Vanity: Free Republic Priority One: Defending the Constitution

Free Republic | June 10, 2003 | Jim Robinson

[unspun]

The only thing I'm a little weary about is the recommending Atlas Shrugged as a top 25 while omitting The New American Bible. LOL.

Y-u-u-c-k

Well, 'if it ain't one thing, it's another....' I only hope that Morton is so familiar with The Book that he doesn't think of it as just a book. (But I'll join you in placing my hopes in the Author, frankly.)

[unspun]

I've tended to read the NIV most often, myself. ;-)

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Do the rats go down with the ship, too?

[unspun]

Please, now kindly refrain from bringing heavily to mind the grave perils of the one known as Merchant Seaman. We must try to sleep. For on the morrow, there is more of the same message to post on many boards....

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Who is Merchant Seaman?

[unspun]

Indeed

[TheRightGuy]

September
4 Grassroots GOTV Workshop
7-13 Campaign Leadership School

That's the one course I really want to take. Perhaps the Chicagoland Chapter would all chip in to sponsor my tuition?

I believe the guy who was trying to get them here was from Schaumberg and I can't remember his name. I have a vague recollection of getting his business card, but seem to have misplaced it (after a first-level search of my dungeon, anyhow).

[Copernicus]

Post 1775 the mobbed-up traitor, Roosevelt -- and his henchmen [While forcing through the measures that guaranteed the length and severity of the Roosevelt Depression] -- drove the wedge that effected conversion of Our Nation from a Constitutional Republic Ruled Of Law to a socialist state ruled by law and by men.

Wilson. Do not forget Woodrow Wilson. Wilson was the "Architect". FDR was the "General Contractor"

Best regards,

[unspun]

Yep, I'd say this is something that is best to share with ICRC folk, and perhaps another coalition that I think is out there, to get the numbers together.

It is a 'numbers game' afterall, this matter of representative democracy (if I can use the word democracy ;-).

If folks could find that guy who was trying to take names, so much the better.

[betty boop]

What went wrong? For one thing, the balance of power was upset with the ratification of the seventeenth amendment. This amendment allowed for the popular election of the Senators instead of having them appointed by the state legislatures. At first glance, this looks like it would be more democratic. In fact, it is. However, as we conservatives love to point out, our Founders did not establish a democracy, they established a Republic.

The Senate was originally created to be the body that would represent the interests of state governments. At the Founding, the states were regarded as sovereign with respect to all undelegated powers, and the Senate was there to represent state interests, not the people's interests, to make sure that there was yet another check on on the tendency of the federal government to encroach on the constitutional liberties of the several states, as states. The House of Representatives was to be the body where the interests of the people of the several states were directly represented.

The 17th Amendment destroyed state representation, and made still another "people's house," a constitutional redundancy that undermines the abilities of states to defend their own interests. Thus we see how our republic was twisted into a form approaching pure democracy. I totally agree with you that the Seventeenth Amendment should be repealed, direct election of Senators should stop, and we should revert back to the original constitutional design of election of senators by state legislatures.

As for the larger issue, it's more than just Democrats who are hostile to the Constitution. Most politicians of whatever party have a strong interest in expanding the powers of the federal state, and I can name many, if not most, Republicans who are fans of "big government," the bigger the better.

Of course, the Pubbies are vastly to be preferred to the Dims, if only because they'll kill you more slowly, and do it more cheaply.

If the people don't care about such things as maintaining the integrity of the Constitution and the rule of law, don't expect politicians to lead on this issue. In this "bread and circuses world" we live in, politicians don't lead. They mostly follow -- to get to wherever their own ambition wants to take them, however. Politicians haven't cared about the genuine interests of real people -- which the Constitution was designed to defend by constraining the reach of government -- in a long, long time).

The fundamental problem seems to be that the culture that made the Constitution possible in the first place is no longer the "public culture" of today. We can blame the politicians if we want to; but the fault lies with We the People. IMO. FWIW.

Great post, great topic, JimRob. Thank you!

[FBD]

"Ode to the Hilda-Beast", by FBD.

Sung To the tune of 'Clementine' :

An Arkansan, in the White House,
Working for the Red Chinese.
Lived a traitor, fornicator,
And his horrid Hilda-Beast

Chorus:
Oh, the horrid, oh the horrid,
Oh the horrid Hilda-Beast!
Slick is out, and gone forever
Dreadful horrid, Hilda-Beast

Lincoln bedroom was a sellout,
And the guests were from the East.
File boxes, without topses,
Scandals were for Hilda-Beast.
[Chorus]

Drove her Ratlings to Whitewater,
Now they all have done some time.
Put a bullet into Foster,
Fell into the foaming slime.
[Chorus]

Susan’s lips upon the Bent One,
Blowing Hubble’s Charlie Trie.
But alas, they wouldn’t speak out,
So they got some jail to see.
[Chorus]

Then the Liar, Fornicator,
Soon began to speak and whine.
Thought we oughta go to Bosnia,
Now he’s with his Valentine.
[Chorus]

There are graveyards in the south now,
Where the Friends of Bill are laid.
There grow Roses ‘mongst McDougal,
Prison was the price he paid.
[Chorus]

Now you Rats should learn the moral,
Of this little tale of sleaze.
Shredding all the Constitution,
Will not save your Hilda-Beast!

Chorus:
Oh, the horrid, oh, the horrid
Oh the horrid Hilda-Beast!
Slick is out and gone forever
Dreadful horrid, Hilda-Beast...

The End.
Thank you.

[cherry_bomb88]

Awesome FReep there, FBD!!!

[unspun]

Thank you.

Well, you're welcome!

[Jim Robinson]

Well stated. I agree with all you said about the 17th and the original intent, etc. I'm not near as negative on the Republicans as you are though. In any case, if we are to make any progress at all toward our goals, the Democrat Party must not be allowed to retake control of any branch of the government (IMHO).
Jim

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

I like George W. Bush, and after Iraq, I am tempted to vote for him. However, last year, he did perhaps the dumbest thing a president has ever done since the Alien and Sedition Acts of 1798: He signed Campaign Finance Reform, which can throw you in jail for up to five years simply for financing a political ad mentioning a candidate by name with soft money, which is an abridgement of freedom of peaceable assembly, if not an abridgement of the very speech that the founders meant to be covered by the First Amendment.

I can understand a lot of things Bush has done so far: The Patriot-in-Name-Only Act; Homeland Insecurity; The Iraq War (which I actually support); and various feints to the left. However, signing the Campaign Finance Reform bill is simply unforgiveable.

I sincerely hope that another, more conservative, Republican opts to run against Bush in the primary. That way we can peacefully overthrow the reign of Bush and conscientiously vote Republican in the 2004 election. And don't worry, I'll vote for Bush if he turns out to be the only candidate against the various liberal interests. However, if a Consitution Party candidate runs, and Bush winds his primaries, as he seems anointed to do, I will vote Constitution, and I will recommend that all other voters do the same.

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

And don't forget: the RINOs have no problem in goring Constitutional government with their liberal horns!

[Jim Robinson]

Your dreaming.

[k2blader]

Biggo bump.

[nanook]

While I agree with some of what you said, you are wrong about the Constitution Party. The are an inert party with no opinions on anything of importance that I have been able to find. They very seldom update their website. They have never answered any email that I have sent requesting information or ntheir standing on specific topics.

I agreee with Jim that we should maintain a strong Republican presence in congress and the Senate and work towards establishing a strong 3rd party to replace the DemonRats Party.

Liberterians are WAA WAA copouts who if they can't get what they want right away they won't play at all.

[Jim Robinson]

President Bush is the nominee and he will be re-elected, hopefully by a Reaganesque landslide, increasing the Republican majority in the House and Senate as well. It's time to clean house.