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
Where does He say that we can't, or that we shouldn't?
Yes! Yes! Yes! I advocate "statism". Whatever that means. I'm sure it's a word. It's got "state" but without the "e" and "ism" so it must be an "ism". And I'm all for "ism"s.
Yes, I suppose I know what it means, though. You see, I am after your precious bodily fluids. You must keep them safe. In the safe with the duplicate key. And the strawberries. Musn't forget the strawberries.
I respectfully suggest that you are magnifying the differences and minimizing the similarities. I can think of a very big issue in which the Bush administration took the forefront, but it got very little notice.
UN taxation.
There was recently a conference at which UN taxation was discussed -- and rejected. The proponents put the blame on the US and on Bush by name.
But it didn't get much play in the press and I didn't see it on FR at all.
I also suggest that you focus too much on the presidency. The wars for the soul of the parties are won and lost in the Congress and state assembly races. When there are Congressional open seats and state assembly races, you can select candidates in the primary that mirror your views.
And sometimes you will lose. But in a single-district, first-past-the-post electoral system, alliances need to be made before the general election.
I do not feel impotent every time someone of my party disagrees with me, either in substance or tactics. I use them to enact my agenda, not the other way around.
Actually, I consider paying taxes a civic responsibility and a privilege. One can argue at the margins about it, but the radical proposals are in kooksville (and would considerably enrich me, at least in the short run). And most voters do. I know, you don't believe that. Whatever.
To do that, you have to win.
Also see Titus 3:1-2 and 1 Peter 2:13-17.
In fact it was just the opposite... Many many posters just assumed that Bush was for it just because they claimed they hadn't heard anything from the Bush administration...
A half-trillion a year is a bit high. However, in my opinion, Torie is correct about the fact that paying taxes is a civic responsibility. I would add to that by saying that the government has a responsibility to keep those taxes as low as possible and not waste my money.
First we gotta get folks in who want to pass tax cuts. After that, we can use the Dems' insistence that we "pay for" the tax cuts to knock out the waste.
Dear Mr. Oliver,
Thank you for your recent informative letter regarding your concerns about Republican control of both chambers of Congress.
I have voted as a Republican since registering in Michigan in 1978 and voted for Mr. Bush’s father in the 1980 Republican Michigan Primary (he won, and on that strength of winning a large northern state, became the Veep nominee).
I supported President Bush in the election with both my vote and funds to his campaign. My respect for how he’s handled our current war effort is great.
I regret to tell you I chose not to send funds to the Republican Party at this time due to what I find are poor positions regarding public safety with regard to our still porous borders and a failed immigration policy that still allows immigrants from reactionary Muslim states to continue to arrive as “students” or workers.
In addition, Mr. Bushes policy of special favor and tax dollar grants to the Mexican government whose poor team into my state sapping billions in services without a word from Republicans, has led me to my ultimate dismay with the party. I may choose to support the individual campaigns of Republicans, Libertarians, and Democrats, but I will never send your party another check. In the future when you check the voter registry in Santa Clara County, you might find me as an independent. I wish you well in an unlikely task.
Your (former) Base Member,
What happens if a president Hillary enacts such a thing while we wait for the electorate to "get it"?
Well, unlike the GOP, I've at least stayed true to my principles. At this point, I see no diffrerrnce between the Pubbies and the Dims, except for the speeds at which they're taking us over the cliff. I'm tired of holding my nose and voting for the lesser of two evils, and voting for one SOB over another, just because he's "our SOB".
Scouts Out! Cavalry Ho!
PBA is too nice a term for pulling a baby out of the womb and leaving the head in. Then when the arms and legs are wiggling, the baby is screaming and is about to suck in his first breath of air God created, a abomination from the pits of hell that calls itself a doctor sticks a metal rod in the babies head and murders it.
That single act is what defines our born again President in my eyes more then any other.
I would love to take a metal rod and bash in the head of any lowlife scumsucking muderer who calls hisself a doctor and does that to a defensless child of God.
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