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
It's all part of their strategy. You see, they have to get into a position of power first so that they can work for change. They are only acting like moderates and liberals to win the trust of the people. But once they get enough Republicans in office, BAM! (A little Emeril lingo there) They'll uncover their secret conservative plan to restore America and the Constitution. It's sheer genius! That's why most Republican politicians treat each term as a campaign for their re-election. They have to maintain power, otherwise all hope is lost. (I know your adversary Yoda spoke of another, but remember... this is reality.)
They take the same oath. It most certainly is the responsibility of everyone in Government to adhere to the Constitution. Passing the buck is not the answer.
Incidentally, the Court has always refused to intervene in questions of spending--such as foreign aid--usually on the basis that no one has standing to raise the issue. So it is up to the President and Congress not to spend money for purposes not authorized by the Constitution.
William Flax Return Of The Gods Web Site
Free Republic is an online gathering place for independent, grass-roots conservatism on the web. We're working to roll back decades of governmental largesse, to root out political fraud and corruption, and to champion causes which further conservatism in America.
This is why I am here, and I don't see Bush "working to roll back decades of governmental largesse". He's a big-government globalist just like his old man.
I'm glad this ahole is gone. Of course, this is all just for rhetorical effect. I doubt that my party will ever be rid of this jerk. Flipping out over an alleged 10% increase in education spending also shows just what a kook he really is. Ya, I know the folks in the Sierra hills fear and loathe immigrants. That is why they decamped there in the first place. That is just about the most bleached out part of California still extant.
You really seem into the "they" thing. Lot's of Bushies have had cordial debates on steel tariffs (they sucked), CFR (it sucked, which is a pity), the education bill (it ended up largely sucking), and other matters. Where are you been? Yes, I did notice that you were not involved.
FEAR has nothing to do with it. Beating DemocRATS at their own _game_ has everything to do with it.
The name of "the game" is to obtain and keep power. Without power (winning the next election) you can do nothing.
The DemocRATS know that. It's too bad so many naive Republicans don't. In their single-issue, myopic stupidy, they refuse to see the big picture or listen to savvy guys like Horowitz.
They'd rather cut their noses off to spite their faces. That's why the Republican Party is laughingly, and deservedly known as "The Stupid Party".
They'd rather sit home and pout in their self-righteous ignorance rather than stick together like the Marxist/DemocRATS do in order to hold on to power long enough to be able to get something done.
This is a representative republic / democracy, not a dictatorship (or a "theocracy" as some dictatorial "religious people" would just love to make it --- with them in charge). Minority opinion in the voting public doesn't carry the day. You want real, lasting change? Then majority public opinion (voter mentality) has to change.
Smart people like Horowitz, Limbaugh, O'Reilly, et.al, know that.
So did our Founding Fathers. They knew that the Republic they gave us would never last without the majority of the voters being informed, moral, and vigilant.
The majority of the voting population is uninformed, relativistic/amoral/immoral, and tuned-out.
As in most of the mainstream media, Bush's campaign speeches had to be geared to the 12 year-old attention span, interest and comprehension level in order to get the sheeple/FROGS/swing-voters to tune in and watch them. (Thats an even lower level than previous speech writers wrote for, which was the 14 year old level).
Since that is today's reality, what would your plan be for getting such glittering jewels of ignorance and superficiality (Marx called these mentalities his "useful idiots") to vote for you?
No, no, I'm a statist, remember?
Indeed I do, dude, - and you are. -- But of course you know that those who advocate 'big brother' state control, - are also authoritarians.
Goes with that form of mental aberration.
Libertarians certainly have no secrets, -- as you weirdos spend hours every day here proving, in detail, with your paranoid rants.
If memory serves yes there was, his name was John Anderson.
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