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
I hear the Libertarians always need new people to help 'em chase Druids, Illuminatis, and flying saucers!
Is my understanding correct?
"You have just been waiting to do this stunt. "
Good call Grampa Dave. This is obviously just an excuse to rant for someone who wasn't really a Republican at all.
But since he is/was a registered Republican, but not really a Republican, does this mean that he is/was a RINO?
If all conservatives who are disallusioned with some aspects of the current Republican Party follow the Colonal's lead, President Gore, Senate Majority Leader Daschle and Speaker Gephardt will pack the Supreme Court with Ruth Buzzy Ginsburgs galore and the top marginal tax rate will hit 60% or higher. The havoc that would be inflicted on this nation would be incalculable.
Can you imagine a nation in which Wellstone, Boxer, and Hillary wield unrivaled power?
I don't have to reiterate, that you're far more principled than the people are who say those things. You, Colonel, you have your own identity. People like those others have to peg theirs on something as petty as collective might. On their own, they are spiritually impotent.
I've seen a lot of ugliness coming out of the "Bush-backers"/pro-GOP camp the past few weeks. There's a lot of rabid dogs from that lot here on FR... but this past week especially, I've realized that they are as misguided as the Clinton gang. They don't want to serve, they only lust for power. They can't tolerate anyone calling them on it either, or anyone who'll publicly opt out. That might reveal them to be as naked as they are: so dependent on a figurehead or a "party" for their clothing. Strip that away and they've nothing.
You don't have to worry about what they, or anyone else thinks, for that matter. You're taking a stand for what's right, not for what's convenient.
Though some people here can't stand on their own, at all.
In a direct democracy, principle is easy to maintain -- simply vote for provisions of which you approve and vote against those of which you disapprove. But in a representative republic, this is not the case. Power is wielded by elected representatives of the people and those they appoint.
And there's the rub. For whom one votes is irrelevant, it is who is elected that matters. And that is all that matters. Those who have power can wield it. Those who do not have power are impotent. Most importantly, those who want power will imitate those who do, in an effort to acquire it.
One can cast one's vote as a form of protest, that is sure. But it is less effective even than posting a silly essay on an internet forum. It is possible that this protest vote, or a non-vote, will result in the election of someone who wholly disagrees with your agenda. If you consider it a victory, that is your prerogative. But future candidates will not prostrate themselves to accomodate a fickle and malcontented few. They will attempt to attract the masses who voted for the victor.
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 unprincipled candidates -- provided the unlikely event occurs that they acquire power.
But there is an even more astounding phenomenon. There are those who advocate the election of their enemies for the express purpose of hoping for the eventual anger of the populace. Communists are known for waiting for revolution. For them it works because they anticipate wholesale chaos, which leads to desire for a strong, dictatorial regime.
For freedom-lovers, one must presume that the desire of these demi-revolutionaries is that eventually the electorate will choose freedom-loving candidates after having been exposed to the alternative. History has proven that this is not the case. First, the American electorate rarely turns on a dime. It is a slow process that has its fits and starts. Second, socialism has been observed to be like the pot of water that slowly boils the lobster. Eventually, the water is replaced with melted butter.
Disapprove of policies if you like. Shout and scream if you must. Persuade if you are able. But the stomping of feet, the holding of breath, the name-calling and taking your ball and going home undermines your case. Furthermore, the juvenile nature of such diminishes us all.
Don't tell me about the local level; I'm it; I gave the maximum every time I could, and so did the rest of my family. And I did it because I LIKED George W. Bush, not because of some grand conspiracy to further the agenda of Poppy Bush.
All the money in the world would never have elected Pat Buchanan or Steve Forbes; the GRASS ROOTS didn't like them; whether you like it or not, Bush gave the people in the party hope and they voted for him for that reason.
If you need to tell yourself it's all a big plot, go right ahead, but sooner or later, you have to face the fact that an unelectable candidate is just that, unelectable, and a conservative with no office is of NO USE to anybody. As an example, I give you Bob Dole: the party WAS behind him; the problem was, nobody thought he could do the job; and that's what is all boils down to; who the people think can get the job done. And this time the people thought it was George W. Bush.
And your argument about "if the party had just gotten behind him" doesn't fly; they surely wouldn't have gotten MY money.
The same applies to the Senate. Because if the Republicans run things, then the judges will get confirmed with the help of Democratic Senators like Zell Miller, John Breaux, and Ben Nelson.
Now, in the primary, I'd work to nominate a more conservative candidate, but in the general, I'll make sure that DeLay and Hastert keep running the show in the House.
The fight between the GOP and Democrats on many things is often (and increasingly) in a vie for corrupt votes, money and power justification, just a fight between heading in the same wrong direction, but just at different rates of decay.
And you cannot debate with people, like yourself, who deny the truth even when it pokes them in the eye. You and many like you are in serious denial.
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