Topic: Presidential Campaign 2008
THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER . . . 2008 November 5th, 2007 was a great day for freedom. But Ron Paul will need help in Congress. His supporters must apply the same excitement, creativeness and devotion to electing Constitutionalists to Congress.by Bit2Right
(Libertarian)
Monday, November 26, 2007
THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER . . . . 2008
November 5, 2007, was a big day, make that a huge day, for freedom. It will be recorded in the history books. It may be a question on JEOPARDY. I can visualize it as a question on WHO WANTS TO BE A MILLIONAIRE: What Presidential candidate raised over four million dollars on November 5, 2007: Mainline Candidate A; More of the Same B; Promise You Anything C; Ron Paul, the Constitution Candidate?
Yes, November 5, 2007, was an important day. I'm sure many of us will look back and say that that was the day folks began to pay attention to Ron and his Message. It was great to see Ron and a bunch of our guys interviewed by the MSM. Since that day a few of your friends may have said something like, "Hey, I saw your guy Paul raised a lot of money on the internet." Since that day you have probably ordered more bumper stickers, cards, pamphlets and maybe even a tee-shirt.
All of us hope that November 5, 2007, was the day that the politicians took notice. We are confident that that was the day the bankers and warmongers and assorted NeoCons began mumbling to themselves. That was the day we put a bit of fear into the hearts of those who have no respect for the First, Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth or Sixth Amendments to the Constitution.
But perhaps November 5, 2007, was also the day that those who have been afraid to support the Constitution developed some back bone. Maybe there are one, two or three, maybe a dozen Congressmen now saying to themselves "Ron is right. I should have supported him all these years. I shouldn't have been afraid. There are many who still love freedom and small government."
So here's my question to Ron's thousands of supporters: What will you be doing on November 5, 2008?
Let's think positive and assume that Ron had won the nomination in the summer and has now won the Presidency. Victory upon victory. You are in awe. We all are in awe. We are filled with great hope. President Paul will now be able to restore the Constitution and set a new direction for our country.
But something unexpected happens. Ron's acceptance speech is a simple reading of that Constitution. We listen closely. We keep hearing that Congress shall do this. Congress may do that. But Ron has little power, because he is only the President. And Ron has promised us he will obey the Constitution.
For eighteen months we have supported Mr. Constitution. And now we find that he is almost powerless. Without support in Congress, his proposals will be ignored. His vetoes will be over-ridden. And this at a time when Congress has lost its most devoted (some would say only) supporter of the Constitution. For Ron will no longer be voting "No". Someone else will have his seat.
So I ask you again, what does your daily calendar have scheduled for November5, 2008? Do you have an activity scheduled that will help Ron implement The Message? Does that activity have anything to do with your local Congressman?
You see, the time for Ron Paul signs on the freeway overpasses will be gone. Our Ron Paul tee-shirts, buttons and bumper stickers will have served their purpose. More excellent videos on YouTube will have little effect - unless . . .
Unless Ron has sufficient support in Congress much of our efforts will have been for naught. Unless Ron has a bunch of solid supporters in Congress he might even face impeachment. We all know that those who oppose freedom and view the Constitution as a nuisance are powerful, very powerful. And they are experienced. Over the years they have found many ways to silence those that oppose them.
My friends, my many new friends, it is great to have you on board. It is great to have you supporting Ron. It is even greater to know that you understand that it is not the man, but The Message.
But it is time to face a reality: Ron Paul in the White House will only be a beginning. We have a lot more work to do. And here is what we must do. Here is what our beloved Constitution says we must do.
We must elect a sufficient number of Congressmen to change the tide. We need a majority of Congressmen that will vote in favor of a balanced budget. We need courageous Representatives to demand that the border be made secure. We need some fearless men and women who will demand an audit of the Federal Reserve.
Ron by himself cannot repeal the income tax, he can't even reduce the tax rates.As President he will be required to enforce the law. Ron by himself cannot reverse the myriad environmental regulations, the farm subsidies, or the federal stranglehold on our nation's schools. Ron by himself cannot withdraw the United States from the United Nations, NAFTA or the WTO.
Ron will need the support of your congressman, or perhaps the one in the next district.
Let me digress for a moment and tell you about myself. Ron Paul's photograph has been on prominent display in my office about ten years. Ron has received significant contributions from me every election since his first - when he achieved his first perfect voting record in Congress. I have supported his non-political FREE (the Foundation for Rational Economics and Education). I have supported his Congressional Liberty Committee. And when he announced his plan to run for President I was one of the first to donate to his campaign. And once I maxed out I began helping those who have put together flyovers, those who are headed to New Hampshire, and those who constructed websites and formed Meetups.
I have been doing such things since 1964. I have been trying to educate my fellow citizens about the direction of our country, the words of our Constitution, and the duplicitous actions by those behind the scenes. But more importantly, I have tried to encourage my friends, neighbors and business associates to focus on the Congress. I donated some money to Barry Goldwater, Jr. when he was my Congressman. But I also helped to distribute his voting record throughout our Congressional District. I worked to keep Barry honest. I worked to help Barry know that we would support him as long he supported the Constitution.
For more than forty years I have been running ads in the newspaper, writing letters to the editor, and handing out voting records to help folks know and understand what my Congressman was doing back in Washington, D.C.
So what will you do on November 5, 2008?
Will that be the day you send a letter off to your Congressman? Will that be the day you go on the internet and check his or her voting record? Will that be the day you print up a flyer to hand out at the shopping center informing the electorate of how their Congressman has voted. Will that be the day you meet with your Ron Paul Meetup Group and organize a plan to elect a Constitutionalist to Congress?
I believe we must track what these folks do inside the Beltway. I believe we can bring pressure on these folks. After all, most of them only have one real aim - to get re-elected. We can apply heat. You and your meet-up group can apply real heat. Imagine signs, billboards and little cards that disclose his or her support for NAFTA, his or her vote for wasteful pork and an unbalanced budget.
When the heat is applied your Congressman will listen, and if he or she doesn't, an informed electorate can replace him or her with someone who will cast Constitutional votes and someone who will support a Ron Paul in the White House.
So open your computer date book to November 5, 2008, and jot yourself a note: "Congress is the key."
But may I make a suggestion. If it will be important to focus on your Congressman a year from now, isn't it important to begin checking him or her out now, yes, today. Isn't it important to begin changing his or her voting pattern immediately!
Send a letter to your current Congressman and tell him or her about your support for Ron Paul. Encourage him or her to support Ron in Congress. And then let him or her know that you will be tracking his voting record. Let him or her know that you are care about your country and will no longer remain silent.
The Revolution is not about Ron Paul. He is our hero. He is our example. He deserves our full support. We must continue to fly the banners. We must continue to send the campaign the money that it needs. But our full support means that we will help him to have supporters on the floor of Congress for the rest of 2007, all of 2008, and then in 2009.
Fellow revolutionaries, Congress is the Key. Let us make sure that our efforts for The Message have a continuing effect with or without Ron in the White House. I am certain that Ron would count this whole revolution a 100% success if the only result was for him to no longer stand alone as he votes "No".
Ron has one more full year in Congress. Picture the first session of Congress in2008. An unconstitutional bill is called for vote. Picture Ron standing and voicing his "No". Now picture the joy on his face, even the tears in his eyes, as a formerly "silent" colleague stands and says, "I join the Honorable Congressman from Texas and vote 'No' on this bill." And that vote is followed by another and another, perhaps five or six, maybe a dozen or two. Hopefully, if we have all taken the Revolution to our Representatives, the measure is defeated.
Ron got this Revolution started. It will make real progress when Congress is filled with Revolutionaries. It will continue when enough of us devote ourselves to constant vigilance as we keep tabs on our Representatives in Congress.
CONGRESS IS THE KEY! Just think, if we all continue to work we can put Constitutionalists in both houses: Ron in the White House and Congressmen in the House of Representatives. And when all of our work is combined with God's help, we just might have a better world.
Jeffrey S Skinner Northridge, California
Excerpts from the Constitution:
Article I, Section 1 - The Legislature - All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress . .
You see, Congress has the power to make, change or eradicate laws.
Article I, Section 2 - The House - The House of Representatives shall be composed of Members chosen every second Year . .
Great! We can hold their feet to the fire twice as often as the President.
Article I, Section 7 - Revenue Bills - All bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives . .
Beautiful, isn't it! Your Congressman holds the purse strings. No matter who occupies the White House, a House made up of Constitutionalists can defeat any program by simply not funding it! No money, no program. And please note: the Senate cannot even propose to spend your money.
Article 1, Section 8 - Powers of Congress - The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes
Do you want lower taxes, write your Congressman.
To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof
Do you want to stop the printing presses, remind your Representative what the Constitution says.
To constitute Tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court.
Say what? Yes, all those destructive federal court decisions could be eliminated, reigned in by a Congress that respects, understands and applies the Constitution.
To declare War, grant Letters of Marquee and Reprisals
Congressman Ron Paul didn't make it up. Letters can be issued, and the scoundrels that are responsible can be brought to justice without a single soldier leaving American soil.
To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years.
Wonderful. Such insight. Our Founding Fathers required our "Commander in Chief" to come to Congress at least once every two years to fund "his" Armies. Can your Congressman vote "No"?
So how has your Congressman voted these past several years?
You can find the voting records of your Congressman and your Senators on theweb at www.TheNewAmerican.com. Under "Topics" on the left-hand side, click on "Freedom Index". You will find the description of issues and the votes. Oh, while you are there, enjoy the moment as you check to see that Ron has voted as he speaks. His word is good. Let's get the others to do the same.
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2007 Bit2Right, all rights reserved.
Published: Monday, November 26, 2007
Last modified: Monday, November 26, 2007
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I agree with your premise, that adherence to the Constitution needs to start in the Congress. Career politicians are not corrupt initially. Most of them are called to serve, to take care of people. But they forget the limits on power. They get trapped in the power game. Working myopically, they can't accept that they are the problem.
I'm too attached to my job to run for Congress. The Republican congressman in my district spends a million dollars per election, even when there is no serious challenger. I agree with his votes on more than half the bills. He does compromise on some things to get his projects through. We could do worse.
Every two years, one-third the Senate and the entire House of Representatives are refreshed. In the mean-time, each member of congress has email, phones and fax machines. The best we can do with our career politicians is voice our desires. It worked with that 400-page immigration bill in the Senate.
It's like my old boss used to say, if your people won't change, get some who will.
We'll see if this election really creates a permanent network of constitutional watchdogs. The people can become the fourth branch of government.
“No. But I would certainly work with the Congress, the proper way, and get the Congress to pass a law to change it, and to repeal the 16th amendment. So no, a president… you’re always making the assumption that the President is an authoritarian. The President should be responsive to the government and to the Congress and to the people. But a president like myself, even though I would believe this, I couldn’t do it. But I would try to persuade people to do it, just as I do in the Congress, and just as I do in campaigning for the presidency.”
"We'll see if this election really creates a permanent network of constitutional watchdogs. The people can become the fourth branch of government."
We need to do more than wait and see. We need to make it happen - just as Ron's supporters are making it happen. The people need to become the "fourth branch" now - before November 5th 2008.
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2007 Bit2Right, all rights reserved.