Posted on 02/22/2009 12:07:49 AM PST by Syncro
Jim DeMint's gentlemanly air and refined tone belie a power and an urgency in his words.
The stately senator from South Carolina sees America's unique centuries-old system of freedom dying out.
And he thinks we may have to take to the streets to save it.
"I would think it's time to start thinking about peaceful demonstrations," he told us last week.
Seriously?
"Seriously.
"The power of the people is there. Freedom is in the people's hands right now, and it's about to slip through."
Of course, the recent "stimulus" debate is what's fresh on DeMint's mind. Despite DeMint's putting 15 aides on it overnight, no one in Washington was able to read the bill, which was the most expensive in American history -- as well as being perhaps the most irresponsible.
The worst since the adoption of the income tax, DeMint figures.
It's not just the amount of money involved, some $780 billion -- although that, alone, is corrosive enough to American freedom. "I've seen it happen inside government agencies: 'What can we do to get it spent?' It's the only way (the agencies can get money)," DeMint says. "I see that happen in Afghanistan and Iraq, where our aid programs are basically based on people being able to spend the money within a certain period of time so we can say we did something. And it just leads to a bunch of waste."
Perhaps even worse than the money is the strings that come with it. It's the growth of the federal government's reach and influence too. The "stimulus" bill has increased the federal role in, among other things, education -- and gets the government's nose fully in the tent of private medical decisions.
The slab has been poured underneath what some want to become nationalized health care.
"Your medical treatments will be tracked electronically by a federal system," writes Betsy McCaughey, adjunct senior fellow at the Hudson Institute. "Having electronic medical records at your fingertips, easily transferred to a hospital, is beneficial. It will help avoid duplicate tests and errors.
"But the bill goes further. One new bureaucracy, the National Coordinator of Health Information Technology, will monitor treatments to make sure your doctor is doing what the federal government deems appropriate and cost effective. The goal is to reduce costs and 'guide' your doctor's decisions."
In short, rationing.
In truth, the leviathan that is the stimulus bill is just the most recent in a chain of actions by an aristocratic and arrogant Washington that is eroding our freedoms.
With our tacit permission.
"The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism," American socialist Norman Thomas famously once said, "but under the name of liberalism they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program until one day America will be a socialist nation without ever knowing how it happened."
DeMint sees it -- from a front-row seat in the U.S. Senate.
"We're being drawn in with a lot of promises -- and the fact that so many people are already dependent on the government and so few actually pay taxes," DeMint says.
Sadly, DeMint saw that dependence in full bloom -- in the faces of South Carolina leaders who tried to twist his arm to vote for the stimulus bill to get their own goodies.
"Just about everybody who came in my office, even the mayors from all over the state, they would usually say, 'DeMint, I agree with you -- this is a bad bill. But it's got this in here for us, and we want our piece.'"
Historically, the federal government has been about 18 percent of the gross domestic product. By next year, it could grow to nearly 40 percent, according to Newsweek .
"The late sociologist Seymour Lipset," writes National Review editor Rich Lowry, "wrote a brilliant book on why the U.S. didn't embrace socialism, called It Didn't Happen Here. In a few years, its conclusion might look premature."
DeMint is hopeful -- but not when he looks around Capitol Hill.
"I've become increasingly aware that the thoughtful, well-informed leaders are very few and far between in the Congress -- people who seem to be well-read and continuing to kind of grow their skills. It's become rhetorical and political ..."
Instead, DeMint is looking to the people -- where he still sees a "remnant" of freedom-loving still stirring.
Only a remnant?
"That's all it is," he concludes. "But that's all it takes.
"Freedom is in our hands; it always has been. We've entrusted it to people in Washington, and increasingly they have picked our pockets and pulled power from us. We're just going to have to take it back.
"The real shame of all this is, I feel Republicans had said that we were going to carry that banner of freedom -- and they completely betrayed that. And it's going to be hard to get it back."
But with all except three Republicans in Congress voting against the stimulus bill, perhaps getting that banner back has started. There are a few rising conservative stars on the national scene, including Reps. Jeff Flake of Arizona, Jeb Hensarling of Texas and Mike Pence of Indiana.
Still, DeMint says star power isn't what we need. "I think what we need to look for first is to find the principles that will bring us together. I'm not looking for a face right now."
Continued below.
The founders clung to the Word of God in their fight against the tyrranical rule of Britain. Of course the lying liberal historical revisionists never mention this part. Like our founders we stand on God's Word as the standard! Amen brothers and sisters!
Yes, he does. Too bad some of us didn't listen to him when it counted. We might have had Romney/DeMint right now instead of this Obamanation.
"I believe that he is exactly the leader America needs to secure our future. Americans are tired of the same old ideas that keep coming out of Washington. They are hungry for a leader who will draw on America’s strength. I would like Governor Romney to know that key Republicans like you want him to run for President." ("Jim DeMint's Letter Endorsing Mitt Romney," Human Events, 1/09/2007); (Listen to Romney for President featuring Sen. DeMint: "Stop Spending")
________________
I hope people listen to him now.
How about April 15th? Would the Fair Tax people be interested?”
Now your talking! April 15th would be perfect and an easy target day to remember and to rally around.
We true patriots will do as our founders did....raise the standard of God's Word...and we have the US Constitution and our founders quotes as well. Let's defeat these liberal leeches who would destroy the Republic.
And when it comes to presidential primaries we need to move the southern one’s up with the blue states that are running the show and picking the nominees for us.
If he is indeed this accurate then we will merely be reaping what we sowed as a nation. Such events are allowed by the one true God as a consequence of our human actions so our responses should reflect this. As a result I will urge my family and friends to respond in a Christ-like manner - and attempt to do so myself. With true compassion and living out Christ’s teachings we will overcome this event. Being only 40 years of age however, it is sad to see the nation I once loved disappear. Yet it is equally as invigorating to know we have been given the opportunity to be a positive force during this time.
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Sorry, the Prison Planet is garbage.
Sometimes there are not enough matches to go around...
I only have one match...I gave out all the others...
Don’t dring the kool-aid.
Careful what you wish for about the con con.
Once called for it can not be stopped and the Constitution will be destroyed. Freedom will die instantly. Here’s why:
the governors of the states will select the delegates to the con con.
Most of the governors in this country are Democrats, who do you think they will select for the Constitutional Convention?
Stop the agitation for a Constitutional Convention until the Governors of at 45 states are committed conservatives.
Unless of course you are trying to destroy freedom.
Careful what you wish for about the con con.
Once called for it can not be stopped and the Constitution will be destroyed. Freedom will die instantly. Here’s why:
the governors of the states will select the delegates to the con con.
Most of the governors in this country are Democrats, who do you think they will select for the Constitutional Convention?
Stop the agitation for a Constitutional Convention until the Governors of at 45 states are committed conservatives.
Unless of course you are trying to destroy freedom.
On most issues DeMint is though.
So, where do we go to also protest Bush’s Big Banker Bailout? Where do we protest the massive prescription medicine welfare plan enacted under Bush? If we have ANY hope of fixing this fast sprint into the socialist morass, we have to oppose ALL socialist programs, not just the ones that the Democrats are promoting. We have to hold Democrats and Republicans alike responsible - hold all their feet to the fire. It seems that the only time that the Republican party opposes government expansion and socialist welfare programs is when the Democrats are in power. How about they start opposing it ALL the time, not just when they think they can use it as a political baseball bat with which to bludgeon the Democrats in power.
Action Ping!
Where the heck was he in 08?
Something just didn't add up in this last election. I hate to sound like a conspiracy monger, but we had so many viable conservative candidates and who comes poppin outta the pipe at the very end?
You guessed it.....the Maverick for change, John McCain.
What a losing campaign he ran, almost as if he intended to crater. Who knows?
Then just like Bush with Clinton right after the election......McCain goes snugglin right on up to President Barry.
Somethings rotten and it ain't in Denmark.
Thanks for the ping. I’m glad to see resistance increasing, but I’m not sure we can stop what is happening.
“Time to hit the streets to defend our Liberty!! Don’t let it die!!”
Count me in.
I’ve been blessed with being a constituent and campaigner for the late Senator Jesse Helms in NC, and I’m now a supporter for Senator Jim DeMint in SC. I think he’s telling the truth when he says he’s not looking for a face on the movement right now — his or anyone elses. I love Sarah Palin, but if DeMint were to run, I doubt I could vote against him.
Of course, this assumes we’ll have elections in 2012! I think it’s likely, but the possibility exists that we won’t, or if we do, they won’t matter (The census in the White House will allow Dems to Gerrymander themselves a PERMANENT majority and governing bloc).
It’s time for Patriot’s to move, to do SOMETHING. Support the State SOvereignty movement, stand up AND speak up! Demonstrate, call the folks in Washington, write letters to the editor, protest — if necessary, civil disobedience. Perhaps that could prevent much more severe and less peaceful eventualities...
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