The Answer is Simple

If you are one of the people that believe our future is being jeopardized by an out of control federal government the fix is simple and laid out clearly in the US Constitution. The fix is the Tenth Amendment. The text is short, clear, and concise:

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

All acts, laws, and dictates of the federal government must be delegated to it in the constitution. Where is it delegated that the federal government should be a pension fund, medical fund, or arbiter of welfare money? Any attempt to justify 90% of what the federal government currently does is tortured logic. There are 18 specific powers. None of them include the power to take the wealth of some and give to others.

The founders were very conflicted in the creation of the United States. They knew that too much central power would turn to tyranny, and not enough central power would leave the states vulnerable to foreign interests and could undermine the ability of the states to thrive economically and independently. It is critical to note that the Constitution was intended to limit the central power of the government. Every argument about the ratification discussed the potential of the central government to infringe on the rights of the individual and states. That is why the Bill of Rights was added and especially the Tenth Amendment.

The founders even argued about the Bill of Rights. Many didn’t even believe it was needed because the Constitution was inherently a document limiting central power. It was assumed that the people would hold a central government in check. In the day, it was not uncommon for people to violently revolt against the tax collector or representative of any central authority. Limiting power was absolutely the intent. To think the central government was a means to happiness or prosperity would have been laughed at and rejected hands down. But fortunately for us today, many did not trust a central authority and would not ratify without the Bill of Rights. If not for these ten amendments we would not have the country we have today.

There has been a concerted effort not to teach the founding in context. If the education of our youth included the true intent of the US Constitution and the founders, we would be in much better shape today. The bright side is many people are starting to realize how right the founders were. There is a growing movement to utilize the Tenth Amendment and the process of nullification. Nullification is simply the states and people rejecting unconstitutional laws.

Rejecting unconstitutional laws utilizing the Tenth Amendment and nullification is the simple answer. Once this movement gains greater ground it will take hold. To learn more go to www.tenthamendmentcenter.com. You will be glad you did…

Ideas VS Identity Politics

Here’s an idea; how about we create a system that allows for nearly full employment at livable wages? Good idea? If this idea came true would it be good for only Republicans or Democrats? Would political party matter if the idea worked and put Americans back to work?

Here’s an idea; how about we create a system that gives women first priority on all jobs in the marketplace. Until we know there are no women that want the job we can then open it up to men. Would political party matter? Most likely yes because this is not an idea that would be created to benefit the masses, it is more likely a policy to reward a specific group. This particular group being women and the two parties thrive on implementing policies that increase their power amongst the citizenry.

I could continue with the examples but when it comes to government policies, they are often designed by politicians to support constituents. It is called identity politics. Republicans play identity politics with religious right to life groups promising they will use the hammer of the federal government to impose rules on family matters like pregnancy and abortion. Democrats play identity politics with the gay community by promising to support gay marriage and adoption by using the hammer of the federal government to force people to accept these positions.

Using the hammer of the federal government is used by both of the political parties. It is simply that the democrats have more groups they represent than the republicans do. Identity politics is nowhere to be found in the US Constitution. The constitution was written to limit the power of the federal government and was originally focused on the things that were of common interest to the states. The national defense, foreign treaties, and a place states could resolve their disputes between each other.

But today the federal government has devolved into a hammer between the states and citizens and is destroying the common fabric of our nation. It must end before it destroys us. It will take a new way of thinking but is a message that all thinking individuals could rally around.

We must start electing governors that are willing to nullify federal law and embrace the ninth and tenth amendments to the constitution. The talk about the Republican Party having to moderate is not the answer. What Republicans must do is to give up the hammers it uses to get their ideas codified at the federal level. Abortion, gay marriage, prayer in school, school vouchers, etc… must be looked at in a new way.

Most of the most controversial issues are codified in the tax code and by Supreme Court decisions. Do we believe that a Marriage Amendment at the federal level will make people respect marriage more? Marriage is good for our society for the creation and raising of children, but should the federal government be used as a hammer to enforce it? Of course not, marriage is mostly a religious sacrament and we should allow churches to manage it the way they believe is in their best interest. If a church wants to support gay marriage let them. Go to another church. If you believe abortion is the taking of a life make your arguments to convince people of your view. By using the hammer of the federal government to infringe on people’s private, difficult, and personal matters you lose any credibility of truly wanting to reduce the federal government. Wanting to regulate life upon conception can’t be managed without infringing on other people’s rights and the federal government is not an entity we should want so involved in our personal lives. Conservatives must be consistent or they lose.

If we really want to reduce the federal government, we must argue against every area that the federal government should not be. Freedom has costs. If you are a Christian you believe we will all be judged. We should live by example and resist the hammer of the federal government to get our messages and policy implemented.

We can become a much greater nation when we focus on our own lives and limit the hammer of the federal government to implement policies. When we commit to limit the federal government to its original intent we have to put down our hammers as well. You can be opposed to policy but we must accept what it means to be a free society. We also can fight battles in the states where we have more impact and if we choose, we can live in any state that most closely reflects our values. We first need to reduce the influence of the federal government.

The way we do that is to argue and fight for a constitutional republic by using the tenth amendment and putting all of our hammers aside.     

The Constitution’s Last Stand…

It may be the only way to save our constitution from the Washington DC elite. It seems the constitution is no longer the law of the land. It has been breached by the President, Legislature, and the Supreme Court. So what is the next battlefield to protect the principles that made this nation great? The Tenth Amendment is now the line in the sand that must be fortified with the state governors and the citizens of those states.

The Tenth Amendment: “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The federal government has over stepped its bounds and it is time to bring in the reinforcements. Governor Jindal, Governor Walker, and Governor Scott, are on the right track by stating they will not comply with the Obamacare Medicaid mandates but that is only the first step. There are 18 other Governors that are considering the same actions toward Medicaid but it is time to expand the scope of services that need to be nullified. Learn more about Nullification here at the Tenth Amendment Center.

The states need to reaffirm their role defined in the constitution as a protection against an over reaching central authority. If the citizens of the states want to fix the federal government they must participate in electing state representatives that understand the 10^th amendment and are willing to challenge every federal mandate and start nullifying them.

Governors should start opening up the medical and healthcare insurance industries by eliminating mandates for coverage. They should open up the insurance market to include plans that simply cover catastrophic care and make it easier for doctors to practice medicine instead of spending their time administering insurance plans. Doctors should post a price list for services like preventative checkups and referrals. There are so many market ideas to be unleashed if the mandates are lifted and government is moved out of the market of healthcare.

States can set up a couple of simple rules for coverage. If you are an insurer and want to operate in the state you must accept a percentage of “high risk” patients in order to operate. People with pre-existing conditions would be distributed to health insurance companies that operate within the state. The entrepreneurial spirit and markets will create downward pricing pressures and doctors will have to compete for patients. In the end the market becomes more responsive to the patient, and the doctor gets paid a fair market wage not a wage determined by an insurance company or government bureaucrat.

Healthcare would be a start but education would be next. Allowing private sector and home school operations to expand using the tax dollars that would be saved by reducing the amount of federal tax dollars sent to DC for “education.” The Governors could determine how much they would allow the federal government to tax their citizens based on the constitutional responsibilities of the federal government. That would mean that the federal government would submit a budget to the states for defense and diplomacy and the states would pay their apportioned share.

Basically what we need are state representatives and governors with the fortitude to protect and defend the constitution. Is it radical? Only if you believe holding the federal government accountable to its constitutional limits is radical. It is only common sense and may be our last stand…

The Supreme Court is Invalidating the Founder’s Intent

No matter what decision the Supreme Court reaches regarding Obamacare, the SCOTUS is and has been acting unconstitutionally for decades since FDR. The US Constitution is clear on the role of the court as are the Federal Papers and the many correspondences between the founders about its role simply as arbiter not legislator. Legislation and law were intended to be introduced and voted on in the House first and foremost. The Constitution is clear about who holds the law making responsibility. There is no alternative including interpretations of laws by the SCOTUS. They were only meant to validate or invalidate a laws legitimacy based on the founder’s intent.

Let’s start with the intent. The intended purpose of the Constitution was to limit Federal Power. The clearest and easiest evidence to understand and to support that is the Tenth Amendment. Why else would the founders/states have insisted on this addition if the intent was not to limit central power? The US Constitution would not have been ratified without the guarantee of the Bill of Rights which includes the 10^th Amendment. The Bill of Rights in total underlines the distrust the states and the people had for this newly formed central government. Today it is painfully apparent how little the power of the Tenth Amendment has been utilized in the fight to curb centralized programs, but it has seen a renewed commitment to make it relevant again.

The SCOTUS was intended by the founders to simply be the referee to ensure the legislature was only passing laws that met the limits and protections within the constitution. Madison believed the role would be utilized on a very limited basis and in the federal papers he insists the concern about precedence was unwarranted. He suggested that every case that came before the SCOTUS would be looked at from the perspective of the original intent and not subsequent cases. How wrong he was. The precedence of the SCOTUS has been used to rewrite original intent to mean whatever the court wanted it to mean. This has been seen with the Commerce Clause. Its intent was to make trade regular between the states so there was a “uniform” set of laws guiding how the states traded. The coastal states could have easily introduced additional tariffs and taxes to the other states due to their proximity and importance in the delivery of foreign goods. It was not intended to be used as a way for the federal government to force the states to comply with its wishes simply because they participated in commerce. It was more efficient to have one representative dealing with foreign governments and trade agreements so the states would not have 13 different sets of rules that could be used to divide and create mischief by foreign governments especially France and England.

There have been a number of torturous interpretations based on precedent and ideology that have slowly but surely undermined our freedoms and decisions as a people. The suggestion that if we buy something or make something that is considered “commerce” that that becomes a reasonable opportunity for the federal government to regulate it and tax it to pay for the regulation is a warped view of the constitution. There is no requirement of the SCOTUS to consider any previous cases. That is what they need to do in the Obamacare case. They need to read and look at the original intent of our constitution.

That is where the crux of my argument lies. We now have a completely politicized process that does not fundamentally begin with a review of the constitution; it begins from the ideological views of the justices. As a conservative I pray the more conservative judges begin with the constitution in this healthcare case. But no one person can argue that every decision of late that the SCOTUS has ruled on is based in politics. Yes they occasionally reference the constitution but too often reference precedence. Completely opposite of what Madison argued would be the case.

The growth and intrusiveness of the Federal Government is being refereed by a party (SCOTUS) that has a self interest in the growth of that same government. If President Obama gets to choose two or more justices for the Supreme Court does anyone believe it will be a legitimate institution to protect our founding document? We will have reached the point of a nine person dictatorship if the SCOTUS becomes all powerful in the making and determining our future laws and original intent of the Constitution.

The states and the Governors of those states along with the legislatures need to take up the cause of liberty and limited federal power. They can do that by nullifying the laws they disagree with and believe are unconstitutional. Nullification is a legitimate course of action found within the constitution. We can’t rely on the Supreme Court for much longer because it is already politicized but if this president gets a few more picks it will no longer be on the side of the people and the states.

It is time for the states and the people to read, understand, and protect the US Constitution. It is the greatest weapon in the fight for liberty. Much more reliable than any SCOTUS.   

The Tenth Amendment Rendered Meaningless…

If the governors of these United States don’t start stepping up to the plate in a more aggressive manner, the Tenth Amendment to the United States will be rendered meaningless. The constitution is already on life support, and the Tenth Amendment is the critical arguing point in this battle between centralized tyranny and local independence.

I shudder when I hear governors groveling at the altar of the federal government as Governor Elect Nikki Haley of South Carolina recently did when she asked the president to “allow South Carolina to opt out” of the healthcare bill. This is not constitutional leadership. We need our governors to start studying the history of this nation and start employing the same arguments that were made then, resulting in the Bill of Rights including the Tenth Amendment.

I get perplexed when I read our history and compare the political fights we are having today. It is appalling how weak our state governments have become compared to their domination at the founding of our country. Where did we go wrong? I believe the first fundamental principle we have allowed to slip is our understanding of history and our founding. Along the way politics, civics, and history have taken a back seat to pragmatism, and a casual undermining of our true history.

We have allowed big government advocates to paint big government as a compassionate institution that is there to help people. We have allowed the constitution and its fundamental principles to be undermined by tortured arguments by Supreme Court justices and power hungry presidents, as they mangled the original intent without a true debate of the ramifications these changes would have for future generations. We have allowed blind emotion to drive decisions that have destroyed millions of American lives with government dependency, and the only result; a few liberals feel good about themselves. We have forgotten how to argue on principle and have accepted short term gratification over standing on principle to achieve more difficult but sounder and moral results.

The Supreme Court has been allowed to become too powerful when the founders intent for the court was simply to determine the constitutionality of laws created by congress. It was never intended to be a body that created laws for the nation. It is an equal branch of government that has been used too often to provide cover for weak kneed politicians that don’t want to do the hard work they are constitutionally required to do. The states have become too complacent to bad federal law and have relegated their responsibility to provide for the states, rendering the Tenth Amendment meaningless.

When coal mine expansion in the state of West Virginia is being held up by a federal bureaucracy that is protecting bugs over jobs, and governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When the federal government believes that a smelt is more important than the farmer in California, and the governor accepts this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When our government is passing bills to force our kids to eat certain foods, and the governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless. When the federal government continues to make decisions affecting state budgets beyond the scope of its constitutional authority, and governors accept this as normal, the Tenth Amendment is rendered meaningless.

History proves that the Tenth Amendment was critical in the passing of the United States Constitution, and without it the states would have never ratified the document. The arguments for and against ratification were passionate and revolved around a desperate fear that a central government would one day dominate and limit the freedoms that individuals had sacrificed their lives to ensure. Today we have a central government that people fear is stealing their individual liberty and ability to pursue happiness. The Tenth Amendment is not meaningless, it is the pivotal amendment to return the federal government to a limited role and to protect the liberties our founders fought so hard to achieve…

First Step is Read the Constitution’s; Tenth Amendment…

South Carolina Governor elect Nikki Haley had a few challenging questions for the President during her two day visit to the White House.

It was extremely discouraging in my opinion as I read the quotes attributed to her; “In an exchange recounted by Haley and confirmed by White House aides, Obama rejected Haley's request to repeal the health care bill - but said he'd consider letting states opt out of its mandates if they ran exchange programs, banned insurance firms from denying coverage of pre-existing conditions and enabled people to pool together for better rates.”

"I asked him if the state of South Carolina gave solutions, so we're not just saying no, would he allow us to opt out or allow any other state to opt out should they choose," Haley said. "He said that he would consider an opt-out provision if it contained three clauses."

News for both the president and governor elect; read the Tenth Amendment of the Constitution.
“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”

And while you’re at it, find the enumeration that gives the Federal government the authority to force Americans to carry health insurance.

There is no need to ask the President to “allow” South Carolina to opt out of healthcare. Has he become King Obama? What is this? I had higher hopes for our new Tea Party candidates.
The Governor elect goes on to say:

"I think right now what's best for me is to go back to South Carolina, look at all three of these issues and then make a decision," Haley said. "I want to start to research on what it would take in order for us to do something to meet his provisions.”

"The goal is to make sure that we are giving choices to the people of our states and not mandating them."

Here is my advice; the first step in your research Governor is to read the Constitution and take particular notice of the Tenth Amendment.

My God what has happened to our country…

A Winning Message and Protecting Our Constitution…

As a constitutional conservative it is frustrating to watch the important arguments win on merit but lose in messaging. The GOP has to find a better message consultant and messenger. My choice for messenger would be Marco Rubio. He knows how to proudly speak for the ideals that have made this country great. He understands that the government is not the answer and is most often the problem. And he asks the important question that so many politicians ignore; does this (insert program or idea) belong at the federal level based on the constitution?

I am starting to wonder why politicians swear to uphold the constitution. Many of these same politicians support or promote programs that are unconstitutional. We are no longer running this republic under the guidelines of the constitution. Since 1932 or so, we have had an onslaught of politicians and judges ignoring the constitution or using tortured arguments to get unconstitutional arguments and legislation past the voters and into law.

I recently watched a Republican Congressman argue we need a constitutional amendment to allow states to opt out of federal programs. Excuse me; it’s called the Tenth Amendment! There is precedent for Nullification of federally mandated laws that states believe are unconstitutional. It is all right in front of us and them if we understand our history. We currently have anarchy when it comes to interpreting our history. Politicians and pundits are continually pontificating about how their idea is constitutional based on some hair brained argument. The public sits there and listens and believes them without doing any homework on the constitutional validity of their argument. Simply put, we have become lazy in thought and that allows these people to perpetuate false arguments and ideas.

If you listen closely to the current battles going on in Washington, Obama is winning. Every opportunity he gets he hammers home the idea of class warfare. Republicans and conservatives are against the middle class and for the rich and wealthy. The republicans want to take away the unemployment benefits of the working class for the sake of the richest and wealthiest Americans. The perception (messaging) is that republicans and conservatives don’t care about the “working” man. As if the rich and wealthy don’t work? They work more, that is why they are wealthy and rich.

The message must be rejected and reversed on Obama. The argument should be that Obama is a job killing president because he punishes the businesses that hire Americans. We do not have a revenue problem at the federal level of government - the democrats and the president have a spending addiction that is stealing our children’s American dream. America has been exceptional because we value the private entrepreneurs and job creators that have fueled economic growth. The businesses that create jobs that pay employees actually fuel the government. The government produces nothing. Every government job is the courtesy of small, medium, and large employers. We believe class warfare ended at the inception of America. We fought for our freedom so every individual had an opportunity to prosper. This administration is trying to bring back the caste system that keeps people in the classes they were born into through dependence on government programs. And the message goes on and on… You get the idea.

The message must be repeated constantly just like the left and liberals do. They say we are for the rich, we say we are for the employers who create the jobs and the people that want to work. They say we want tax cuts for the rich, we say we want tax cuts for every working American regardless of how much they earn, it’s their money. They say we want to increase deficits, we say we want spending caps and a balanced budget amendment. They say we want to cut programs, we say we want constitutional government. They say we don’t want to extend unemployment for working Americans, we say we want to end unemployment…

The media is biased and we must say it more often and louder than the left. But we need a message that resonates every time the left lies about our intent. We need a messenger that believes in our constitution and our exceptionalism. We need to know our history and we need to take the fight to the left and their sympathizers every hour of everyday at every opportunity…

Broad Brush = Broad Failure

The federal government approaches everything they do with the “broad brush” approach. It is one of the reasons the founding fathers were so against a large centralized government. They knew from history, experience, and facts that the larger the central government the more likelihood of a broad brush approach, and eventually tyranny and failure.

It is the reason for the tenth amendment and the Bill of Rights. The focus of our republic is on the individual’s rights, and state’s rights that encourage different approaches to government to better serve the people. It is why Madison stated “the powers of the federal government are few and defined”. Madison knew a central government would be inefficient in serving the people. It is too far removed from the individual and state’s needs. It was seen as better to rely on individual ingenuity. The common defense, common laws on the transport and taxation of commerce, were an example of where they saw a relevant need for the federal government.

Our founding fathers were prophetic. But anyone with a sense of history, human nature, and a grasp of reality knows that their prophesies were not as magical as they appear. Why? Because they are based on the principles of human nature and natural law. The more things change, the more they stay the same. The only reason we keep going back to these failed “communal” and centralized planning policies is because there are always humans that believe they are the chosen ones to make it work “this time.”

The egotists of the world always believe that the utopian policies have just not been implemented and communicated properly. We are seeing it again in full force with the current president. The constitution and the tenth amendment were written specifically to keep a man like him in check. But keeping him in check takes effort from we the people. We can’t count on a piece of paper, no matter how miraculous and prophetic to enforce itself. It takes us to enforce our rights.

The broad brush approach to welfare has given us dependency and has stolen the dreams of generations of black Americans. The broad brush approach to education has given us a morally and financially bankrupt system that no longer educates but indoctrinates our children. The broad brush approach to healthcare is destroying the most innovative and effective healthcare system ever seen on this planet. The broad brush approach to a retirement “supplement”, Social Security is threatening to bankrupt the nation and every child’s ability to live in a free and prosperous nation.

The constitution is our answer to every issue we face. The tenth amendment is the battleground where this war against an out of control federal government must be waged. We must fight against the broad brush approach before the entire republic is brought to its knees.

Get to know your constitution and be prepared to resurrect the tenth amendment…

A Rant - Looking For Political Answers in All the Wrong Places…

Scott McInnis and Dan Maes have rattled the cages of conservatives concerned with the direction of the federal government. Some of us were hoping to stop an out of control federal government by electing a strong conservative Governor that would use his power to take back the responsibilities outlined for the state in our U.S. Constitution. What are we going to do in Colorado?

Colorado is in trouble, and conservatives in particular are going to be left with a choice that is handed to us by the leaders of the Republican Party. The same party that has helped drive our federal government into our board rooms, our living rooms, and lunch rooms. These “limited government” advocates want a government limited to what they want and be damned the constitution. The same party that spends lavishly on expenses for party leaders while purporting to support the small business community they are robbing blind with taxation. The same party that has made it nearly impossible to see the line between them and the democrats with the exception of abortion and the Supreme Court. The party that knows no end to what the federal government can “help” us accomplish.

We are supposed to believe they are going to choose a candidate that will have the interest of the common business man, common citizen, and the future of our children at the forefront of their efforts. As John Stossel is famous for saying, “Give me a break!”

The choice for Governor on the democratic side is an enemy of the people. He is an elitist that believes and is supported by people that believe in global governance, global warming, universal taking of rights through healthcare, and every other utopian scheme that is bound to assist in our destruction as a state and nation.

This is what we get to choose from in Colorado? What are we Oshkosh (sorry Oshkosh!)? Who are we as a people to be left with this despicable set of circumstances with all of our eggs in the basket of a handful of incompetent party leaders? What have we done to deserve this predicament we are in? We have ignored the political process for too long and we must organize around something other than the Republican’s choice for a candidate.

As Colorado citizens we should reject both parties and organize around an individual willing to fight the federal takeover of our economy, liberty, and future. Damn it - we can do better than this…

U.S. Federal Government vs. AZ; A Constitutional Failure…

Does the United States Federal government have the authority to sue Arizona for passing a law regarding illegal immigration? Yes, because it is one of the specific responsibilities given to the feds by our constitution. Will they win? No, because the reason Arizona had to pass a law on illegal immigration was the fact that the federal government has failed to protect the U.S border against illegal entry. That illegal entry is impacting the state of Arizona to a point that the state legislature and governor would be irresponsible if they didn’t take the steps necessary to protect their citizens.

The lawsuit is actually upside down. Arizona would have been on much firmer ground to sue the federal government. The responsibility falls on the federal government to protect the border and control illegal immigration, and they have failed miserably. And it is not just this administration. This has been a problem for too many years and it is time to end this debacle. We have American citizens being killed and threatened by foreigners and the government stands by and does nothing.

If a Chinese ship pulled up to Boston Harbor filled with Chinese soldiers and shot an American dead, what would the federal government’s response be? I’m not sure anyone these days could answer that. At one time it would have been easy to say we would destroy the ship, the soldiers, and possibly declare war. Today we have lost that survival instinct, pride, and national spirit at the federal political level. So what are we to do as states and citizens?

The constitution is clear, we are a republic, and the states are independent of the federal government to take action on their own on. So when the federal government fails in its responsibilities it is incumbent upon the states and citizens to act. That is what Arizona has done. There has been talk about the “Supremacy Clause” and the idea that federal laws trump state laws. That is only true when the laws that are created at the state level conflict with the constitutional duty of the federal government. That is why in the case of Arizona, the federal government has the authority to sue. The fact that they have the audacity to sue shows their arrogance and disrespect for the constitution and the people of the great state of Arizona.

The Arizona law does nothing unconstitutional. It is simply a reaction to the federal government being out of compliance with the constitution. The Obama administration should be ashamed and embarrassed of themselves that Arizona had to step up and do the federal government’s job, but shame is beyond this group, and embarrassment is not a trait that trumps arrogance.

The U.S. Constitution is the document that defines the limited powers of the federal government and when there is no specific reference to an issue in the constitution the tenth amendment kicks in. Today our government has been turned upside down from its intended form which was to keep the control of government close to the people and away from a central authority. No other sentence in the constitution says it more clearly than the Tenth Amendment;

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

The reason the federal government is suing Arizona is because they themselves have failed to protect the border. That doesn’t make sense but that’s what happens when we drift from our founding principles. Nothing makes sense…

Arizona, Texas, and Colorado…

The United States Constitution’s tenth amendment states “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." According to the constitution the responsibility of immigration lies with the federal government. It is one of the eighteen enumerated powers clearly stated, and as the tenth amendment clearly states, the rest of the responsibility lies within the state and with the people. What you are witnessing in Arizona is the state taking control of their responsibility and stepping up by implementing laws to protect their citizens.

Texas is about to consider a similar law to curb illegal activity by people in the state illegally, and if elected Governor Colorado I will support the same law here. It is standard procedure by most law enforcement agencies to ask for ID when a suspect is detained. Whether it is a traffic violation, assault, robbery, or any other crime, ID is the first step in indentifying a perpetrator. This new law in Arizona simply gives the local law enforcement the authority to address illegal’s instead of handing them over to the federal government. A federal government unwilling to enforce the immigration law. States must now take deportation into their own hands.

Gang activity, drugs, and kidnapping are overtaking parts of Arizona, and Texas. As a civilized society we must maintain civility through law. We can no longer allow the lawlessness of illegal entry into this country. If the federal government refuses to do their part in enforcing the laws the states must take action. It is that simple.

This is not about racial profiling; this is about securing a civil society for the law abiding citizens of the United States of America. No police officer has been given authority to just pull people over for no reason. They have finally been given the authority to enforce the law, a law that is blind to the race, religion, or gender of the law breaker. No matter what the radical left says or the lies about the law we are currently hearing from the president and his administration, this is not about racial profiling, it is about enforcing the law of the land.

We must stand by the Constitution and the right of the state’s and individuals in those states to a society free from lawlessness…

Fear of the Federal Government is not radical it is American…

Our education “system” is broken. When the main stream media can get away with making the argument that it is “dangerous” to stir the people up to fear their government, which may lead to violence, shows their ignorance of our history and founding.

Our founders were skeptical and inherently suspicious of centralized power. The creation of the federal government only barely made it past the state ratification process. Along the way to ratification, several additions to the constitution, including the addition of the Bill of Rights was imperative because of the absolute distrust of a central “authority”. The state’s and founders had to not only build the argument for ratification, but also build a barrier to protect the states from an over reaching central authority by including the Tenth Amendment, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people”, otherwise the federal government would have never become a reality. This mistrust and fear of a central authority permeated the country and was the foundation of the greatest form of government ever derived by men. Regarding government; they knew less was more and more was a threat to all.

As we watch pundits make the arguments that some types of speech against the government can “enflame” violence toward the government, I ask you; what does the first amendment say; “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” The founders and our ancestors that agreed to ratify the constitution knew what was bound to happen by empowering a central government. So they included what they considered clear restrictions on the authority of the federal government because they did not trust any central authority. Today we find ourselves right where our founders predicted, but fortunately their fear, foresight, and protections are clearly documented in the constitution.

Listen closely when pundits and politicians talk about “types” of speech. The type of speech they are targeting to control either through a “chilling” effect or outright legislation is the speech we are engaging in against our government and its policies. We are assembling peaceably through tea parties and trying to redress our grievances. Is this not exactly what our founders were protecting us against? Is fear of the federal government unfounded? Were our founders radicals? Would our founders consider the tea party movement dangerous or patriotic?

Our founders were brilliant and prophetic about the rights they knew must be etched in stone because they were God given, and would one day come under assault from tyrannical forces. Those tyrannical forces are among us. We must teach our history or we will be throwing away our future…

I support “The Federal Healthcare Nullification Act” for Colorado…

I am a member and supporter of the Tenth Amendment Center and its founder Michael Boldin. He has partnered with WeRefuse.com to set in motion a constitutional repeal of the unconstitutional healthcare “reform” bill, forced through by an out of control congress, with this petition drive. If elected Governor of Colorado I will spearhead this process in Colorado.

Here are some excerpts from the press release:

"We recommend a different path, one advised by prominent founders such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison - nullification," said Boldin. Nullification, according to the Center, is the rightful remedy to an unconstitutional act, as it considers the recently-signed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to be. When a state nullifies a federal law, it is proclaiming that the law in question is void and inoperative, or non-effective, within the boundaries of that state; or, in other words, not a law as far as the state is concerned."

"In partnership with WeRefuse.com, the Tenth Amendment Center has announced the release of their model legislation for such state-level action, the Federal Health Care Nullification Act. The Act would codify in state law that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act "is not authorized by the Constitution of the United States...is hereby declared to be invalid...shall not be recognized...is specifically rejected...and shall be considered null and void and of no effect" within the boundaries of any state enacting it. It also mandates that it "shall be the duty" of the State's legislature "to adopt and enact any and all measures as may be necessary to prevent the enforcement."

"It's time to remind the federal government that We the People are in charge and not the other way around," said Boldin. "Following the Constitution every issue, every time, without exceptions or excuses requires us to resist federal overreach and keeping our health care decisions where the Founders assured us that they'd be and where they belong...close to home."

We need to support the effort and stop this federal government.

Walter Williams asks: Should we part company?

Walter Williams is the smartest Professor in the country. He makes an argument that needs to be considered. Is it time for America to admit we no longer share common goals or vision for the future, and go our seperate ways?

I believe like he does that the answer lies in our U.S. Constitution. The one our founders wrote; not the interpretation of it by the Supreme Court...

PLEASE READ THIS!

“Control the People”; not in Colorado…

The evidence is mounting to validate the claims many of us have known about Obama and his administration that this is a war against American values, the American Dream, America’s economic system of capitalism, the individual American citizen, and our constitution. That is why the 2010 elections of not only our federal representatives are critical; every race for Governor in 2010 is an opportunity to build a constitutional wall against this assault on our values.

Today we have the video of Democratic Representative Dingell stating this healthcare bill is designed to “Control the people”, and we have Secretary Sebelius of HHS saying, they are going to reduce the profits of drug companies by statute which has always been “part of the strategy” of the healthcare bill. We have the administration as part of the HCR Bill taking away the private market availability to get a student loan, which few people are talking about, as part of the strategy to nationalize our economy away from the private sector.

Anyone that believes that limiting profit or profit motive, nationalizing industry, and controlling the people is the right direction, is about to realize how Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico, Columbia, Russia, and Chinese governments treat their people. We are treading dangerously on realizing a government not of the people but a government thrust on the people.

I know people don’t want to think this can happen in America but it is; right under your nose. The stink you smell are rotten politicians stealing your freedom while they feed you crap about taking care of you.

The 2010 campaign for Governor of Colorado isn’t simply about conservative and liberal ideas, free market VS. Government’s role & responsibilities, public VS. Private education; it is about stopping the federal takeover of our lives. We need to reinforce the battle field by utilizing the Tenth Amendment and standing up against this unconstitutional federal government.

We can no longer stand by and complain about unfunded mandates and dictates, and regulation, and high taxation, we must stop it. Governor Ritter is not supporting our AG Suthers constitutional lawsuit against the federal healthcare takeover. It is a good thing for Colorado that he has chosen to not run again. We need to support the AG in his effort to stand up for our sovereignty as a state.

As Governor I will be the Obama administrations worst nightmare; a man of the people that understands the constitution, willing to use the constitution to stop the federal government, and will continually drum beat the need to reset the roles of government with the will of the people. Don’t listen to the people that discount the power of the constitution. The constitution with an energized constituency is the exact remedy for taking back our country, our dreams, our economic system, our state and individual rights…

Nullification is only part of the solution…

Hats off to the Attorney General of Virginia who has vowed to challenge the Healthcare Reform Bill on constitutional grounds the minute it is signed into law by the President. There are also 36 States that have hinted at nullification of the bill at the state level. But that is only part of the solution.

“Nullification is a legal theory that a U.S. State has the right to nullify, or invalidate, any federal law which that state has deemed unconstitutional. The theory is based on a view that the sovereign States formed the Union, and as creators of the compact hold final authority regarding the limits of the power of the central government.”

“Under this, the compact theory, the States and not the Federal Bench are the ultimate interpreters of the extent of the national Government's power. A more extreme assertion of state sovereignty than nullification is the related action of secession, by which a state terminates its political affiliation with the Union.”

The dilemma with nullification is if a state deems Healthcare unconstitutional, the federal government is still going to tax the states to pay for the program. That is why in my platform as Governor we are taking the next step to truly reign in the central government’s power by cutting off the funding that allows the federal government to expand its power.

The Sixteenth Amendment was ratified February 3rd, 1913. It “allows the Congress to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states or basing it on Census results.” It reads, “The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration.” But all taxation to fund the federal government still must be for constitutionally authorized purposes.

The real solution to holding the federal government to its constitutional requirements is not only nullification, but a limit on what the federal government is allowed to tax the individual tax payers of the states. We have taken as a given, that no matter what the federal government decides to tax us, we must pay it. If the federal government chooses to tax us at 90% of our income will we allow it? Does the Sixteenth Amendment allow the federal government to ignore its constitutional limitation as stated in Article 1 section 8? Of course not, otherwise we have no constitutional limitations. But that is how the federal government acts today.

It is the role of the Governors and State Legislators to not only nullify healthcare but to limit the amount of taxation that can be imposed on the citizens of their states. The federal programs that are nullified must also include the provision that no additional taxation may be derived from the state for the purpose of the program. Otherwise the states are in the dilemma of paying for a program that the citizens of the state are being forced to pay for.

We need a constitutional convention among the states, not to change it, but to enforce it, and reset the power where it was intended to be; in the United States not in Washington DC…

216 Traitors to the American Cause…

The American Dream is not about “free” government healthcare, welfare, food stamps, bailouts, corporate tax breaks, green tax breaks, regulations or fairness, it’s about individual freedom and limited government involvement in our lives. Our country was built on merit not handouts. Tomorrow there are 216 representatives in congress who are about to break the law by passing a bill in an unconstitutional manner and today they are witnessing the wrath of an angry coalition of patriotic Americans. The government is trying to dictate and mandate a healthcare bill they say is about “fairness” but it will steal your freedom, and that is not a price America is willing to pay.

Busloads of people are arriving in DC ready to play a role any one of our founders would be proud of. Samuel Adams often had to lead a group just like the Tea Party movement to show up at the houses of British representatives and run them out of town. He did it a number of times when British representatives over stepped their bounds. He was one of the greatest agitators for revolution in the cause of freedom in American history. We are seeing his spirit today in DC, and I know exactly what he would say; God Bless them!

Many commentators are very cautious not to say this could cause civil unrest. I will tell you, if this doesn’t cause civil unrest we can say goodbye to our country. We are seeing the first step to civil unrest through these protests. This will culminate in the 2010 elections. If the grievances are still not addressed by our representatives after the election, the only choice the American people will have is the same one that founded this great nation; civil unrest leading to a revolution. It is in our blood, it is in our history, it is in our founding documents, and our founders would expect nothing less. We must be willing to pledge our lives and fortunes for our freedom and country just as our founders did.

Today’s protest is bigger than the impact of the healthcare bill; it is a protest to show our government the American people are willing to take the action necessary to defend our freedom. We are not sheep. This is a government of the people, and we are showing the political class who is in charge.

As Governor of the state of Colorado, I will be reaffirming the Tenth Amendment and challenging the Sixteenth to bring back the correct balance between the state and the federal government. It will take the same will we are seeing today in DC protesting against healthcare. If we don’t fix the root cause of this problem then the healthcare fight is just the beginning. If we reaffirm the constitution by electing Tenth Amendment Governors, healthcare will be the final fight before the constitution is put back to its rightful place, and the American Dream will once again be the driving force in a chaotic world…

Ten Things Governors Can Do to Stop the Federal Government…

1) Read the Declaration of Independence, US Constitution and particularly the Tenth Amendment. Then read “The Real Thomas Jefferson” or “Samuel Adams A – Life.” If you don’t walk away from reading these books and documents and scratching your head wondering what happened to our republic, you are probably a progressive liberal and you won’t get elected anyway. Governors should walk away with a renewed passion to take back state control from the federal government with a renewed confidence.

2) Pass state constitutional amendments to challenge the Sixteenth Amendment. In Colorado I would like to see individual and corporate federal income taxes limited to 15%. Other states may want a different number. The sixteenth allows for direct taxation of income but a limit will challenge the ability of the federal government to borrow and spend beyond their constitutional authority. We need to challenge the federal government’s ability to take wealth at their discretion from our state.

3) Start the repeal process of the Seventeenth Amendment which will return the selection of federal senators back to the state legislatures. This will reverse the power out of Washington and away from the lobbyists back to the state government where accountability belongs. Lobbyists will have to convince 50 state legislative bodies that their ideas are good instead of centralized access in DC. No government structure is perfect but the closer it is to the people the easier it is for the people to change.

4) Audit all federal programs and determine their constitutionality and nullify all laws that are impacting the state budget that are determined unconstitutional.

5) Align all state wages, benefits, and pensions with the private sector in those states and strike federal employment regulations from the books.

6) Refocus the National Governors Association to work on a reform process to bring back all state responsibilities to the state like education, healthcare for the elderly and social programs. Hold federal government accountable for securing our borders and eliminate sanctuary cities. Take back the power vested in the states by the constitution.

7) Support a US constitutional amendment to limit terms of the US house and senate.

8) Support a US constitutional amendment to require a federal balanced budget.

9) Support a US constitutional amendment to open the Federal Reserve to congressional scrutiny.

10) Stop looking to the federal government for the mess that the states are in. Admit that our problems are not because we don’t have enough government; but that we have created too much government and pledge to reset our founding principles and sell it to our constituents.

This is a beginning to the process of real reform. The 50 governors need to reset the authority based on the constitution. The governors are the most powerful political leaders in the country; purposely protected in the constitution, but only if the governor’s exercise their rightful powers. We need to pledge we will no longer send money to the federal government for unconstitutional uses. We will no longer comply with federal extortion. We will fulfill our obligations and responsibilities to the people.

We have this as our weapon; “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Let the return to a prosperous and lawful United States begin…

The enemy has landed and has taken the beach head…

We had better wake up. The goal of the current federal administration is to crush our government under the weight of debt. They are orchestrating the greatest coop ever in political history. They know by financially destroying our form of government people will be more likely to disregard our founding principles to end the crisis that will be created by their actions.

Have you wondered why our politicians keep borrowing and spending even when 70% of the American people believe it is a bad idea? Have you asked yourself why the president is talking about fiscal responsibility but continues to add programs and debt to the budget? When Senator Bunning argued that an extension of unemployment benefits must be paid for before he would vote for it, he was maligned by both parties. Did you wonder why? If we can’t even talk about such a minimal change to our fiscal policy without such disdain for the person proposing it, we have lost the beach head.

We need to elevate our defenses and take back our government. We have anti-American soldiers in this administration and they are being supported by anti American groups to take our country down. When the next stock market crash happens, banks start failing, unemployment skyrockets to 25%, and people are wondering how we are going to get out of this; where do you think people will turn? Where have they been turning for the past 50 years? Government.

And the first thing they will say is; “it is with a heavy heart that we must in this time of crisis abandon our constitution, free markets, and the citizens will have to band together to help us get the American people through this crisis.” The day you here that from our government is the day the muskets must be polished. It will be the day the American Dream dies. It is not far away unless we take back our government from both political parties.

We don’t need a third party, we need like minded American patriots banding together like the tea party and 9/12 patriots to fight back to regain our constitutional government. This may sound farfetched to some but not to people that follow politics as close as you and I do. We know how people react in crisis and panic. Anarchy is created and people loot and act like animals. It doesn’t take much to stir up from below the surface, it is basic human nature. Just look at any police action in the inner cities, just look at Haiti, just look at what happens when a storm comes through and damages the local Wal-Mart, looting and chaos pursue.

I believe the next Governors of the great states of the United States must end our reliance on the federal government and reaffirm the tenth amendment and bring back control to the people of the states. The connection to the federal government is unhealthy and will be the end of the union if we allow the continued path of the federal government to be - out of control spending and borrowing, and the takeover of our private sector as they have done in the financial and car industries, and are attempting in the healthcare industry.

Call me a fool but as long as you call me Governor I will rest better knowing my administration will end this unhealthy and unsustainable path of federal dependence, by reaffirming the founding principles and constitutional government of this great state and union…

Thomas Jefferson: No radical and nobody’s fool:

“That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness”

“The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.”

“When the people fear their government, there is tyranny; when the government fears the people, there is liberty.”

Jefferson, the Fed, and the Tenth Amendment…

In one of the many arguments Thomas Jefferson had with Alexander Hamilton in the first administration of the newly found republic, under President George Washington, Jefferson used these words to describe why Hamilton’s plan for a federal bank under private management was a bad and unconstitutional idea:

“I consider the foundation of the Constitution as laid on this ground”: that “all powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited to it by the states, are reserved to the states or to the people.”…

Jefferson went on to argue: “The incorporation of a bank, and the powers assumed by this bill, have not, in my opinion, been delegated to the United States by the Constitution. They are not among the powers specially enumerated…” “If such latitude of construction be allowed to this phrase as to give any non-enumerated power, it will go to every one, for there is not one which ingenuity may not torture into a convenience in some instance or another.” Simply stated; Ignore the enumerated powers and there are no enumerated powers, the sky is the limit to expanded federal government.

This is the foundation of the “implied powers” argument used throughout history to ignore the true intent of the constitution.

How prophetic Jefferson was, and how we see over the years the federal government’s quest for power has given us a government that Hamilton always wanted, a government of an elite class of men with the power over the common man. My words, not his; his sentiment, not mine.

Jefferson fought desperately to stop what today is the Federal Reserve System. If Jefferson were alive today he would want to end the fed. Giving up the federal treasury to be run by “independent and private” interests in his eyes was a recipe for disaster. And the disaster is now upon us.

Jefferson accused Hamilton of “excluding popular understanding and inquiry.” He argued the system of banking and credit devised by Hamilton was so confusing no man including the “president or congress should be able to understand it, or control it.” Which he believed gave Hamilton a scheme to enrich himself and his cohorts within the system Hamilton devised.

These arguments between the two founders were the foundation of a two party system. Not the one we have today but it put people in two “camps”; federalists and republicans with a small r. The Republican Party of yesterday is in modern times what became the Democratic Party. The federalists were the big central government supporters that had the rich, wealthy, and British sympathizers behind it.

How times change but one thing remains true; the principles of our constitution are the key to our recovery and a prosperous future. If we listen and learn about our history and great men like Thomas Jefferson we can consider the paths ahead by using the great understanding that he had of government, to build our future.

He loved the constitution and it was he and Madison that promised the Bill of Rights to encourage the states to ratify our Constitution. It is time to revisit our constitution and our Tenth Amendment in particular. That is, if we want a prosperous future and one that restrains the federal government from intruding on out state and individual rights.