They have sunk my hope..
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Posted on 03/29/2002 5:48:42 AM PST by oursacredhonor
I can no longer tolerate the GOP's disgraceful lack of principle and outright hypocrisy. I have therefore officially resigned from the Republican Party. Here's why.
Life is a balance scale of choices and few choices consist of all positive or all negative factors. Most are a combination that we must weigh and then make our choice.
Such is my case with the GOP. On the positive side, Bush brought personal morality back to the White House, has been an effective war time President and for now, has slowed the all out assault on the II Amendment. For this, I applaud him and his team.
However, the negative side of the Republican scale is heavily weighed down by serious failures to stand firm on principle, serious dereliction of duty and hypocrisy.
Although my voter registration card indicated Republican, I am much more of an independent Constitutionalist. I could have "un-registered" numerous times and aligned my voter card with my ideology but I just delayed getting around to it.
I delayed in 1995 when the GOP took control of Congress for the first time in 40 years and we heard bold promises of change. Despite the rhetoric about smaller government and replacing the income tax, government expanded and income taxes became even more complex!
I delayed resigning again when a Republican was elected president but look what happened.
A Republican education bill increased funding 11% for the unconstitutional Department of Indoctrination, a.k.a. Department of Education.
A Republican president signed the USA/Patriot Act after it passed the Senate 98-1, and the House 356-66, giving government the power to install the carnivore e-mail snooping system without a court warrant.
Under a Republican administration, airport security was federalized and Gestapo-like screening tactics implemented.
Bush told the world we would go after terrorists wherever they were, yet we pressure Israel for restraint in battling terrorism in their own backyard. That's tremendously hypocritical. Then on 14 March our Republican president committed 5 billion of your tax dollars to the war on global poverty—an international version of Lyndon Johnson socialism. The final burr under my saddle was the GOP disregard for the Constitution in two major ways: Ongoing failure to secure our borders and Campaign Finance Reform.
This Republican administration has failed to effectively enhance border security even after 9.11. Recently, it even prevented the National Guardsmen patrolling that border from being adequately armed because they wanted to avoid sending an "undiplomatic message" to Mexico and Canada. This violates government's constitutional duty to provide for the common defense and sending soldiers on a security mission unarmed is totally unforgivable!
Such neglect clearly says that America's security, even in light of 9.11, takes a back seat to the potential benefits gained from political pandering. That's dereliction of duty bordering on criminal negligence in my book.
Campaign Finance Reform passed both houses and Bush signed it even though it's "flawed in some areas" as he said.
Yes sir Mr. President it sure is flawed! Besides not complying with any of the principles you specified in a letter to Trent Lott, it clearly violates the Constitution you swore an oath to uphold. So why then did you sign it?
Our Constitution was clearly subordinated to political expediency and this "new tone" of yours. 'Politics over Principle' is standard operating procedure with the Democrats but it's also clear that's the theme and substance of this "new tone" as well. 'Go along to get along and to hell with the Constitution' is the same old tone we've seen in Washington for years Mr. President—there's nothing "new" here.
Despite how the Supreme Court may finally rule on Campaign Finance Reform or how our border situation ultimately turns out, when those sworn to uphold our Constitution can't be trusted to do so, it tells me a lot about them and we've been cautioned about such folks:
"If you can trust a man in little things, you can also trust him in greater; while anyone unjust in a slight matter is also unjust in greater." ~ Luke 16:10 ~
Although their rhetoric proclaims more freedom and less government, facts clearly show the GOP isn't really interested in standing firm in defense of and preserving America's constitutional principles—period. As most now realize about our major parties, the Republicans are nothing more than miniature Democrats. While the Democrats are clearly "SOCIALISTS", the Republicans are merely "socialists."
Don't take this as surrender or dropping out on my part. I'll remain decisively engaged and fight for the principles of colonial traditionalism through my writing. After all, I'm still 100% American and a son of my colonial forefathers. I'll just not be officially registered as a member of any party where principles and the Constitution are so easily ignored, blatantly stepped on and repeatedly compromised.
I can accept compromise on style [technique] but I can't accept compromise on principle and our Constitution is the very foundation of America's most basic principles.
As Thomas Jefferson put it, "In matters of style, swim with the current; in matters of principle, stand like a rock."
With extremely rare exception, the Republicans never stand like rocks on anything and are thus untrustworthy guardians of America's principles.
Personally, I don't care for any party, Republican or otherwise, where principle is negotiable, lip service is paid to the Constitution, sacred oaths are ignored, and America's security is bargained away. If that means I'm "party-less" and remain an independent irritant in the side of all politicos, so be it. As a "gun slinging columnist", that's probably as it should be anyway.
I've had my fill of disingenuous politicians, ulterior motives, incremental socialism, sacred duties neglected, constitutionality ignored and sworn oaths brushed aside.
The GOP has violated my trust for the last time. Since I will always choose Christ's teachings and Jefferson's wisdom over political hypocrisy and lack of principle, there is now one less Republican in camp.
Note: This isn't intended to persuade anyone to follow me out of camp. This is….
Just the view from my saddle…
The Colonel
DON'T TREAD ON ME
BTW, your argument about the party getting behind your candidate also doesn't fly, because you are insinuating that we all SHOULD get behind the vast majority of the our voters' choice; the reason Bush almost lost is because YOU ALL did not do what you are demanding that the party do: vote for the party's candidate. You all sat home because your guy didn't get the nod and Gore almost won.
I suppose you're proud to suppor UNpincipled candidates then?
Good work!
I am aware that the local party machinery has ties to the national party. Gosh, whodathunkit?
I'm also aware that a lot of "conservative activists" can't be bothered to work IN BETWEEN elections (everyone bitches about the 1995 GOP cave-in, but NOBODY in local "conservative" circles that I contacted in 1995 wanted to work a letter-writing campaign to support a hard line government shutdown--but they wanted to be at the head of the table when it came time to write the platform). It's called "sweat equity." Too many conservatives expect the party to defer to them in all things despite the fact that they're nowhere to be found in odd-numbered years.
And then I'm aware of conservative activists who decide that Candidate A, who won the primary, isn't ritually pure enough for their taste, so they violate the 11th Commandment and endorse Candidate B--a third-party fruitcake of long standing--just to split the vote so that the radical leftist Democrat wins. They then brag about doing that. It's why I'm FORMERLY with the local GOP--I got locked out because a couple of ex-friends pulled this stunt in 1996.
When conservatives learn how to (a) work as a team, (b) act in a mature and responsible manner when they only get 80% of what they want instead of 110%, and (c) generally grow the (expletive deleted) up, then they'll become leaders in the party. Unfortunately, from my experience, that will happen at roughly the same time pigs floss.
Once upon a time, only the most ferverent DU Clinton supporter would say such a thing.
How times have changed.
That is wrong. If you do not know it's wrong you are part of the reason we need a Constitutional literacy test as a prerequisite for voting.
A Republic if you can keep it.
Regards
J.R.
They have sunk my hope..
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Are you saying that because I don't agree with the Colonel that I'm unprincipled?
That might well be the GOP if they don't straighten out.
Did you type this with a straight face?
These threads remind of a Clinton mindset, like Clinton, the focus is on them.
Follow the crowd! Even if it is a red light, it is safe if we ALL cross.
Putting his hand on the Bible and talking about the Constitution while his wife stands by looking charming makes for a great photo op. Besides, all the other presidents got to do it....
Oh, surely you must be wrong. We all know any of the other candidates would have done a much better job than Bush, right? I have YET to understand how those people could govern when they have no mandate and/or experience, other than TV shows.
It seems pretty hard for some of the people around here to accept the fact that a lot of people didn't support their candidate, so the only thing they are left with to justify their support of said candidate is to assume that the rest of us are just dumb and don't care about the country as much as they do and we don't understand the Constitution and all that.
I guess that's what it takes for them to make it through the day.
What is astonishing is those who choose to vote for the "principled" candidates have never seen them in office. Perhaps they will disappoint as much as the so-called "unprincipled" candidates -- provided the unlikely event occurs that they acquire power.
Thank you for pointing out the error.
I will be sure to ping you NEXT WEEK when Rush decides this is a brillant move and hails the president. Rush WILL change his mind and you'll be left out there on that plank all by yourself.
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