interests and sovereignty.”
This is nutty, Birchite stuff, but, then this article IS from THE NEW AMERICAN.
You must live in inner city Houston, then, because Bush is pretty popular around the rest of Texas.
Thanks for your service, but your survey of the political landscape kinda sucks.
Meet every so often and have lunch.
Oh, and they talk about you behind your back.
To their credit, they have organized and made sure that their delegates were elected at the precincts around the state. The platform they have written does not represent the general opinion of Republicans in Texas, and most politicians in the state ignore it and try to distance themselves from it.
This is better than a platform which espouses leftist garbage, but it's not terribly helpful, either.
but for their own big government adgenda.
so many good folks have pledged their support and their after-tax dollars to further their agenda.....
only to be smacked full in the face by the reality that the gop at the national level has sold them out.
Vote Libertarian, Vote Constitution, Vote America First,
keep what little money you have left after the government takes their half
Don't look back, and never go back, they don't deserve your vote or your money.
This is better than a platform which espouses leftist garbage, but it's not terribly helpful, either.
B I N G O !
Far too tactful for me, but about right for a lawyer!
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