Get Involved! | Feb2010

Obamacare: Is it Constitutional? Page 18

Clear the Bench:No more MullarkeyPage 9

Know Your ConstitutionPage 3

Come to a Tea Party

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Candidate DebateMarch 9, 2010

Details Inside

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Candidate Debate 2010 You are invited to a Candidate Forum hosted by the People, for the People.

This forum offers an opportunity for concerned citizens to evaluate the candidates aside from a political party. It is meant to encourage people to educate themselves and others. To offer their support by means of telling friends or volunteering, to donate directly to your campaigns. The involvement is up to you with no endorsement from us,

just the tools needed to get involved. All of the Colorado Senate and Governor’s Candidates are invited.

It is our Constitutional responsibility to ensure responsible leaders are elected to govern the USA.Let’s honor it. Come and let your voice be heard!

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 at 6pmMr. Biggs Family Event Center5825 Mark Dabling Blvd, Colorado Springs, Co 80919

Space is limited. Purchase your tickets today!Tickets are $5.00 in advance and $8.00 at the door.Available at: KVOR Corporate Offices, the British Home Shoppe and Mr. Biggs

Emcee: Mike Holler, author of The Constitution Made Easy

For questions please visit our website www.theconstitutionalisttoday.com,www.libertyevents.org, or www.libertycandidatesearch.com.

Brought to you by:The Constitutionalist TodayAmericans for ProsperityCoalition for a Conservative MajorityThe 9-12, Pikes Peak PatriotsThe Colorado Tea Party

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EDITORIAL

Featured Writers:

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State Representative, Kent Lambert

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Securing the Blessings of Liberty for Tomorrow

Welcome to the premier edition of The Constitu-tionalist Today! Who are we and what are we doing?

The staff and writers are a diverse group of citizens from many different walks of life, who have one thing in common: love of our country. We have learned to appre-ciate the unparalleled legacy of freedom given us by our Founding Fathers. Never in human history have people been guar-anteed the God-given freedoms outlined in our founding documents, especially the U.S. Constitution.

And never has our Constitution been under assault like it has been recently. We became alarmed at the unprecedented moves of those in power in Washington, D.C., to take over and control private in-dustry, the banks, and now our healthcare. Unemployment continues to rise as busi-nesses downsize. Runaway spending has run up our national debt to over $12 Tril-lion, and it keeps growing. We will never be able to pay this off in our lifetimes. Our children and grandchildren will be en-slaved to pay off this enormous burden.

This has happened because We the People (as a whole) allowed our politi-cians to hoodwink us, promising bennies from the government trough. Too many Americans did not understand that not only is this unconstitutional, but it will destroy the economy. Our Founders did not promise us “largesse from the public treasury;” rather, they gave us a founda-tion so that every person could pursue their dreams, work to fulfill them, and reap the rewards.

Our mission is to inform readers of what is happening to our country. We in-tend to educate citizens with a better un-derstanding of our Constitution and our Founders’ vision for America. As Daniel Webster said “Hold on, my friends, to the Constitution and the Republic for which it stands. Miracles do not cluster, and what has happened once in 6,000 years, may not happen again. Hold on to the Consti-tution, for if the American Constitution should fail, there will be anarchy through-out the world.”

We have a “government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” Too many in the political class have it back-wards, believing it is a “government of the rulers, by the rulers, and for the rulers.”

Our elected officials must be held accountable to We the People. We hope to motivate citizens to become involved in returning to the ideals that made this country the greatest bastion of freedom the world has ever seen.

Regardless of your political affilia-tion, we invite you to read the articles by our excellent writers. And please support our advertisers, who make this paper pos-sible. Together, we will turn this country back to the principles that made it great.

Edmond Burke said, “All that is nec-essary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” Fellow citizens, we urge you to become informed and in-volved. Do not let politicians steal your freedoms and your children’s future. This year’s election is crucial to the direction of our nation. But that is only one battle for our freedom. We Americans need to know our Constitution, become edu-cated about our Founders’ vision for this country, and teach our children about our great heritage. Remember what Ronald

From the EditorsReagan said, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the blood-stream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same.”

Ed. Note: As we go to press, Scott Brown wins in Massachusetts! The people have spoken and are fed up with the most corrupt federal government we have seen in our lifetimes. The tide is turning, and we will ride it to bring America back from the brink. Americans, let’s take back our liberty!—WTG

Send Letters to the Editor to:

Editor, The Constiutionalist Today1115 Elkton Drive, Suite 300Colorado Springs, CO 80907

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The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government—lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.

—Patrick Henry

The Constitution was made to safeguard the people against the dangers of good intentions.

—Daniel Webster

“Our contest is not only whether we our-selves shall be free, but whether there shall

be left to mankind an asylum on earth for civil and religious liberty.” —Samuel Adams

This past summer has been truly inspir-ing. Everywhere I look average hardworking Americans are standing up and declaring in a strong clear voice their desire to be free; ar-ticulating a desire to return our nation to its founding principles as laid out in the Con-stitution and the Bill of Rights.

This will be no small task. As many have pointed out, the path that has led us to this current situation was not some overnight catastrophe, nor some “out of the blue” cri-sis. Rather, we have been subject to a steady and deliberate erosion as, over the course of decades, the weight of individual inactions piled up around our feet.

We must accept that the work of dig-ging out will also not be an easy or short term process. We must accept that the only cure for individual inaction is individual re-sponsibility coupled with action.

Each of Us will have to decide where and how best to do this for ourselves. In my case, it is as an editor of this publication. For you it may be writing emails, calling DC, running for office, or simply talking openly about politics with friends and family. All of us must do what is in front of us to do.

Many of you have already stood up and joined this effort. Just opening this publica-tion is good evidence that you are already aware of the monumental effort that is erupting all over this nation.

To those of you for whom this is a new and dawning realization, I can offer only this briefest of consolations: You are not alone.

Welcome to the Fight.

As we wrapped up this premier edition, so many thoughts went through my head. Do we have enough

copies for everyone? Check. Did we include all of the stories? Check. Is the printer on-line with our files? Check. Well, you get my point and the list is too long to go through. One thought however, reached all the way to my soul as we spoke to hundreds of people during this launch. It’s with a heavy heart and true concern that our wonderful small businesses in this beautiful state will and can make it through this period of economic hard times.

As an entrepreneur myself, I know first-hand what it takes to make your busi-

ness grow. It starts with your dream, your family’s sacrifice and last but not least, your money. It makes me quiver as I drive along Academy Blvd.—because I wonder who’s next to take the plunge.

As publisher of this newspaper, our promise is a simple one: We will work dili-gently to help your businesses flourish, keep our readers informed and that the America we know and love will prosper once again.

The things that will destroy us are: Politics without Principle; Pleasure without Conscience; Wealth without Work; Knowledge without Character; Business without Morality; Science without Humanity; and Worship with-out Sacrifice.

—Mahatma Gandhi

A Word from the Publisher

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2 | The Constitutionalist Today

The American people want their voices heard. The Tea Parties have been an ex-emplary illustration of regular citizens speaking out to influence society. When Colorado Springs residents were asked about the most important issue facing our nation, the answers varied from the econ-omy to religious aspects in society, but all expressed concern for the present state of America.

When asked about her greatest con-cern facing the nation, one woman, who requested to remain anonymous ex-pressed, “Oh honey, we don’t have time for that!” After a hearty laugh she said, “Good leadership—that’s what I’m looking for.”

Megan stated her biggest concern was the “…lack of God.” Jean Chaskey concurred, “The lack of moral compass…. no right and wrong.” Chaskey works in the education system and expressed her concern about “the future generation” and the compromise she sees on a daily ba-sis in the work place. She exclaimed that so many parents have an attitude to “…change the rules to suit yourself.”

“The loss of personal freedom” was Susan Hayes’ greatest concern. “The gov-ernment can’t interfere with a woman’s right to choose, but it wants me to pay for everyone’s healthcare?”

Mike and Cindi Madsen expressed their great concern about healthcare as well. “Healthcare: it’s a mess either way.” Mike spoke of his healthcare situation. He said that he gets benefits from work, but it barely covers anything. Along the same lines, Andrew Ciszewski said, “The fact that people are so worried about healthcare. They’d rather have something done fast than done right.” Leanne Pearce agreed, “The only reason he’s pushing this is because he wants to be remembered for something.”

Freddy Marroquin took a different approach than most interviewed, “It’s too soon to know. The Americans haven’t giv-en Obama time.” He said that Obama is “…criticized a lot. It’s time to support and see….Obama’s intentions are good.” His optimistic view of Obama did not how-ever mask his concern for the healthcare situation, “Why should I work my butt off to pay for someone’s medical expenses who doesn’t work?” Marroquin finished with lasting words, “It doesn’t matter if they’re a Democrat or a Republican. We just need a good American.”

Kevin Leinster’s concerns had to do with, “Unemployment….The Economy....lack of stability in the job market.” Many more residents agreed with Leinster’s le-

The message is simple and clear: Register to vote as a member of a specific political party by Jan. 19. Participate in the cau-cus process of that party. Precinct-level Republican caucus meetings will be held March 16. Vote, even if your favorite can-didate does not make the ballot.

Richard Randall of KVOR Radio, ostensibly sporting his “good guy” white cowboy hat, emceed the event. Speak-ers included Jarred Rego, also of KVOR Radio; Kevin Tebedo, delegate to the We the People Continental Congress in No-vember 2009; Cheri Ofner, experienced Republican precinct chairperson, and Michelle Morin, public communications officer for Coalition for Conservative Ma-jority-Colorado Springs Chapter.

Jarred Rego, referred to by Richard Randall as “the next generation of talk ra-dio,” gave his perspective as a 23-year old. He spoke with passion about returning our country to the vision of our Founding Fathers, and encouraged the attendees to get involved in the caucuses and the elec-tion process.

Tebedo skillfully used the analogy of untangling a fishing line to the untangling of parts of the United States government. In short, he said it is more effective to re-lax and analyze the tangle before taking action than to react angrily and emotion-ally, tightening the tangle into a knot. He acknowledged there are some knots in the U.S. government, such as the unconstitu-tional income tax. As for tangles, one cited by Tebedo is the federal government’s lack

of authority to control individual states, but the federal government does so by withholding funds from states that fail to comply with certain federal mandates.

According to Tebedo, the tangle gets undone at the State House. “If you’re not involved in the caucus system, you’re not in-volved in the real power house,” Tebedo said.

Following Tebedo was Ofner, who reminded the audience that Colorado is one of the few states that still uses a cau-cus system. She warned, “If we don’t use it, we will lose it.” Ofner also emphasized the government is based on a two-party sys-tem, and encouraged attendees to affiliate with one party or the other.

Morin reiterated that the U.S. govern-mental system is designed for two parties. She urged conservatives to remain in the Republican Party and unaffiliated con-servatives to join the Republican Party. Morin argued that further split of the Republican Party will be victory for the Democrats.

“Keep the big picture in mind. This is about our freedom,” Morin said. For the benefit of citizens who shy away from the polls because they do not like choosing the lesser of two evils when their favored candidate does not make the ballot, Morin had this to say:

“Unless Jesus is on the ballot, you are always voting for the lesser of two evils.” Morin pleaded, “Don’t stay home in No-vember if your candidate doesn’t make it onto the ballot.”

gitimate frustrations. Tony simply stated, “Economy and too big of a government.”

Stell and Troy Sanders took a more religious approach with their concerns. “Atheism” was Stell’s response. They both agree that, “Gay and Lesbian marriage” is a topic they take issue with. A fellow Colorado Springs resident, after hearing their concerns, walked by and concluded, “I don’t see America being America in the next ten years.”

Maria Martinez agrees with most of Obama’s policies. Specifically on health-care she commented, “Obama’s bill is good. Better than what we have. It’s a step in the right direction.” In light of Obama’s broken promise to air healthcare negotia-tions on C-SPAN, she said, “I still think he’s honest.” She also commented that the American people shouldn’t have to know what is being discussed or voted on, “They don’t understand anything. They shouldn’t have to know. If you put the bill out in the public, they won’t get it. They’re not self-thinkers.”

Richard Fishburn, who served in the military for five years said that his greatest concern was the “…lack of military pres-ence.” He expounded, “Obama is pushing out the military. He took away all the re-enlistment bonuses. The only incentive is job security.” He continued, “We stepped in when nations needed us…” He argued that Obama is now taking away the mili-tary’s ability to help. “The rest of the ci-vilian side is so blind to what Obama is ordering the chain of command to do.” He ended on general terms with the resound-ing words, “People shouldn’t be afraid of the government. Government should be afraid of the people. We need to stand up to government.”

Martin Kuhn plainly said, “Too many wars. Too much loss of money. Too much government, not enough freedom.”

A self-proclaimed Constitutional-ist, Jeff Carver had a never-ending list of concerns, “Monetary and foreign policy.” He continued to list off things that need change or complete removal, “Get rid of the Fed, IRS, FDA, EPA…” Concerned with the complete direction the country is headed he stated, “What was once a grad-ual move is now a Socialist drop off!” He added with ardent patriotism, “Follow the Constitution. That’d be a start.”

Follow the Constitution and join The Constitutionalist Today’s online commu-nity. Comment on blogs, voice your opin-ion, and of course, exercise your freedom of speech!

Patriots Kick-Off 2010 Election Plans

Are You Being Heard?By Mary CoranContributing Writer

By Lynda JonesContributing Writer

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We the people are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution but to over-throw the men who pervert the Consti-tution.

—Abraham Lincoln

If our Federal Officials will simply honor their oaths of of-fice, Americans will be-come truly free again. We are not, because they will not. James Madison said that the people are “the pri-

mary control on the government” and that the Constitution provided only “auxiliary precautions.” We have had it backwards for too long, and now we the people must get serious and bring our government back un-der our control.

The Oath of Office has been unchanged for 125 years. It is worded as clearly as any marriage vow, and honoring it is every bit as important. Every person in the service of the United States takes essentially the same oath.

With their right hands raised (and their left hands often on a Bible), they solemnly swear that they “will support and defend the Constitution of the United States.” They do not swear to enrich themselves, secure cushy jobs for their friends and family, bring home the bacon, or support the special in-terest groups that donated money to their campaigns.

With their hands still in the air they sol-emnly swear that they will “bear true faith and allegiance” to the Constitution. They are swearing that they will adhere to the agree-ment – the Supreme Law of our land. They

will place loyalty to it above personal gain, political party or President. But ask yourself, “Where does it seem that their allegiance re-ally lies?”

They go on to swear that they are tak-ing “this oath freely, without any mental res-ervation or purpose of evasion.” This is the real laugh line – if only this were a laughing matter.

The Constitution is a binding legal agreement between the States, the people in each State, and the Federal Government they created. It gives this government a short list of “powers” to do things that the States could not reasonably or feasibly do for themselves, such as regulate trade between the States, and maintain a navy. Several times within the agreement it is made clear that the powers listed are, as Madison said, “few and defined.”

The first five words in the body of the Constitution are crucial: “All legislative powers herein granted…” “Herein granted” is easier to understand if you are dyslexic; it means “granted in here.” Only the powers “granted in here” will be vested in Congress, not the powers taken as though they were granted.

Article One, Section Eight, lists those powers in seventeen clauses. Why would the founders have debated each of these at length, and written them out by hand, if they meant for them to include other pow-ers not listed, or all powers whatsoever?

In case the body of the document is not clear enough to keep a few wild pitches from getting by, the 10th Amendment is the “backstop.” It states plainly that if any power is not assigned to the Federal Government, that such power remains with the individ-ual States, or with the people. Chief Justice

Harlan Stone (1941-1946) called the 10th Amendment “a truism that all is retained which has not been surrendered.”

All Senators and Representatives take a solemn oath to honor this agreement. Every time they propose a law, debate a law, or pass a law that does not directly flow from one of the powers listed in the Constitution, they violate their oath of office. They expand the powers of the Federal Government beyond its legitimate role. They commit legislative adultery.

Some call this unlawful expansion of government “progress” and call themselves “progressives.” A hundred years of “prog-ress” has spawned a monstrosity that can-not be managed by the Congress or by the hundreds of agencies they have created. The Federal Government can no longer afford to keep its own lights on without spend-ing money it doesn’t have and borrowing money it cannot repay. It also tramples on the rights of citizens, and undermines the sovereignty of the States. From this tyranny there appears to be no escape.

But our country and our government could still be saved. There is hope, albeit a thin hope, and time is against us. What is needed in order to start undoing the dam-age, and for Americans to start regaining their lost freedoms, is for our Federal offi-cials to start honoring their oaths, and act-ing within the boundaries of the Constitu-tion.

Then the Federal Government would begin a return to its lawful place. Fifty sover-eign States would begin to decide how much money to spend on what, and the people could become a meaningful part of the pro-cess. If one State should become tyrannical, the Constitution may afford a remedy. If not,

then as Reagan said, “the people can vote with their feet” by moving to a freer State.

However, if the United States Govern-ment continues on its path of absolute con-trol, where can our feet take us to freedom? As an African pastor asked me, “If America is no longer free, where can a refugee go?” We are simply running out of planet.

Very few of the men and women in office now seem interested in obeying the Constitution. When pressed on this ques-tion, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi replied incredulously, “Are you serious?” And again, “Are you serious?”

But elections are coming and people are suddenly engaged. The window of op-portunity is open to ask every candidate (even the incumbents), “If elected, will you honor your oath? Will you bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution yourself? Will you defend her against anyone who tries to harm her?”

Our Federal Government has endeav-ored for a century to gain control of us, and it has now lost control of itself. The Ship of State is on the rocks and we citizens are on board. If we go down, the light of freedom in the world will go out.

The elections of 2010 and 2012 may be our last chance to restore the rule of law, save our ship, and save the world. So given the gravity of your question, Madam Speaker, yes, you could say that we are serious.

Mike Holler writes and speaks about freedom and the United States Constitution, is a fre-quent guest on talk radio, and travels with the Tea Party Express. Next month he will begin a series on this page entitled, “Seven Deadly Myths.” Contact Mike or view his recent book at: TheConstitutionMadeEasy.com

Are You Serious?By Mike HollerFeatured Writer

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The Constitutionalist Today interviewed KVOR radio talk show host Richard Ran-dall.

TCT: How did you become involved in a political radio show?

Richard: I was a co-anchor on the weekend news at KKTV and reported during the week. I had always been in love with my country but I had not been all that politically active. I was in law school and Ronald Reagan was running. I re-member watching one of his speeches. My parents had been lifelong Democrats and I was so excited that here was someone saying exactly what I thought. Here was a guy who when it comes to having strong national security, what his values are, and his love for our country…it was so power-ful that I ended up calling his campaign and offering to work on it. And I assumed that at some point I was going to change from Radio and TV to talk radio…I have become a little bit more conservative as time has gone by.

TCT: What drove you to become more conservative in life and politics?

Richard: I’m older, understand the world better, and I have children and be-cause of those things I am more conserva-tive than I used to be. I think that when you look at your tax bill, when you look at how much money you make and where that money goes… if that doesn’t make you a fiscal conservative, I don’t know what will. There is this idea that if you are a conservative you don’t have a heart. I reject that notion completely. The major-ity of people I know who call themselves conservatives are very compassionate. The majority of them are Christian, are

not selfish people. Instead they believe that they are more accountable with their own money and do a better job of decid-ing where that money is going to go. They are better stewards of money…than the government could ever be.

TCT: How did the United States get into the predicament we are in today?

Richard: We wanted everything. There are analogies between individuals and families and government. A certain family wants a wide screen TV and a new car and they want to go on vacation and to live in a nice area. But can they afford all of these things? Most people I know are solving the problem of living beyond their means. They are cutting back on their lifestyle. They are becoming more fiscally responsible now than ever before. The disconnect is that Washington doesn’t understand that the average American is saying “We’re doing that individually and in our families and we want you as a govern-ment to do the same thing.” There is ac-countability; you have to pay for these things. The American public is paying for these things and is saying “What is our money going for, what are we getting in return for this money?” They are angry and they have every right to be angry.

TCT: What can the American people do now to put our country and our gov-ernment back on the right track?

Richard: First you have to be well in-formed but you cannot rely on the main-stream media. They are more biased now than they have ever been before. It is a national crisis in my opinion, how biased they are and how uninformed the Ameri-can public is because of that bias.

You can’t be complacent. Average Americans are tired, they work hard, they take care of their families, they try to be good members of their community, to be involved in their churches and various organizations. But there are some things that need to be on top of the priority list and holding government accountable is one of those things. Complacency will kill this country.

We now realize that the government has not been taking care of our interests. The government and political parties have

been taking care of special interests. And those are not the in-terests of the average American. [Besides] conservatives and Republicans, I firmly believe that there are a lot of independents, moderates and Demo-crats who are not be-

ing looked out for by this government as well. And they are fertile ground for con-servatives and Republicans to reach out to them and to let them understand.

The Michelle Obamas would say, “For the first time in my life I am proud of this country.” There is a country that she would love to see pass away. There are values that we have held dear that she would love to see pass away. Their vision is for a different America. Their vision is for an America that is not the current America or the America of the past. I’m talking about things that are fundamental core values to us. Christmas, traditional values of respecting and loving our coun-try, our freedoms and our military. If they see those things pass away… it’s fine with them. But is not fine with the rest of us.

TCT: You identified a key issue: com-placency. How do you wake people up?

Richard: I always appeal to people first of all, take an extra five or ten minutes at the end of the day and say a prayer for those who are in power. I do believe in the power of prayer and I’m not embarrassed to say it. I cannot think of a president who has needed prayer as much as this one does because he is completely unprepared for the position he is in. He is not qualified and doesn’t have a clue in the world what he is doing. And maybe it is only because so many people have prayed for him that we are not in a bigger mess than we are already.

Beyond that, I would say that people need to take a little time and understand the issues. You must reach out not just to like-minded people, but have con-versations with others. Not arguments, you have conversations where you try to explain why this is a better model, why this is a better situation, why this is not a good idea. For me the common thing is love of this country. The motto used by the McCain campaign, “Country First” was brilliant. Apparently it wasn’t as bril-liant as “hope” because it didn’t work. But it was brilliant in my mind because if you say “Country First” other things fall into place. We need more people who instead of putting their special interest first, are putting country first.

TCT: Have Coloradoans awakened?Richard: I don’t think the alarm clock

has gone off for a lot of Coloradans. There is a segment that has awakened. Those are

the people that you will see at Tea Parties, using Facebook and other power tools. There are people who are very, very active, who are very driven and passionate. Ev-eryday more people are waking up.

We are winning. If you had told the Administration a year ago that they would have been bogged down for the better part of the past year, certainly the last half a year, over healthcare, they would have said, “No way, that’s a slam dunk. Ameri-cans want healthcare. The average person is upset with healthcare; doesn’t like the insurance industry; has been frustrated with the bureaucracy and the paperwork.” Well, they were right on that. I don’t talk to anybody who doesn’t believe that there needs to be some sort of reform when it comes to healthcare. What they misunder-stood was, “We’re not willing to go where they want it to.” They have ended up in a quagmire over healthcare that they never anticipated. And that has delayed them from going on to other things by now… such as amnesty for illegal aliens. If they have amnesty for illegals, now all of a sud-den they are legal and qualify for health-care. They would have a voting block for the next 10, 20, or 30 years that would pre-clude Republicans and conservatives from being elected on a national level.

If you would have told me a year ago that people would have been as motivated and worked as hard to fight against this as they have I would have said, “No I don’t think so.” Yet the public is smart and the defining line is not that people don’t want people to have healthcare. I think that the average person would love to live in a country where everyone had healthcare, had good dental care…didn’t have to wor-ry if they got sick what was going to hap-pen to them.

We are asking the fundamental ques-tion, “HOW DO WE AFFORD THIS?” Part of their answer is, “Well we afford this by cutting back on the military.” Really? If you do that over a prolonged period of time… what freedoms do you think we will have in this country? And how safe will we be… we’ll all have healthcare but we will be vulnerable to the rest of the world.

The average person says, “You don’t wait until the dead of night. You don’t wait until the last minute.” American people are smart enough that if a man appears at their door with a 50 page document… gives the sales pitch, “This is a great deal, it’s going to work to your benefit. Don’t worry about the cost, it’s 50 pages long, but here, just sign this. Trust me, you don’t need to read it.” The average American is going to say, “No way in hell am I doing that.” And yet the people that represent us in Washington are doing that.

There are people who say that this is a brilliant administration and they have done much. But they have tried to take Chicago politics and do it on a national level and it has not worked for them. It is back-firing on them. There is hell to be paid because they tried applying the Chi-cago model to how they to do things. And they are being rejected not just in Colo-rado but elsewhere in the nation.

The Richard Randall show airs weekdays in Colorado Springs from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on KVOR radio, 740 AM.

Just Ask Richard!Compiled by Cindy LyonsContributing Writer

I’m older, understand the world better, and I have children; because of those things, I am more conservative than I used to be.

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Below is a partial list of grassroots and political groups based in El Paso, Teller, and Douglas counties. More infor-mation is available on their websites or from their contacts. The Liberty Events Calendar (libertyevents.org) is a compre-hensive calendar for Colorado grassroots and Republican party activities. For questions or suggestions, contact me at [email protected].

9-12 Pikes Peaks Patriotsfreeandunited.com

912 Project, Castle Rockwww.meetup.com/South-Denver-912-Project-Group/

Americans For Prosperity, Coloradowww.americansforprosperity.org/colo rado

Colorado Springs Tea Partywww.teapartypatriots.org/Group/Colo rado_Springs_TEA_Party

Teller Tea Party www.tellerteaparty.com/

Woodland Park & Colorado Springs Tea Partywww.teaparty.org/coloradoteaparty.html

Tea Party Patriots, Castle Rockwww.teapartypatriots.org/Group/Castle_Rock_Tea_Party

Coalition for a Conservative Majority, Colorado Springswww.ccm-cos.com

Liberty on the Rocks, Colorado Springs coloradosprings.libertyontherocks.org

Area Groups and OrganizationsCompiled by Cindy LyonsContributing Writer

Join one or more! Help us bring our country back to its roots of liberty and freedom for all!

Limited Government Forumwww.limitedgovforum.org

Local Liberty Onlinelocallibertyonline.org

ParentalRights.orgparentalrights.org

Pikes Peak Economics Clubpikespeakeconomicsclub.com/CMS/PPEC/

Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition, Inc.www.ppfc.org

Give Me Libertywww.givemeliberty.org

Colorado Springs Campaign for Libertyronpaul.meetup.com/310

Sunrise Republican Womenwww.coloradosrw.com

Douglas County Republican Womenwww.dcrw.org

El Paso County GOPwww.gopelpaso.com

Colorado Federation of Republican Womenwww.nfrw.org/statefederations/colorado.htm

Republican Club of Falconwww.falconrepublicans.org

UCCS College RepublicansJosh Manweiler: 719-251-7765

Pikes Peak Young RepublicansEli Bremer: 719-213-3428 email: [email protected]

Teller County Republicanswww.teller-gop.org [email protected]

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Think back if you can to September 12, 2001. It was the day after the horrific at-tack on our nation by Muslim terrorists, who brazenly used our own planes as weapons to kill approximately 2970 of our people. The shock and terror felt by all Americans around the country and mil-lions of others around the world was inde-scribable. How could this possibly happen to us, the greatest most powerful nation on earth?

It took awhile for the fear to sub-side, but the shock turned to outrage as Americans everywhere quickly put aside differences of every kind and stood together. They united as one in defense of America against a com-mon enemy whose inten-tions for this nation, while in doubt by some in the past, were no longer in ques-tion. We were “One nation under God” and even Congress seemed to be on board as they stood in solidarity on the steps of the Capitol Building and sang “God Bless America.”

On 9/12, 2001, there were no Red states or Blue states or political parties. We were all Americans, standing together in defense of the greatest nation ever created.

That was only eight years ago but it may as well be 50 or 100 years for how far we’ve come from the unity and cohesive-ness we experienced at that time. Politi-cal parties are as partisan and divided as ever but what’s really disconcerting is how out of touch our leaders – at all levels of government – are with the people. Worse, they seem determined to implement an agenda that is against the will of a ma-jority of the people. They have thumbed their nose at our cherished Constitution and the Bill of Rights and are choosing to make their own rules according to their own self-serving standards.

The will of the people is being usurped by the desire for power and con-trol by our government. Many citizens feel alone as they watch in disbelief and frus-tration over the direction our country is headed, feeling powerless to do anything about it.

The truth is you are not alone and you are not powerless. There are millions in this country who feel the same way. They are mobilizing under different ban-ners but are speaking with one voice for the purpose of saving our freedoms and returning to the rule of law. They are de-

manding that our government adhere to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. They want to roll back the tyranny that is sweeping this country, especially the ex-cessive taxation that threatens to suck the life out of us and our economy. They want to remind our elected officials that they work for us, not the other way around.

One of the more prominent groups leading the way in this endeavor is the 9/12 Project initially started by Glenn Beck, one of America’s leading radio and TV personalities. However, while Glenn might have been the one who initiated this

project, this is a grassroots m o v e m e n t c o m p o s e d of everyday A m e r i c a n s who love their country and are becom-

ing increasingly knowledgeable about the political process and the tenets of the Constitution. Like our Founding Fathers, they are adamant that our government of-ficials, at every level, be held accountable and abide by the laws of the Constitution.

John Locke was one of those great thinkers whose writings inspired our Founding Fathers. In his classical Second Essay Concerning Civil Government he set forth the same doctrine later espoused by Thomas Jefferson in The Declaration of Independence:

“…Whensoever, therefore, the leg-islative shall transgress this fundamen-tal rule of society and either by ambi-tion, fear, folly or corruption endeavor to grasp themselves, or put in the hands of any other, an absolute power over the lives, liberties, and estates of the people, by this breach of trust, THEY (the govern-ment officials) FORFEIT THE POWER THE PEOPLE HAD PUT INTO THEIR HANDS… and it devolves (is transferred) to the people, who have a right to resume their liberty, and…provide for their own safety and security.”

At the origin of America, our Found-ing Fathers built this country on 28 pow-erful principles. These were gathered from the writings of a variety of critical think-ers, including Polybius, Cicero, Thomas Hooker, Coke, Montesquieu, Blackstone, John Locke and Adam Smith. The teach-ings of Jesus Christ were also instrumen-tal in helping to develop these principles. The 9/12 Project has distilled the original 28 down to the nine basic principles and combined them with 12 important values.

Principles1. America is Good.2. I believe in God and He is the Center

of my Life.3. I must always try to be a more honest

person than I was yesterday.4. The family is sacred. My spouse and I

are the ultimate authority, not the gov-ernment.

5. If you break the law you pay the penalty. Justice is blind and no one is above it.

6. I have a right to life, liberty and the pur-suit of happiness, but there is no guar-antee of equal results.

7. I work hard for what I have and I will share it with who I want to. Government cannot force me to be charitable.

8. It is not un-American for me to disagree with authority or to share my personal opinion.

9. The government works for me. I do not answer to them, they answer to me.

ValuesHonesty, Reverence, Hope, Thrift, Humil-ity, Personal Responsibility, Charity, Sin-cerity, Moderation, Hard Work, Courage, Gratitude

Not only do those in the 9/12 Project desire that we become the kind of people we were on September 12, 2001, but they also seek to live according to these prin-ciples themselves. They also believe it is imperative our elected officials strive to do the same if our country is to survive.

If you are aligned with a majority of these principles and values we invite you to be a part of a local 9/12 group and let your voice be heard. With an election tak-ing place this November, 2010 is a critical year in the fight against oppressive taxa-tion, out-of-control government spending and politicians’ unbridled lust for power and control. Sitting on the sidelines is not an option if you desire to continue to en-joy the freedoms you have experienced up until now. Silence or non-action is a vote of approval for the status quo.

We invite you today to join with 1.5 million other like-minded Americans who feel as you do, and stand together with them to protect the greatest nation ever created. We the People have the pow-er. The genius of our Founding Fathers led them to set up our government that way. So let’s use the power that was given to us by men who sacrificed their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to make that possible for us.

For more information on how to join a lo-cal 9/12 group go to:

www.freeandunited.comThe 9/12 Pikes Peak Patriots is the Colo-rado Springs, District #5 Region local chapter.

www.the912project.comThis national website will direct you to a local 9/12 group in your area.

The Story of the 9-12 ProjectA Grassroots Movement of “We the People” to Reclaim our CountryBy Dwan RagerContributing Writer

If ever a time should come, when vain and aspiring men shall possess the highest seats in Government, our country will stand in need of its experienced patriots to prevent its ruin.

—Samuel Adams

On 9/12, 2001, there were no Red states or Blue states or political parties. We were all Americans, standing together in defense of the greatest nation ever created.

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It’s no secret that Colorado Springs is a city overflowing with military, many of whom are deployed, putting their lives on the line every day. People here on the home front are constantly striving for ways to show their appreciation and support for the troops. A few years ago, two men found a way to do just that.

Bob Carlone and Joe Henjum, re-tired Air Force colonels, established The Home Front Cares (THFC) in Colorado Springs on May 13, 2003. “Bob Carlone and Joe Henjum realized the enormity of the task with the Global War on Terror-ism (GWOT), Operation Enduring Free-dom (OEF) and Operation Iraq Freedom (OIF),” said Roz Trojan, THFC Executive Program Manager. “They knew what a tre-mendous effort it would cost our service members. They wanted to establish a way to help the families of the deployed military with emergency assistance so the deployed service member would have some peace of mind.”

The Home Front Cares’ mission is to provide support for all of Colorado’s OEF/OIF active duty, Reserve and National Guard members and their families. THFC provides emergency financial assistance and in some situations goods and services. Trojan said similar organizations exist in other parts of the country but their mis-sions vary. “Our mission has grown since the founding of THFC in 2003 to include veterans and those who have been de-ployed in harm’s way since 9/11,” Roz said.

The Home Front Cares is a non – profit 501(c)(3) corporation that has helped more than 1,250 military families, contributing over $1,330,000 in aid since its founding in 2003. Additionally, THFC, in partner-ship with Energy Outreach Colorado, has distributed more than $500,000 in energy relief to military and veteran families. THFC provides assistance by collaborat-ing with the Ft. Carson Army Community Service and the Family Support Centers at the Air Force Academy, Peterson Air Force Base, Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Sta-tion, Schriever Air Force Base and the vari-ous VA offices in the state. These agencies identify and verify financial needs. THFC’s programs include:• Grants to Families Fund: Assistance

for car repairs, house repairs, childcare, evictions, food, and other family emer-gencies.

• Energy Assistance Program: As an agency of Energy Outreach Colorado, THFC receives limited grants to pay en-ergy bills for all Active Duty, Activated Reserve and National Guard, and recent medically released Veterans living in Colorado who need financial assistance. (Deployment not required)

• Wounded Troops/Casualty Assistance Fund: Pays travel costs and incidental expenses of military family members traveling to visit seriously wounded ser-vice members in military hospitals. The same service is extended to family mem-bers to attend memorial services of ser-vice members killed in action.

• Adaptive Housing and Vehicle Modifi-cation Program: Help for disabled mili-tary and veterans in the State of Colo-rado in obtaining housing and vehicle modifications necessary to improve their quality of life and to aid them in adapting to their disabilities.

• Phil Long’s Operation Home Support: The Phil Long family of car dealerships, in partnership with The Home Front Cares, helps to solve transportation problems for military families through roadside assistance, rental car discounts and maintenance, plus service and repair discounts.

• Welcome Home GWOT Heroes Pro-gram: Started in January 2004, the Wel-come Home GWOT Heroes Program in-volves local citizens in welcoming home our troops. It also supports special needs for wounded warrior units at local instal-lation hospitals, rehabilitative facilities, and the Warrior Transition Unit.

Al Batey and Tom Miller are the found-ers of Welcome Home GWOT Heroes. “We started GWOT in July 2005,” Batey said. “In April 2007, this program was merged un-der The Home Front Cares organization.” GWOT conducts homecoming activities for troops based in the Colorado Springs area when they return from active theatres of operation. Major activities of the Wel-come Home GWOT Heroes Program are:• Supporting welcoming events for return-

ing soldiers, airmen, and their families along with Memorial Services, Wounded Warrior Socials, and other functions not readily supported by DOD funding.

• Providing a link for local citizens to ac-tively participate in welcoming home our Hungry Heroes via a partnership with the Southern Colorado McDonald’s op-erators, with free McDonalds’ meals.

• Providing Welcome Home packets for deployed soldiers and families. Pack-ets include discount coupons and spe-cial offers from local businesses and are distributed at the Special Events Center after the Welcome Home ceremony, at the Post Welcome Center during initial newcomers in processing, and at Evans Army Hospital for returning wounded warriors.

• Providing funding for brigade level ac-tivities such as military balls.

• Supporting hospital and rehabilitative facilities which includes the Wounded Warriors program, regular social events held to benefit wounded troops.

An organization such as The Home Front Cares needs many helping hands to make it work. Currently, THFC has about 40-50 volunteers who work from home. “We need caseworkers who actually help the client make an application, review the facts of the case and make recommenda-tions on approval,” Trojan said. “We also need a volunteer coordinator to orches-trate the work of the volunteers. We can use people with experience in public rela-tions, community outreach, fundraising, and event planning. We are also seeking a chairperson for our next Military Ap-preciation Dinner.” The last dinner was held Nov. 4, 2009 at the Broadmoor Hotel. “General David Petraeus was the keynote speaker. We had almost 1,000 folks for din-ner. While not a fund raiser, the attendees turned out in record numbers to show their appreciation for our military,” Trojan said. The next dinner will take place this year in November or December. Anyone is wel-come to attend. Its one more way THFC supports local military members and their families.

Sadly, Col. Henjum passed away Jan. 1 of this year, but THFC marches on. “Our goal for the future is to continue to provide support to the military, as described on our website, by attracting donors through good stewardship of funds and making the maxi-mum use of volunteers,” Trojan said.

For more information about volunteer posi-tions and how to get involved email [email protected], or call (719) 447-3838, or visit their website at www.The-HomeFrontCares.org. THFC depends on donations for its continued success. Dona-tions can be sent via check or money order to: The Home Front Cares, Inc., P.O. Box 38516, Colorado Springs, CO 80937-8516 or by accessing Pay Pal on the website.

The Home Front CaresBy Julie AyersContributing Writer

Local Perspectives

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Candidates for the State Assembly races in El Paso County are listed below. For more information, visit: El Paso County Repub-licans at www.gopelpaso.com and El Paso County Democrats at www.peakdems.org.

State Senate RacesDistrict #9: Republican Incumbent Senator David Schultheis, Retiring; Republican Representative Kent Lambert; Republican Thomas McDowellDistrict #11: Democrat Incumbent John Morse, Senate Majority Leader; Republican Owen Hill, challenger

State House RacesDistrict #14: Incumbent Republican Kent Lambert, running for State Senate

Colorado State Assembly Races 2010, El Paso CountyCompiled by Jim WilliamsContributing Writer

Republican Candidates

Ken Buckwww.buckforcolorado.comAdjunct law professor, prosecutor, and businessman. Weld County District At-torney since 2004. Princeton Univer-sity (BS) Politics, 1981; Juris Doctorate, University of Wyoming, 1985. Opposes big government solutions to fiscal and social problems, including “stimulus packages,” and unnecessary regulations of free markets. Supports lower taxes and balanced budgets, and is pro-life. Opposes Cap and Trade, favors more aggressive utilization of current energy resources and development of alterna-tive energy sources. With a son at West Point, Buck is a strong supporter of our military. Opposes a federal takeover of healthcare, and proposes targeted solu-tions to bring quality care to everyone. Believes that our borders should be con-trolled, and immigration laws enforced and only then “pathways to citizenship be provided.”

Jane Nortonwww.janenortonforcolorado.comFormer Colorado Lieutenant Governor, Colorado State House of Representatives 1986-1987. Point person for Gov. Ow-ens on reforming Colorado’s healthcare system. BS-Health Sciences, Colorado State University; MS-Management, Re-gis University. First executive director for Denver Police Foundation (2007). President of the Board of Directors of the Colorado Emergency Preparedness

Candidates for U.S. Senator from ColoradoCompiled by Jim WilliamsContributing Writer

Partnership. Graduate of the FBI Citi-zens’ Academy. Supports lower taxes, a balanced budget, and reduced national debt. Opposes earmarks, “stimulus packages,” and Cap and Trade. Supports tort reform and free market solutions to healthcare. Is pro-life except in the case of rape, incest, or the life of the mother, opposes all federal funding of abortion, and is a “strict constructionist” of the Constitution. Supports traditional mar-riage and the Federal Marriage Amend-ment. A strong supporter of the 2nd Amendment. Believes in securing the Nation’s borders, and opposes amnesty for persons here illegally.

Cleve Tidwellwww.tidwellforsenate.comFormer U. S. Marine, business ex-ecutive and leader for 30 years. Sup-ports reduction of government spend-ing, elimination of earmarks, getting the Federal Government out of local schools, mitigation of illegal immigra-tion, and protecting 2nd Amendment rights. Opposes Cap and Trade, and further “bailouts” for failing businesses. Tidwell would “stimulate” the economy by cutting corporate tax rates, opening production of more oil, natural gas and nuclear power while developing alter-native energy sources, and eliminating the permanent capital gains rate.

Tom Wienswww.tomwiens2010.comRancher and small business owner in Douglas County. Served in the Colo-

rado State House and Senate. Bachelor’s degree, The American University in Washington, D.C.; Masters of Divinity, Yale University. Studied at the Univer-sity of Graz, Austria. Opposes waste-ful government spending, “stimulus” spending and bailouts, tax increases and over – regulation of industry. Pro life, pro energy development and sup-ports the Global War on Terror, 2nd Amendment rights, term limits, and protection of property rights.

Steve Bartonwww.bartonforsenate.orgCalifornia native, relocated to Colorado in 1983. Patent attorney. Degrees in en-gineering, law, and medicine. Favors limited government.

Gary Kennedywww.kennedyforcolorado.comColorado native from Montezuma County. Superintendent of Mancos Water Conservancy District. Opposes expanding government, financial “bail-outs,” stimulus funding, and amnesty for illegal aliens. Supports tort reform, border security, agriculture, and a re-duced role of government.

Democratic Candidates

Michael Bennetbennetforcolorado.comAppointed Senator from Colorado by Gov. Ritter to fill the seat vacated by Ken Salazar in 2009. Served as Superin-

tendent of Denver Public Schools. Den-ver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s Chief of Staff for two years. Formerly Managing Director of the Anschutz Investment Company. Supports current healthcare legislation, renewable energy, and the new energy economy, and responsible development of oil and natural gas. Pro-choice and supports a path to le-galization for illegal aliens. Advocates increased and sustained government spending through “investments” in “economic building blocks.” Believes in a global response to terrorism, nu-clear proliferation, and global climate change.

Andrew Romanoffwww.andrewromanoff.comChallenging Sen. Bennet for the candi-dacy. Four terms in the Colorado state legislature, Speaker of the House 2005 – 2009. Bachelor’s degree, Yale; Master’s degree in public policy, Harvard; Law degree, University of Denver. Served as senior associate at the Colorado con-sulting firm of Greenberg Baron Simon & Miller. Taught at the University of Colorado, the Community College of Aurora, Metropolitan State College of Denver, and Red Rocks Community College. Supports current healthcare legislation, more federal partnership in education, reduction of carbon emis-sions to address global climate change, and research and development of alter-native energy sources.

District #9: Republican Janak Joshi M.D., unopposedDistrict #15: Incumbent Republican Mark Waller, unopposed.District #16: Incumbent Republican Larry Liston, unopposed.District #17: Incumbent Democrat Dennis Apuan, Republican Mark Barker, Republican Catherine “Kit” RoupeDistrict #18: Democrat Mike Merrifield, Retiring, Republican Karen Cullen, Democrat Pete LeeDistrict #19: Republican Marsha Looper, unopposed.District #20: Republican Amy Stephens, unopposedDistrict #21: Republican Bob Gardner, unopposed.

A wise and frugal government, which shall leave men free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned—this is the sum of good government.

—Thomas Jefferson

I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.

—Thomas Jefferson

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The Supreme Court of Colorado is hav-ing its way with the State Constitution. Led by Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, the court majority has ruled against the Constitution on multiple occasions in order to impose their political agenda on the citizens of Colorado.

Colorado voters will have a chance to fix the situation in November when the justices come up for a retention election. In this state, citizens have the chance to evalu-ate Supreme Court justices and decide whether to keep them in office, or move them on to greener pastures.

Matt Arnold is the founder of Clear the Bench Colorado (CTBC), an organiza-tion hoping to oust the court majority in the 2010 retention elections. He was re-cently interviewed for this article. According to Ar-nold, CTBC “[is] about returning accountability to that third branch of government that ev-eryone forgets about, the judicial branch.”

The justices guilty of violating their oath to uphold Colorado’s Constitution are Michael Bender, Alex Martinez, Nancy Rice and Chief Justice Mary Mullarkey, Ar-nold said. He went on to say that because the justices are not upholding the consti-tution, they do not deserve to be retained in the 2010 elections. As the elections take place every ten years, it would be a long time before Colorado has another chance to purge the court. “If we do not hold these people accountable now, they are in office for another ten years. We cannot afford that,” Arnold declared.

Arnold focuses on four instances where the court overstepped their author-ity. The first of these he calls the “Mill Levy Tax Freeze.” In May 2008, the Supreme Court majority upheld an unconstitutional increase on property taxes and denied the citizens of Colorado the right to vote on the matter.

The Mill Levy tax rate is designed to fluctuate because the state is supposed to make a set amount of revenue from prop-erty taxes from year to year. “[The state] froze [the tax rate] at a time when it had floated up to a near-historic high,” Arnold said. The result is that as property values recover, the taxes will increase on each property.

According to the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, Article 10 Section 20 of the Con-stitution, “…districts must have voter ap-proval in advance for: … any new tax, tax rate increase, mill levy above that for the prior year, valuation for assessment ratio increase for a property class, or extension of an expiring tax, or a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district.”

By denying Colorado citizens the right to vote on the tax increase, the Supreme Court violated the State Constitution as well as locked in place an increase on prop-erty taxes for the next few years, Arnold said.

Another violation of the people’s trust Arnold refers to as the “November Sur-prise.” On November 3, 2008 the Supreme Court blurred the distinction between tax-es and fees with the Barber V. Ritter case. The government is using semantics to get around the issue of bringing a vote before the people of Colorado.

Arnold pointed out that the revenue gained from a fee has to be used for ex-penses related to the service provided. For example, the fee charged to get into a state

park helps pay for upkeep. The citizens of Colorado do not vote on fees.

A tax is applied to a specific service but the revenue goes toward a general-purpose fund, Arnold said. For example, money gained from the sales tax can be used to pay police salaries. Taxes must be voted on by the people.

The Barber V. Ritter case was brought up because the government was taking money collected from fees and transfer-ring it to the general-purpose fund, a clear violation of the Constitution. The Supreme Court ruled that as long as the language used states the initial purpose of the reve-nue gained was to fund a particular service, the charge is considered a fee.

As long as the government says the new “fee” is to fund a particular service, they can enact it without taking a vote. They can then move the

revenue they gain into the general-purpose fund without fear of reprisal, Arnold said. This boils down to the fact that the govern-ment can now spend a “fee” as a tax, there-by taxing the citizens of Colorado without the inconvenience of taking a vote.

The third violation of the Supreme Court is what Arnold calls the “Telluride Land Grab.” Mullarkey led the Supreme Court in ruling that because the town of Telluride was home rule, they could legally exercise eminent domain over property outside the city limits. The backlash of the ruling is that any home rule municipal-ity can now exercise eminent domain any-where in the state. “If you live anywhere besides the backseat of your car… [your property] can be taken from you,” Arnold declared.

“Judicial Redistricting” is the fourth ruling CTBC took issue with. The Supreme Court helped itself to the power that is con-stitutionally held by the Legislature. “[The Constitution] very clearly leaves redistrict-ing and reapportioning in the hands of the Legislature,” Arnold explained. He stated that the Supreme Court ruled itself part of the General Assembly in the Salazar V. Da-vidson case, thereby giving itself the power of redistricting.

Arnold asserted that The Supreme Court is not adhering to the Constitution, which is part of their job. He stated that the way the court usurps power is by redefin-ing the words of the Constitution. “They have made it so their word is law.”

While Colorado citizens have to wait until November 2010 to vote these court justices out of office, there are a few things to do in the meantime. Arnold encourages people to get informed about what is going on in the Supreme Court. “[The court] is only able to do these things because we let them. We haven’t been paying attention,” he declared. The website clearthebenchcol-orado.com has multiple resources includ-ing web-links and references to help people get informed. CTBC can also be found on Facebook as well as Twitter.

Arnold also stressed the importance of spreading the word about the situation to your friends and neighbors.

Lastly, the citizens of Colorado can assist CTBC by sending money or volun-teering to help with their campaign against these unjust justices. The organization needs resources and volunteers, Arnold said. “I get nothing out of this besides standing up for the Constitution. It is self defense.”

Clear the Bench Colorado: No More MullarkyBy Brad KerstetterContributing Writer

The justices guilty of violating their oath to uphold Colorado’s Constitution are…

State Perspectives

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Scott McInnis of Grand Junc-tion has served as a six-term U. S. Congressman from Colorado’s western slope,

from 1993 to 2004. Before that, he served ten years in the Colorado State Legisla-ture. His business background includes that of a hospital director and a partner in a law firm. He is also a former police officer and volunteer firefighter.

According to the campaign website, McInnis is running for governor because he did not want to sit on the sidelines, “…As the failed policies of the cur-rent administration (of Gov. Bill Ritter) harmed the state...”

Many voters are former Republicans who have since become independents because of a lack of what they feel are true conservative values. McInnis said he believed that many Republicans still hold conservative values. For that rea-son, these values do not need to be re-stored to the party because they never left.

McInnis plans to attract indepen-dents back to the party by sticking to what he called the Republican Principles, meaning fiscal responsibility, downsiz-ing government, the Second Amend-ment, and the Tenth Amendment, for example.

McInnis explained that one third of independents tend to vote Democrat while another third tend to vote Repub-lican. He said that about eight percent of independent voters are truly unaffiliated. “I frankly believe that that eight per-cent… would largely [vote] Republican based on our principles.”

McInnis focused on jobs and the economy. He said in the interview that he believed the way to balance the bud-get was to bring the oil and gas indus-tries as well as the Military back to Colo-rado in order to gain revenue. He said he would not raise taxes or come up with backdoor taxes in the guise of “fees.”

To bring the oil and gas companies back to Colorado McInnis said he would replace the oil and gas commissioners who wrote the regulations that drove the industries out in the first place. McInnis believes that by implementing new regu-lations, oil and gas companies will return to Colorado and help the economy grow.

The Military has started to look at other states to fulfill their expansion

requirements. They did so because the current state administration basically refused to work with them, McInnis ex-plained. One example he gave was the Democratic message to the Pentagon that they would not allow the expansion of Piñon Canyon for the Army at Fort Carson. McInnis called the fact that the military was looking at other states “self inflicted wounds,” and said he would fix them. He claimed he would do so by going to the Pentagon and inviting the military back to Colorado.

McInnis is in favor of keeping the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) in-tact. “Big government does not create big ideas,” McInnis said while explaining the idea behind TABOR. He sees it as a way to protect the people from unfair tax increases.

McInnis sees the Supreme Court as being run by liberal justices. He said that he would change that by looking for conservative judges. (Ed. Note: See our article on Clear the Bench Colorado in this issue)

This reporter experienced some dif-ficulty contacting Scott McInnis and his campaign staff. I was able to land a five-minute interview with McInnis recently after an event in Colorado Springs at which he spoke. At that time, McInnis staffers assured me they would make ev-ery effort to communicate better with us in the future.

When it comes to the Tea Party movement, the McInnis Campaign has a wound it is trying to heal. During an in-terview with Neil Cavuto on Fox News, Cavuto called McInnis the Colorado Tea Party Candidate, although the Tea Par-ties had not endorsed him. While at the time he did not reject the claim, the Mc-Innis Campaign has since said that Mc-Innis merely failed to correct Cavuto in the assumption, rather than claiming the title. Some Tea Partiers still claim oth-erwise.

On the other hand, McInnis has received the endorsement of many Re-publican leaders in El Paso County and across Colorado. A McInnis campaign press release showed that they had raised $1,036,877 as of January 15th.

The winner of the Republican pri-mary will face Denver Mayor John Hick-enlooper in the general election in No-vember.

Scott McInnis’ website is:mcinnisforcolorado.com

Dan Maes, Republican for Governor

Scott McInnis, Republican for Governor

By Brad KerstetterContributing Writer

By Brad KerstetterContributing Writer

Dan Maes brings 25 years of busi-ness experience to the table in his run for governor. Since the posi-tion of governor

is an executive office rather than a legis-lative one, it is a lot like running a busi-ness. Having effectively managed several enterprises as well as turning around two failing businesses, Maes feels confident he can lead the state to a successful recovery from its current fiscal and political pre-dicament.

He is running for governor because he felt called to “do something bigger than myself,” Maes said. He did not want to sit on the sidelines while, “[He] saw [Colo-rado] heading down the same path as Washington D.C.”

Many independent voters are for-mer Republicans who left the party be-cause of a lack of true conservative values, Maes says. He would restore conserva-tive principles to the Republican Party by staying consistent with the conservative platform—what he called the “original Republican platform.” He plans to bring back the independent voters by establish-ing credibility as a conservative by doing what he says he’s going to do.

On fiscal issues he plans on balancing the state budget by “Downsizing govern-ment, first and foremost.” Approximately 4000 government jobs would be cut, rang-ing from higher education to the execu-tive branch of government.

Other plans include reluctant cuts in funding for K-12 education, which takes up nearly half of the state’s general fund. “I do not want to hurt public schools but we have to be reasonable with our budget,” Maes said. K-12 is guaranteed its current funding, plus inflation, plus one percent growth every year. Since there is limited money in the general fund, other govern-mental entities have to shrink because of the increased funding being absorbed by K-12, Maes pointed out. He believes that parental involvement in the education process helps students more than “throw-ing money at the problem.”

According to Maes, the government does not create jobs; it merely creates an environment that allows the free-market to thrive and create jobs. He explained that the government does so by implementing proper regulations and tax structures.

Maes believes that a major step to-ward economic recovery is to bring the oil

and gas companies back to Colorado. He claims that doing so will require repeal-ing the regulations that were put in place by Governor Ritter and the Colorado Oil & Gas Conservation Commission. Maes plans to have the regulations rewritten in a way that lets the oil and gas industry know it is welcome in Colorado.

He says that the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) acts as a shield that pro-tects the citizens of Colorado from unfair tax increases. Maes will help protect TA-BOR to ensure citizens the right to vote on tax issues.

Maes says the Supreme Court Major-ity has ruled against TABOR on multiple occasions. “We have four liberal supreme court justices who believe their job is to perform judicial policy making, when their job is to interpret the Constitution,” Maes said. He said he would look for con-servative judges who would interpret the existing law and the Colorado State Con-stitution instead of trying to create legisla-tion. (Ed. Note: see our article about Clear the Bench Colorado in this issue)

Maes takes a firm stance on the Tenth Amendment, which was set up to protect states from abuses of power by the fed-eral government. “It is time for governors to take back state sovereignty and help Washington understand they are here to serve us, not dictate to us,” Maes said. (Ed. Note: see our article on the 10th Amend-ment in this issue)

While he has ideas he wants to imple-ment, he mainly sees the role of governor as an office that executes and manages the people’s wishes for what the government should be like. “I’m here to run the gov-ernment that [the citizens] are in charge of,” he said.

Dan Maes is an open and approach-able individual. While arranging the in-terview for this article, he returned phone calls and emails personally. He also went out of his way to meet with our reporters.

Maes is a fan of the Tea Party move-ment because it reminds him of how this country was started. “[It’s about]…indi-vidual people having the courage to walk up on their own and take a stand for their beliefs. I think the Tea Party movement is absolutely wonderful,” Maes said.

The Independence Caucus of Colora-do recently endorsed Dan Maes for gover-nor. Although Maes is popular with many grassroots voters, he is behind McInnis in fundraising.

Dan Maes’ website is: danmaes.com.

State Perspectives

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We see the results of the current legislative actions everyday – rising national debt due to continual governmental spending, nu-merous new governmental programs with pork barrel spending, and the hotly debated healthcare bill.

Since taking office, the Obama ad-ministration has taken the role and re-sponsibilities of the federal government in a completely new direction from previous administrations. Some say that this new di-rection is for the best. However, there are a growing number of states that are looking to the 10th Amendment of the Constitution to provide relief from the continual growth of federal programs.

The Tenth Amendment reads in full, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitu-tion, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

Simple words it would seem. The ba-sic idea of the 10th Amendment is that the federal government is limited only to the powers granted to it in the Constitution. In effect, many states now want to curtail the federal programs that re-quired them to do certain actions on behalf of the federal government (mandates), as they are unconstitutional.

How is the 10th Amendment being used?

Proponents of the 10th Amendment believe that state and local governments can be declared exempt from overreaching fed-eral programs and regulations. For example, since the Constitution does not specifically provide that the federal government can take over the healthcare system, state and local governments can claim themselves exempt from having to take part in the pro-gram.

The process in which a state would claim itself exempt from federal regulation is called “nullification.” In essence, a state ‘nullifies’ the federal law. By doing so, it pro-claims the law to be void or without effect within the boundaries of that state.

Since 2008, there have been a number of resolutions passed by different state leg-islatures regarding the 10th Amendment. The purpose of the resolutions is to put the federal government on notice that states be-lieve it has gone too far in imposing regula-tions. It is important to note that resolutions do not carry the authority of law. They are instead just a proclamation of that particular state’s legislature. Currently, 38 States have introduced such resolutions regarding the 10th Amendment.

As mentioned, one of the top issues re-lated to the 10th Amendment today is the federal takeover of the healthcare system. As more details are leaked from behind closed doors regarding the expanse and costs of the program, the fight to nullify this and similar laws is gaining momentum.

Currently, Florida, Georgia, Ohio and South Carolina have introduced legislation that would nullify any national healthcare program within their borders. It is believed that other states, already seeing hard eco-nomic times, will be joining the movement as more details of the plan are released.

The State of Washington is taking the forefront in its legislation that clearly puts a shot across the bow of the Federal power

grab. In the aptly named “Washington State Health Care Freedom Act,” the Act provides that “A law or rule pertaining to healthcare shall not directly or indirectly compel any person, employer, or healthcare provider to participate in any healthcare system.” The Act was introduced on January 12, 2010 in the House and in the Senate on January 15, 2010.

In New Hampshire, a bill was in-troduced that takes on not only national healthcare but any and all federal programs. The proposed law would create “a joint com-mittee of the legislature to consider the con-stitutionality of acts, orders, laws, statutes, regulations, and rules by the government of the United States including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and to con-

sider the actions necessary to pro-tect the sovereign-ty of the state of New Hampshire.” If passed, such a law could start a nation-wide trend of scrutinizing all federal regula-tory actions of any

kind, using the Constitution and the 10th Amendment, before it would become a bur-den to the states.

What does the Supreme Court say about the 10th Amendment?

If the proposed bills are passed in the different states, it is obvious that the federal government will litigate. In order for the states to succeed, the federal courts will have to rule that the federal government has over-stepped its Constitutional powers. When this issue has been litigated in the past, the Supreme Court has not ruled in favor of the 10th Amendment in very many cases.

In 1992, in New York v. United States, the Supreme Court reviewed whether a fed-eral act could directly compel states to en-force federal regulations as they pertained to radioactive waste. The Act required the states to take title of any radioactive waste that was in their state and not disposed of by January 1, 1996. The Act also stated that the states would be liable for all damages directly related to the waste. After delibera-tion, the Supreme Court ruled that the Act was a violation of the 10th Amendment and therefore invalid. It is important to note that the vote was 6-3, which typically shows the Supreme Court felt strongly about the issue.

In 1997, the Supreme Court reviewed whether a portion of the Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act which required state and local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks on persons wanting to purchase handguns was a vio-lation. The Court ruled, as they did in the New York v. United States case, the federal government can not force a state to partici-pate in the actual administration of the fed-eral act.

While the Supreme Court has not ruled in favor of the states in many 10th Amend-ment violation cases, the pro-10th Amend-ment crowd is encouraged. While the states do not currently know the entire parameters of the healthcare system overhaul being pre-sented in Congress, the provisions that have been leaked appear to force the states to participate in the administration of the act. If so, this could prove favorable to the states as they will be able to nullify not only the healthcare act but perhaps other acts also. One thing is for certain, the Supreme Court will have to address this in the near future.

10th Amendment to the Rescue?By Tim PriebeContributing Writer

Proponents of the 10th Amendment believe that state and local governments can be declared exempt from overreaching federal programs and regulations.

State Perspectives

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National Perspectives

In Colorado, the Republicans Jane Norton, Ken Buck, Tom Wiens, Cleve Tidwell, and others, as well as Democrats Sen. Michael Bennet and challenger Andrew Romanoff, are all competing for the U.S. Senate seat. They are participating in an election pro-cess our Founding Fathers had not in-tended. In fact, the same is true for ev-ery U.S. Senate race since 1913.

An impor-tant provision in the original Con-stitution, before the tainting of Progressive fed-eral amendments, was the select appointment of U.S. Sena-tors by their respective state legislatures. This ingenious political process was a derivation of the Great Compromise of the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The larger states advocated Congress be composed of representatives proportion-ate to population, known as the Virginia Plan. The smaller states’ recognition of the threat to state sovereignty prompted the proposition of the New Jersey Plan. This plan called for equal representation from each state represented in Congress. Thus, the larger states desired all Congressional power be vested in the people; the smaller states desired it be vested in the state.

After much deliberation, the agree-ment was an amalgamation of both. Con-gress should be composed of two bodies: the House of Representatives, by propor-tional representation, and the Senate, by equal representation. The House would be the voice of the people, and the Senate represented the individual states.

The House guaranteed representation of the people because they were elected by popular vote. The Senate guaranteed representation of the state because sena-tors were elected by the state legislatures. As James Madison, in Federalist Paper 62, explained regarding the Senate, “[T]he double advantage of favoring a select ap-pointment, and of giving to the State gov-ernments such an agency in the formation of the federal government as must secure the authority of the former, and may form a convenient link between the two sys-tems.”

Serving many purposes, this safe-guard was implemented by our founders’ brilliant foresight to protect the people from bad legislation. Law had to pass both bodies of Congress separately. This en-sured the people’s consent, then the states’. As explained by Madison again in Feder-alist Paper 62, “It doubles the security of the people, by requiring the concurrence of two distinct bodies in schemes of usur-pation or perfidy, where the ambition or corruption of one would otherwise be suf-ficient.”

Unfortunately, we now elect senators by a political process far removed from the Constitution’s intents. This shifting of the American political system further away from her founding began over a century ago during the Progressive Era, the prized and proudly touted period esteemed by

the modern-day liberal. Its great achieve-ments of enlarging the scope of the federal government, usurping states’ power, con-trolling corporations, and limiting indi-viduals’ freedom should cause one to be very cautious of any product of that era.

Extensive laws and amendments were passed un-der the heroic yet misleading guise of altruism. Direct Repres entat ion, the seventeenth amendment, was based on majori-tarian theory. Pro-gressives believed all power should be

vested in the people; thus, Direct Repre-sentation changed the election process for U.S. Senators. Today, the people vote for them directly, not the state legislatures.

The hailed claim is that Direct Rep-resentation solved the problem of local political machines controlling elections. The predicament we find ourselves in now is that elections are being manipulated by federal political machines, which is in-disputably worse. This is why we see the select Washington elites recruiting candi-dates and disrupting primaries.

In effect, we now have two Houses of Representatives. The Senate no longer represents the states because they cam-paign for the people’s votes, disbanding their accountability to the state legisla-tures and resultantly removing the U.S. Senators from the visions of their states.

In light of Senator Bennet’s contested seat, one lone Senator elected to that po-sition would not be able to repeal a fed-eral amendment to the Constitution. That would take a two-thirds majority vote of the House and Senate, a presidential sig-nature, plus approval by three-quarters of the states.

One of the most reproachful and re-pulsive attributes of Progressivism is its foundation on relative morality. Those who believe in universal morality tend to credit the founding of our nation to divine inspiration, but relativists scorn tradition, claiming that morality evolves with soci-etal and cultural (here comes the magic word) change. This worldview demands that the Constitution be seen as an imper-fect document subject to radical change.

Let this serve as a reminder that the foundational principles that made our na-tion so great are the very principles that will maintain it. Those principles, based on Judeo-Christian morals, established the longest, ongoing Constitutional re-public in the history of the world. The further we move away from the Consti-tution, the further we remove ourselves from absolute freedom. The Constitution limits government’s power, enabling in-dividuals to choose for themselves what their conscience dictates. Our Founding Fathers sacrificed their lives, fortunes, and families to create a document so impen-etrable by the whims of a fickle public that it would be timeless in supplying freedom for every generation of Americans.

The Constitution and the Senate

From the Archives, 1995:Some things never change...

By Mary CoranContributing Writer

An important provision in the original Constitution, before the tainting of Progressive federal amendments, was the select appointment of U.S. Senators by their respective state legislatures.

Politics is not a bad profession. If you succeed, there are many rewards; if you disgrace yourself, you can always write a book —Ronald ReaganReprinted with permission.

Reprinted with permission.

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Every economist with an opinion has ex-pressed himself about the future and it is time to see how those forecasts are hold-ing up.

Keynesian economists are uniformly “cautiously optimistic” about the com-ing year: low job growth, low inflation, the housing market has hit bottom and is starting to recover, stocks will continue to move higher, while some problems remain in commercial real estate. And Colorado will fare better than a number of other states. Nathanial Karp, chief economist for BBVA Compass, told Rebecca Tonn of the Colorado Springs Business Journal recently,

“Compared to [its] long term trend, Colorado is almost back to its average[…]short term conditions favor Colorado more than many other states [and the long term prognosis] is one of the best in the nation. We’re not where we were before the crisis, but the state is outperforming the U.S. average.”

Digging deeper, however, the out-look, especially nationally, is far less san-guine.

The Department of Labor reports that unemployment is now less than 10%. However, according to John Williams, of Shadow Government Statistics, the real unemployment rate is over 20% if one counts those people defined out of exis-tence under the Clinton administration, such as those working part-time because they cannot find full time jobs, and those who have given up looking for work alto-gether.

While many of the unemployed are barely surviving on unemployment ben-efits, states are running out of money to pay them. For instance, a Kentucky task force recommended cutting benefits by nine percent and delaying payments to recipients by a week. Indiana State Rep-resentative David Niezgodski said, “Our system [is] absolutely broke.”

And this is adding to the “overhang” of mortgage defaults as more and more workers, now about one in eight, are ei-ther falling behind on their payments, or are in foreclosure.

As Elizabeth Warren, Chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel, put it,

Today, one in five Americans is un-employed, underemployed, or just plain out of work. One in nine families can’t make the minimum payment on their credit cards. One in eight mort-gages is in default or foreclosure. One in eight Americans is on food stamps. More than 120,000 families are filing for bankruptcy every month. The eco-nomic crisis has wiped out more than $5 trillion from pensions and savings, has left family balance sheets upside down, and threatens to put ten million homeowners out on the street.

This outlook is confirmed by The Je-rome Levy Forecasting Center, quoted in the year end edition of Investor’s Business Daily. For the 2010s,• unemployment will be chronically high• the mortgage default crisis will become

much worse, and• average pay raises will keep dwindling

[and] maybe vanish altogether.Even though job losses and layoffs

appear to be slowing, the total level of em-ployment now is lower than it was before the economy entered the last recession in 2001. Put another way, all of the job growth over the past nine years has been virtually wiped out by the current reces-sion.

And when that last recession ended in November of 2001, it wasn’t until Feb-ruary of 2005 that all the jobs lost in that recession were finally replaced. According to an MSNBC study, “This time it will take more than six years to make up the losses from this recession. In other words, it will take years to restore consumers’ confi-dence…”

Although many forecasts express concerns about the problems in commer-cial real estate, few give it much more than lip service. Karp says commercial real es-tate is the sector that will “give us more pain than anything else,” but, happily for Colorado, such pressures are much lower here than elsewhere.

In San Francisco, commercial prop-erty values have declined by at least 50% in the last two years. “Commercial values are just plummeting; this real estate mar-ket is a disaster,” says Oz Erickson, chair-man of the Emerald Fund, a San Francisco real estate developer. Bob Gilly, executive VP at CB Richard Ellis, put it this way: “To paint it with a broad brush, properties to-day are down 50% from the peak (in late 2007).”

With over 1,000 commercial prop-erties appealing their assessed values, the city could suffer a potential tax hit of more than $100 million. Add in residen-tial property tax appeals, and the number jumps to $130 million. And this when the state of California’s deficit is expected to reach $500 million.

Gary North put it starkly: “Commer-cial real estate is the next shoe to drop.”

In the October 26th issue of Agora Financial’s 5 Minute Forecast, “the Sec-ond Wave of adjustable rate mortgage re-sets is just around the corner.” Alt-A and Option ARM loans were a seductive way of providing financing to people to buy a home who couldn’t afford it. Mortgage payments are selected at a “convenient” level for the mortgage holder, usually “in-terest only” with a “reset” some time in the future. The reset begins the process of amortization of the mortgage itself. How-ever, in many cases, payments were made at less than interest only levels (negative amortization), with the difference added back to the principal. According to Agora, this new wave of “resets” and consequent defaults will equal, if not exceed, the resets that crushed the housing market in 2007 and 2008.

Is there a way out?Steve H. Hanke is a Professor of Ap-

plied Economics at Johns Hopkins Uni-versity, and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute, who had this to say about the Great Depression, and the way out of our current Great Recession:

The key enabler of both the Great De-pression and the Panic of 2008-09—namely the Federal Reserve—is sched-uled to become America’s systemic risk regulator. This is the world upside down. The Federal Reserve is [empha-sis added] the systemic risk.

The true lesson to be drawn from busi-ness cycle history is that, if left to run their natural course, severe downturns are followed by rapid snapbacks. For example, during the 1921 recession, wholesale prices, industrial produc-tion, and manufacturing employment fell by 30% or more, reaching their low in mid-1921. But, absent government intervention, the economy recovered naturally, and by early 1922 it had fully recovered from its mid-1921 low.

See ECONOMY on page 14

Economy: Recovery vs. RealityBy Bob AdelmannFeatured Writer

The Voice for Firearms Rights in the Pikes Peak Region

“The PPFC defends the Second Amendment rights of citizens in the Pikes Peak region. If you are a firearms owner, you should be a member of the PPFC.”

-Jeff Crank, President



As we enter 2010, it amazes me how many folks are unaware of the recent landmark US Supreme Court ruling on the Second Amendment. The considerable disagree-ment about whether the Second Amend-ment is an indi-vidual or collective (i.e. group) right to bear arms has gone on for nearly 70 years. To make mat-ters worse, there has never been a direct ruling on this is-sue by the US Supreme Court. Therefore, interested parties had to rely upon prior court rulings that only slightly touched upon this issue and then extrapolate for-ward to the Second Amendment as a whole. The bottom line is that both sides of this issue could pick and choose the re-spective rulings that supported their posi-tion and ignore the other side’s rulings.

On June 26, 2008, the US Supreme Court issued its ruling in District of Co-lumbia v. Heller. This is the first time that the US Supreme Court has directly addressed the issue of whether or not the Second Amendment is an individual right. In a close (five to four) split deci-sion the US Supreme Court decided that the second amendment is an individual right. This ruling is as landmark a deci-sion to the Second Amendment as Roe v. Wade is to abortion rights.

Those interested in reading the full decision can view it at: theconstitutionalisttoday.com/dcvh

Is this the end of the issue? Absolutely not. There are some issues that will linger.

For example, the Heller case arose from a situation in Washington DC, federal land outside any state’s jurisdiction. So, there is some question as to the applicability of this ruling to all fifty states. However, pro-

gun organizations are now fighting this battle with renewed vigor in key anti-gun states and local-ities. Stay tuned for more details as this fight continues.

Colorado Springs Loses a True Patriot

Where do you go to get the “gun vote” in Colorado Springs? Ask anyone and you will get one of two answers: either, “I don’t know,” or you will be told “the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition” (PPFC, ppfc.org). Naturally, the PPFC is the correct answer. Attend any of their monthly meetings and you will see local patriots, politicians and political wanna-bes in attendance. The PPFC has a long history in Colorado Springs and has made significant contri-butions.

On December 1, 2009, the Presi-dent of the PPFC, Mr. Dane Nowels, died unexpectedly in Colorado Springs. Mr. Nowels was a true patriot and leader in El Paso County, both for gun rights and con-servative politics. For those who are won-dering how they can make a difference in this world, I invite you to read Mr. Nowels’ obituary. Rest in peace, Dane:theconstitutionalisttoday.com/dno

Note: At the January 2010 PPFC meeting, Mr. Jeff Crank was elected to re-place Dane as the President of the PPFC. Good luck Jeff, as I think you will do us proud.

Colorado GenerositySo how generous are Coloradoans

when it comes to supporting gun rights? I’d like to give you one perspective that may surprise you.

The national NRA Foundation (an adjunct of the National Rifle Association) runs fund raising events in all 50 states. Each state has a Friends of NRA (FNRA) program to raise funds at the state level. Each state is also divided into several lo-calities, each with a FNRA committee. All funds generated by the FNRA events are distributed back into shooting programs for the benefit of the shooting community as a whole.

There is an FNRA committee in Col-orado Springs. In 2008, that committee collected approximately $13,000 in pro-ceeds. During the recession of 2009 that same committee collected almost $22,000 from our community.

Now, if that isn’t impressive enough, keep on reading. The Colorado state-wide total of all the FNRA committees in 2009 is approximately $850,000 in proceeds! How does that amount compare to the other 49 states? Last year, Colorado placed second in the nation (behind California) with respect to FNRA proceeds collected! I want to thank all of you who contributed for your generosity and support.

commodities such as silver and gold to be used as legal tender. Therefore, abolishing the Federal Reserve and re-turning to a constitutional system will enable America to return to the type of monetary system envisioned by our na-tion’s founders: one where the value of money is consistent because it is tied to a commodity such as gold. Such a mon-etary system is the basis of a true free-market economy.

In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to stand up for working Americans by putting an end to the ma-nipulation of the money supply which erodes Americans’ standard of living, enlarges big government, and enriches well-connected elites, by cosponsoring my legislation to abolish the Federal Reserve.”

There is no easy way out. But know-ing that unconstitutional interventionism only makes things worse is a good place to start.

ECONOMY continued from page 13

Congressional Representative Ron Paul from Texas, author of a bill to auditthe Federal Reserve and his book End the Fed, amplified this “true lesson” with these remarks to the House:

Abolishing the Federal Reserve will al-low Congress to reassert its constitu-tional authority over monetary policy. The United States Constitution grants to Congress the authority to coin money and regulate the value of the currency. The Constitution does not give Con-gress the authority to delegate control over monetary policy to a central bank. Furthermore, the Constitution certainly does not empower the federal govern-ment to erode the American standard of living via an inflationary monetary policy.

In fact, Congress’ constitutional man-date regarding monetary policy should only permit currency backed by stable

More importantly, we (yes, I’m a member of the Colorado Springs FNRA committee) have a plan for being number one in the nation for 2010. And, we have a great team that is beginning to execute that plan. If you’d like to be a part of our 2010 FNRA committee, please contact me at [email protected]. If you have any ideas or news to share for the next column, please contact me and I’ll do my best to address them. I’m here to serve you. As a hunting and shooting enthusiast for 30+ years, who is also active on the po-litical fronts, my goal for this column is to keep you abreast of Second Amendment issues as they affect every American.

Mr. Nozolino is a retired engineer who now focuses on hunting and shooting sports, ammunition reloading, construction, in-vesting, and political activities. He has a BS degree in Computer Science and an MBA degree in Information Systems.

The Second Amendment, Circa 2010By Bruce NozolinoContributing Writer

In a close (five to four) split decision the US Supreme Court decided that the second amendment is an individual right.

The right of having and using arms for self-preservation and defense is justly called the primary law of nature, so it is not, neither can it be in fact, taken away by the law of society.

—Blackstone, Commentaries on the Laws of England

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It ought to be stated that the purpose of the law is to prevent injustice from reigning. In fact, it is injustice, instead of justice, that has an existence of its own. Justice is achieved only when injustice is absent. But when the law, by means of its necessary agent, force, imposes upon men a regulation of labor, a method or a subject of education, a religious faith or creed—then the law is no longer negative [i.e., to defend citizens]; it acts positively [i.e., belligerently] upon people. It sub-stitutes the will of the legislator for their own wills; the initiative of the legislator for their own initiatives. When this hap-pens, the people no longer need to discuss, to compare, to plan ahead; the law does all this for them. Intelligence becomes a useless prop for the people; they cease to be men; they lose their personality, their liberty, their property.

—Frederic Bastiat, 1850

As we close the first decade of the 21st Century, we must conclude that we failed to learn the lessons of the 20th. Over a century of intellectual, military and genocidal struggles between the de-fenders of classic liberalism and oppres-sors of totalitarian socialism saw (by best estimates) the loss of over 200 million lives, mostly at the hands of their own governments. In 2010, we can observe that the same bipolarity of socioeco-nomic and political struggles have not been resolved. Today, the battles are pri-marily being waged by two contradicto-ry economic philosophies: socialists and Keynesian centralists versus Chicago and Austrian School libertarian/capital-ists. The economic failures of FDR, Lyn-don Johnson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama are again juxtaposed against the economic visions of Margret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan who at least tried to reverse the tide. Regrettably, the legacy of George Bush will be that he not only failed to understand classic economics and put a leash on Ben Bernanke before he found his ultimate playground in Obama’s Utopia, but that he continued to grow big government at the peril to both individual liberty and individual responsibility.

Some economists might admit that the current economic death spiral is not a typical business cycle, but has the characteristics of a dynamic collapse reminiscent of the Great Depression, possibly for the same reasons. Some

believe that America, and possibly the world, may already be a falling house of cards. A crisis in morality and ethics leads to a monetary crisis, which leads to a financial crisis, which leads to an economic crisis, which leads to a politi-cal crisis, which leads to a geopolitical crisis, which in turn exacerbates the moral crisis, and so on. The fact is our current economic crisis has the altitude for a far harder fall than the 1930’s.

What is the monetary problem? There is no money. Anywhere. As the three true functions of money are to communicate value, to standardize val-ue, and to store value, the current fiat U.S. dollar is stressed to do any of the three. The dollar may soon become a waterlogged life raft sinking in a freez-ing sea of debt. U.S. Constitutional pro-tections, written at our nation’s found-ing during a period of tremendous economic collapse and corruption, de-manded that states settle all their debts in gold or silver. Of course today, that Constitutional mandate is long forgot-ten and totally unknown to the teach-ers of our children. “Cash for Clunkers” is in fact 100 percent “Debt for Clunk-ers.” The insanity of pushing risky home ownership debt on totally unqualified borrowers is a lost cause begging for a negative effect. That debt, and Trillions more will be paid for by those children who will never understand their former Constitutional protections against gov-ernment graft. Far worse than the late 1920’s when people ran on the banks to retrieve their own over-leveraged but real money, people in 2010 may soon realize that there is no real money, and their lives depend on the whimsy of a fictitious and suddenly unavailable line of debt (falsely called “credit”).

The U.S. government now essen-tially follows the business model of a Chucky Cheese pizza parlor. They mint worthless tokens, force us to take them for our labor, and determine winners and losers on games of chance. If we follow their rules and directives and get very, very lucky, we might win some pa-per tickets for a prize we think we would like until we discover that it’s a very, very cheap substitute for what we really want or need.

Under the euphemism of “quantita-tive easing”—known to honest people as monetizing debt or intentional See

HOPE on page 16

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National PerspectivesHOPE continued from page 15

inflation—we see the financial crisis growing since no intelligent adults in business are willing to bet their futures on childish random chance or inten-tional inflation. Combined with a na-tional policy too focused on the “trans-fer of wealth,” the incentive to work as the slave of tax collectors suddenly loses its appeal.

This is nothing new. In 1850, Bas-tiat accurately called it, “legal plunder.” “But how is this legal plunder to be identified?” he asked. “Quite simply. See if the law takes from some persons what belongs to them, and gives it to other persons to whom it does not belong.” Of course, that primary tenant of Marxism is now the “new nor-mal” in formerly free Amerika. The “invis-ible hand” of Adam Smith’s free market capitalism is being amputated by the “visible hand” of cen-tralized control by government bureau-crats just as surely as those controlled by Lenin, Hitler, Mao, or Castro. Indeed, some appointees within the Obama Administration publically cite some of these murderous dictators as their po-litical heroes and mentors, while our former communist rivals in Russia and China warn us to return to honest trade for our mutual benefit and for the eco-nomic stability of the world.

Our future will likely contain cata-strophic political and geopolitical cri-ses. Most of our current national debt is owned by unstable and possibly aggres-sive rivals: China, Japan, and OPEC. In 2010 alone, the United States must pay for $4 Trillion in budget deficits and bond debt that is coming due.

With a collapsing dollar and virtu-ally no foreign creditors likely to be stu-pid enough to believe in our ability to pay on our future promises, the United States could be faced with only two al-ternatives: default on our sovereign debt, or print more Chuck E. Cheese tokens. This could potentially lead us into an inflationary depression cycle that could take decades to recover. Such economic explosions historically lead to other geopolitical effects, like civil in-surrection and even full scale war. Ab-ject poverty, disease, crime, death from loss of heating fuel, and similar effects are likely to follow. As we should have learned from history, socialism in all its forms eventually harms everybody, but especially the poor.

From my view as a Colorado Leg-islator dealing with the effects of these crises in 2010, the clear realities are that national economic policies have created

debt that will never be repaid, the loss of wealth that may never be recovered, and a loss of confidence that has frozen pro-duction and business growth. Despite, and probably because of, federal poli-cies to “tax the rich” and to “stimulate the economy,” we are building a moun-tain of public and private debt on which it will be impossible to even pay the interest. Billions of dollars spent daily to “save and create” jobs through cen-tral planning, government takeovers of private industry, and expanding social-ist programs have continued to result in more unemployment. During the same

period that President Obama and Governor Ritter claimed they “saved or created” 4000 jobs in Colora-do, other government statistics proved our labor force lost about 89,000 workers. Huh? I wonder how that

happened! (The 4000 estimate was after subtracting thousands of bogus claims that were soon proved to be hoaxes.)

Loss of jobs, profit, and income also mean the loss of revenue to run govern-ment. The more debt the government takes out of the private sector to fix those problems, the more loss of profit and loss of jobs. The power lust to keep taking money from unwilling taxpay-ers must stop. Only then, under the lib-erty of free economic choice, might the economy begin to recover and prosper.

2010 could also be the year when the political pendulum will swing back to equilibrium. Recent polls report strong disapproval and disgust with leftist dic-tates to eliminate private healthcare, to ignore the collapse of Medicare and So-cial Security, to bail out the companies of political cronies and special interest donors, and to perpetuate the hoaxes of “evil carbon” and global warming as the means to eliminate traditional cheap energy sources and to raise more taxes. Faced with the inconvenient truth of the one-party control of our freedom, some will lose hope and beg like children for their best deal from a failing nanny state. Others, acting like free and responsible adults, will recognize that it is the role of the state to create a legal environment where business and trade can thrive, not to control job creation and every other aspect of our lives. Recovery may begin when people finally tell the government to just “keep its hands out of our pockets and leave us alone.”

The “invisible hand” of Adam Smith’s free market capitalism is being amputated by the “visible hand” of centralized control by government bureaucrats just as surely as those controlled by Lenin, Hitler, Mao, or Castro.

Whenever the people are well-informed, they can be trusted with their own government.

—Thomas Jefferson

THE MASON JARAmerican comfort food served in a casual Colorado lodge atmosphere. Famous chicken fried steak, slow roasted prime rib, seafood, plus soups, salads, sandwiches, and homemade cobblers. Full service bar. Fireplaces. A Colorado tradition since 1982. Lunch and dinner from 11am daily. 2925 West Colorado Ave at 30th St- 719-632-4820. Now at our second location at 5905 Corporate Drive and I-25 (Exit 148)719-260-6555, Same great food and service as the original West Colorado Avenue loca-tion. Two large banquet rooms. Full service bar. Fireplaces. Patio dining. Easy access from I-25.

SOUTH JERSEY SUBSYou want a sub? I mean a sub? A real one with only the finest deli meats, cheeses and toppings on the thing? Well, you haven’t been to a sub shop, like South Jersey Subs! Our subs are loaded with goodness in every bite---your mouth is watering and you’ll come back for more! Located at 1726 Brookwood, just one block south of Woodmen, 531-5100.

THE AIRPLANE RESTAURANTThe Airplane Restaurant’s centerpiece is a Boeing KC-97. Forty-two pas-sengers can actually eat in the plane of the 275-seat restaurant. Rich in aviation history, displaying 100s of pictures, memorabilia and rare ar-tifacts, The Airplane Restaurant offers a great menu featuring burgers, pastas, salads, fresh fish and steaks, including a full bar. The next time you are in Colorado Springs, fly on in. From 1-25, Exit 139 (Fountain Blvd.) east past Powers Blvd. Just look for the plane! For reservations or more information, please call 570.7656

LANNA THAIBriargates only authentic Thai and soon to be voted the “Best Thai in Colorado Springs”. All dishes prepared with the freshest ingredients. Try the famous “Pad Thai” or “Pa-nang curry”. Best Thai beer selection in the Springs. Opened Monday - Saturday for lunch and dinners. Located at 8810 N. Union (NW corner of Research and Union in the Albertson’s Shopping Center) 719.282.0474

ROCCO’S ITALIAN RESTAURANTWant an Italian restaurant with fresh pastas, home-made lasagna, mouth-watering charbroiled steaks and seafood? Then look no further than Rocco’s. Serving Colorado Springs since 1982, Robert and Laurie have made Rocco’s a must-eat destination for years. Enjoy our exciting dinner specials made every day. With a full bar and a banquet room, this is the perfect place for all your family, business and special occasion events! Centrally located at 3878 Maizeland, (NE corner of Maizeland and Academy) Serving lunch Tuesday through Saturday, and dinner Tuesday through Sunday. 719.574.1426

TASTE OF PHILLYLocated on the NW corner of N. Carefree and Academy, this is truly Colorado Springs’ hidden gem. Feel like your back in Philly with one of our mouth-watering Philly cheese steaks. We make them to order, to your liking and with the best and freshest ingredients. Hoagies, salads, subs and everything in between. Try our famous fried mushrooms and onion rings too! 719.638. 0200

MANDARIN BISTROMandarin and Thai flare, this restaurant has the best in authentic Asian foods. Take-out or free-delivery within a 5 mile radius. Located at 1831 Briargate Blvd (right across from The Chapel Hills Mall and on the SW corner of Chapel Hills Drive) Phone: 719.532.0110 or 719.532.0111. Open: Mon-Fri, 11am-9:30pm, Sat 12noon to 9:30pm.

FIESTA JALISCOHome of Authentic Mexican dishes, we specialize in bringing Mexican dishes right to you! Our comfortable and beautiful interior makes this restaurant the perfect place for dinner and lunch with your family and friends. From taco salads to our delicious fajitas, you have to see our exten-sive menu. We are located on the NE corner of Stetson Hills and Powers, 6074 Stetson Hills Blvd. 719.573.8813, open Sun-Thurs from 11am-9pm and on Friday and Saturday from 11am-11pm. Bienvenidos A Su Casa!

PUEBLO VIEJOEasy access from Academy Blvd…near the intersection of Vickers and Academy, Pueblo Viejo brings extraordinary service and excellent au-thentic Mexican food to Colorado Springs. In a hurry? No problem, our lunches are made fresh and fast, so you can enjoy yourself without being rushed. Come in for dinner, have one of our specialties Margarita’s and when the weather is spectacular enjoy dinner on our beautiful patio. 5598 N. Academy Blvd. 719-266-1999

MCCABE’S TAVERNIf you are looking for a great place to have a pint and some great food, then look no further than McCabe’s Tavern. Located in historic down-town Colorado Springs, McCabe’s features some of the best Irish fare in town. It is also a mainstay for anybody that is looking to relax in a tra-ditional Irish style pub. McCabe’s also makes sure that the soccer fan is well covered with it’s big screen televisions broadcasting everything from the MLS to the English Premier League. It would be very hard pressed to find a better happy hour than what McCabe’s can offer. With its awesome specials on food and great beer, it is the perfect place to get together after work or on the weekends. So the next time you and your friends are look-ing to hang out with spectacular food and drinks, you need to find your way into McCabe’s Tavern.

BLACKJACK PIZZAPIZZA IS OUR PASSION! Four locations in Colorado Springs: Academy @ Hancock, Centennial @ Garden of the Gods, Kelly Johnson @ Acad-emy, Unitah @ 19th. Specials everyday,. Visit our website www.blackjack-pizza.com for coupons and more information.

FIX-A-FEASTWant great meals for your family but don’t have time to shop or prepare them? We prepare quality “Take & Bake” Meals , just call ahead and we will have them ready for you. “My kids loved them so much they practi-cally licked the bowl!” Donna M. ALL NATURAL meats, fish & poultry, Amazing DELI and CATERING for all your office/private party needs. “After numerous caterers, we chose FIX-A-FEAST (for corporate lunch-es) because they are the best!” Sam M. (office manager). 5901 Delmonico Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921, 719-531-5170.

BROOK’S CUSTOM CAKESI have over 10 years baking experience. I can help you celebrate some-thing so simple yet so important like a birthday or something extrava-gant like a wedding! Call me at 719.533.0990 and let me help make your special occasion wonderful.

AUNT NELLIE’SWelcome to Aunt Nellie’s Cookies, Baked Goods, and Sweet Treats! Are your taste buds hungry for your delicious home baking, that Mom or Grandma use to make? We can give you a hand. Family recipes are im-portant part of our baking and candy making. We have special recipes that have been passed down to our family and now made for yours! We wouldn’t share anything our family didn’t think was yummy. We make everything fresh for you. Aunt Nellie’s uses the finest ingredients to cre-ate delicious products. We use real butter, pure vanilla, quality chocolate and natural ingredients like nuts and dried fruit. 5901 Delmonico Drive, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80921, 719-531-5170, www.auntnellie.com.

JOEY’S PIZZAJoey’s Pizza established in June of 2008, has mad a huge impact on pizza lovers here in colorado springs. Joey Stasolla owner of Joey’s Pizza born and raised in New York has been making pizza for over 12 years. For true authentic New York pizza there is no other place in town to get it but Joey’s. From pizza by the slice, specialty pizzas, calzones, stromboli, subs, salads and more, there will be a taste of New York in every bite. Come on in, have a great time---1829 Briargate Blvd (Across the street from the Chapel Hills Mall) 265-6922

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What would the founding fathers have thought about Obamacare? For an accurate reflection of their worldview and vocabu-lary, let’s consult the founding father of scholarship and education, Noah Webster. Because understanding the language of our founding fathers in its original context is critical to understanding the purpose of our founding principles.

Webster’s 1828 American Dictionary of the English Language simply defines the term Unconstititutional as: “Not agreeable to the constitution; not authorized by the constitution; contrary to the principles of the constitution.”

Based on Mr. Webster’s definition, let’s break it down and ask: Is government healthcare legislation agreeable with the Constitution? Is it authorized by the Con-stitution? Is it contrary to the Constitution?

Government Healthcare: Is it Agreeable or Contrary to the Constitution?

First consider just a handful of the ir-refutable results of the government health-care being voted on by Congress:• The individual mandate requiring in-

dividuals to have insurance by law sets jail-time for those refusing to purchase health insurance.

• The guaranteed issue – prohibiting in-surers from excluding applicants – re-sults in de-privatization of the healthcare market and higher insurance premiums.

• De-privatization of the healthcare mar-ket stunts advancements in medical re-search, development, and innovation, and creates doctor shortages.

• A Federal Health Board results in ra-tioning, “death lists” (wait lists for vital care), and overall degradation in quality of healthcare, all to be determined by un-elected bureaucrats.

• The employer mandate results in fewer jobs and lower wages due to increased costs to all business, but places an espe-cially huge burden on small business.

• Increased costs to business translate into higher consumer prices.

• Government healthcare ultimately im-poses a “Ponzi scheme” type of tax burden of $6.25 trillion over the first 10 years, a self-perpetuating debt to be borne by our children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

• And on and on…Weigh the results of government

healthcare against our basic Constitutional principles of individual freedom, liberty, limited governmental power, and free markets. Compare them to Webster’s defi-nition of “unconstitutional,” and ask your-self: When such legislated adversity affects every citizen of the United States, is the legislation behind it actually “agreeable to” Constitutional principles? Is it “contrary to the principles of the Constitution?”

Government Healthcare: Is it Au-thorized by the Constitution?

Multiple constitutional scholars agree that nationalized healthcare legislation is unconstitutional. Most arguments center around the “Necessary and Proper Clause,” or Article I, Section 8, clause 18.

Article I, Section 8, specifically lists the following powers granted to Congress:• The Congress shall have Power To lay

and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Wel-fare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

• To make all Laws which shall be neces-sary and proper for carrying into Execu-tion the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof

In a December 10, 2009 Heritage Foundation article titled “Is Obamacare Constitutional?” Amanda Reinecker ex-plains that these powers under the Consti-tution do not validate an individual man-date, as it would open the door to future abuses, and Congress could then do any-thing.

In an August 14, 2009 WorldNetDaily article titled “Obamacare: What Does the Constitution Have to Say?” Chelsea Schil-ling interviewed The Tenth Amendment Center founder Michael Boldin. Mr. Bold-in told Schilling that “regardless of their political affiliation or position on health-care, citizens must ask themselves whether they truly want a government that has no limits.”

Schilling’s interview with Boldin con-tinues, “ ‘No matter what side you are on, you don’t want a government that can do whatever it wants whenever it wants be-cause it becomes dangerous,’ he said. ‘This is what the Founding Fathers and the entire founding generation had to fight against – a king who could set his own rules and

make them up as he goes…when you allow government to do whatever it wants, you are guaranteeing tyranny.’”

Thomas Jefferson said: “A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take away everything you have.” A government big enough to give us “everything we want in healthcare” is going to be big enough to take away many of the rights we have. After all, if the government is paying for our healthcare, does not the government then have the right to deter-mine what kind of healthcare we receive?

Back to Webster: is this the kind of governmental power “authorized by the Constitution?”

Government Run Healthcare: The Net Effect

Consider that government bureaucra-cies have become a form of administra-tive law in the United States. Here’s how it works: When Congress identifies a “prob-lem,” legislators create and pass laws… those laws in turn create both unelected and unaccountable agencies with bureau-crats who draft and enforce “regulations”… those regulations then have the effect of administrative law to solve the purported problems. The net effect to America is this: Constitutional law is degraded and irrel-evant, superseded by bureaucratic admin-istrative law.

With that in mind, the healthcare bills in Congress will create over 100 new bu-reaucracies. That would be over 100 brand new arms of the law to regulate our lives and completely undermine the Constitu-tional law of the land. When legislation is enacted that serves to erode and eventually destroy the legitimacy of the Constitution, by default, is not that legislation’s “net ef-fect” unconstitutional, as Noah Webster defined it?

WEBSTER on page 19

Webster, ObamaCare, and the Net EffectBy Michelle MorinFeatured Writer

[email protected]

We are Here toHelp YOU Succeed!


National PerspectivesWEBSTER continued from page 18

The Congressional OathOur founding fathers’ number one

underlying principle was to protect indi-vidual rights… those unalienable, natural rights endowed on us by our Creator. The ensuing job of government, as outlined in the Constitution and the Congressional oath, was and is to protect those rights.

This is the oath of office every US Congress person takes, and by which they are bound:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitu-tion of the United States against all en-emies, foreign and domestic…So help me God.

Given the results of government healthcare, it easily qualifies as a domes-tic enemy to the Constitution. Under our Constitution, government healthcare

Cap-and-trade, which will force Ameri-cans to fight for ever-decreasing amounts of energy, is a jobs killing, tax raising scheme. The proposal would cap carbon emissions, lower those caps over time and force energy costs to skyrocket while we fight each other for the privilege of heating our homes or driving our cars.

Cap-and-trade may be on the verge of defeat. Citizen activists, including tea party groups and Americans for Prosperity, banded together across the country to educate themselves and their neighbors on the crip-pling impact cap-and-trade would have on the nation’s still fragile economy. Education turned into organi-zation, organization turned into rallies, and rallies turned citizens who were disaf-fected and disconnected into a force that is poised to bring down the job-killing cap-and-trade energy tax bill.

Democrats in Washington still have huge majorities in both chambers of Con-gress, but—as 2010 is an election year—politicians are paying keen attention to voters in their districts. And the message is clear, voters hate cap-and-trade. A recent poll found that three-quarters of respon-dents oppose cap-and-trade if it would raise their electricity bills just $25 a month, and it will likely have a much bigger im-pact than that, with President Obama in-famously warning us that cap-and-trade would cause electric-ity rates to “neces-sarily skyrocket.” The window for shoving bad policies down the throats of the Ameri-can people is closing if Washington politi-cians want to hang onto their jobs. With the Democrats insist-ing on forcing through a widely-hated Washington takeover of healthcare, pass-ing an equally hated cap-and-trade energy tax could be too much for endangered in-cumbents to swallow.

The stakes couldn’t be higher for Col-orado. A study by the National Association of Manufacturers found that by 2030 the House-passed version of cap-and-trade would cost Colorado up to 35,800 jobs, increase gasoline prices up to 27 percent and drive electricity prices up 61 percent. While the economy is beginning to show signs of life, Colorado is still struggling with nearly 7 percent unemployment. Cap-and-trade would wallop our energy sector, which has somewhat cushioned the effects of the recession. Economically, it would send us from bad to worse when we should be headed for recovery.

Fortunately, the grassroots backlash against the healthcare and cap-and-trade schemes may have sobered the Senate on cap-and-trade. A group of moderate Sen-ate Democrats have joined a united Re-publican caucus publicly expressing oppo-sition to cap-and-trade. Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.), Evan Bayh (D-Ind.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.), Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) and Mark Pryor (D-Ark.) came together to urge the White House not to push cap-and-trade proposals in 2010. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Co.) should join this group and make clear that Colorado has as much to lose as any other state if a huge new en-ergy tax is enacted. Senate Leader Harry

Reid (D-Nev.) will likely need every sin-gle Democratic senator to vote with him, to reach the 60-vote threshold needed to invoke cloture and move the bill for-ward. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is furiously negotiating with Sen John Kerry (D-Mass.) to revive cap-and-trade, but if moderate Democrats remain opposed to the bill, they will stop it.

Bad ideas never seem to go away in Washington, but if cap-and-trade does fail this year, with huge Democratic ma-jorities in Congress and a Democratic president ideologi-cally committed to the scheme, there is

a chance it could be dead for good. There may simply be no more political will among federal lawmakers to sacrifice their careers to advance a cap-and-trade bill the public knows is nothing more than a thin-ly veiled tax and power grab.

Although cap-and-trade may be fal-tering on Capitol Hill, the Obama Admin-istration is stepping in to pursue the same economically ruinous pact by circumvent-ing Congress and pushing painful EPA regulations in place of cap-and-trade. The EPA is trying to use the 1970 Clean Air Act to regulate greenhouse gases, something the Act was never designed to do. Carbon Dioxide is emitted by nearly everything on earth, including humans, so regulating greenhouse gases and taxing their emis-

sions will necessarily raise the cost of every product on earth. The EPA admits that as many as 6 million new entities would be sub-ject to permits, a bur-den that would cost the economy many millions of dollars and tie the agency in knots

trying to review the applications.Congress must step in and tell the

EPA the Clean Air Act should not be used for greenhouse gases, an opportunity the Senate may have soon. Sen. Lisa Murkows-ki (R-Alaska) may present an amendment blocking the EPA’s actions. Any senator who does not help block the EPA will have to explain to voters why they support bu-reaucrats usurping the authority of elected officials to enact backdoor global warming regulations.

The cap-and-trade story has the mak-ings of a great grassroots victory. The people made their voices heard after learning the costs of a disastrous House-passed bill, and now Democratic senators are increasingly wary. Activists need to keep the pressure on and stop not just cap-and-trade, but any at-tempt to dramatically increase energy pric-es, by legislation or regulation.

Mr. Crank is the Colorado State Director, Americans for Prosperity.

should never have been a legitimate or ne-gotiable option, yet few lawmakers have stood on this principle alone.

Government healthcare ultimately strips away Constitutional legitimacy and puts the law into the hands of unelected bureaucrats. It empowers Congress to pun-ish Americans for failing to provide for the healthcare needs of others. Individual rights are trampled as lawmakers empower themselves to initiate force on us, justified by their belief that we all have a moral ob-ligation to meet the healthcare needs of others. We’re in a perilous time when our lawmakers are passing any legislation that is not agreeable with, not authorized by, and contrary to the Constitution.

So, what would our founding fathers have thought about Obamacare? Based on Webster’s definition, they would have declared it clearly and simply unconstitu-tional.

Cap-and-Trade Prospects Dim in 2010By Jeff CrankFeatured Writer

…the Obama Administration is stepping in to pursue the same economically ruinous pact by circumventing Congress and pushing painful EPA regulations in place of cap-and-trade.

A study by the National Association of Manufacturers found that by 2030 the House-passed version of cap-and-trade would cost Colorado up to 35,800 jobs, increase gasoline prices up to 27 percent and drive electricity prices up 61 percent.

Government’s view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it, and if it stops moving, subsidize it.

—Ronald Reagan

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Voters and activists on both sides of the gun control issue are already white-knuck-led over the implications of an upcoming case in the U.S. Supreme Court. On March 2, 2010, the court will begin hearing ar-guments regarding the case McDonald v. City of Chicago. The subject of debate is whether or not the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (the right to keep and bear arms) applies to local and state gov-ernments.

In 2008 the court ruled in District of Columbia v. Heller that the Second Amend-ment applies to individuals, but only in re-gard to federal laws. In the ruling, the court held that, “The Second Amendment protects an individ-ual right to possess a firearm unconnected with service in a mi-litia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home.”

The Second Amendment reads, “A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.”

Opponents of individual gun rights suggested the Second Amendment was in-tended merely to arm the National Guard, citing the clause, “A well regulated militia...” Because the National Guard is our na-tion’s modern-day militia, they argued the amendment only applied to those citizen-soldiers.

However, gun rights advocates were successfully able to argue the opposite, cit-ing the fact the National Guard was not cre-ated until 1917, or 126 years after the rati-fication of the Bill of Rights (1791), which included the Second Amendment. How could the Second Amendment have applied to an institution that did not exist until over a century after it was ratified? Gun rights advocates argued that it logically could not have, and the Supreme Court agreed.

Further strengthening the argument was the court’s recognition that when the Second Amendment was written, “The ‘militia’ comprised all males physically ca-pable of acting in concert for the common defense.” When the Second Amendment was written there was no organized, insti-tutionalized militia such as the National Guard or Army Reserve. The militia, as the court recognized, was “all males physically capable...” This is where the romantic image of the “minutemen” comes from – when danger loomed, average citizens grabbed their rifles off the mantle, elected a leader, and fought to defend their homes against the threat.

Many of our nation’s Founding Fa-thers weighed in on the issue when the Bill of Rights was being written and de-bated. Richard Henry Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and member of the Continental Congress, said, “A mili-tia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves…and include all men capable of bearing arms…” Lee broadened the concept even farther, stating, “…it is essential that the whole body of people al-ways possess arms…”

John Adams, also a member of the Continental Congress and our nation’s sec-ond President, said it perhaps more simply: “Arms in the hands of citizens may be used at individual discretion…in private self-defense.” Thomas Jefferson, who penned

the Declaration of Independence and was third President of the United States, said, “It is every citizens’ right and duty to remain armed at all times.” Even George Wash-ington weighed in on the matter, saying, “Firearms stand next in importance to the Constitution itself. They are the American people’s liberty teeth and the keystone un-der independence.”

It was these and numerous other quotes from our Founding Fathers that al-lowed the Supreme Court to see the Second Amendment in the context in which it was written – one in which it was expected that

all citizens would be armed.

However, the only question that was answered in Heller was whether that interpretation applies to federal laws and those within the District of Colum-bia. The question of

whether the Second Amendment prevents state and local laws from restricting a citi-zen’s right to keep and bear arms remains unanswered.

The issue in the current case involves the fact that the City of Chicago outlaws possession of any non-registered firearm, but specifically does not allow handguns to be registered. The Village of Oak Park, Illinois, has a similar statute, and is also in-cluded in the McDonald v. Chicago case. These laws are very similar to the situation in the District of Columbia prior to the Heller ruling.

The crux of the argument in McDon-ald is whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment. Prior to the Fourteenth Amendment’s passage in 1868, it was largely believed the Bill of Rights only applied to federal laws – states and municipalities could restrict a person’s Constitutional rights. Since its passage, however, the “due process clause” has been used to restrict states and municipalities from infringing on almost all the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights.

The Heller case probably will not be a good predictor about the outcome of McDonald. Heller was a 5-4 decision, and one of the five Justices who voted in favor, David Souter, has retired. He was replaced by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. As an Appel-late Court judge in the Second Circuit, So-tomayor ruled in Maloney v. Cuomo that the Second Amendment does not apply to states and municipalities.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals disagreed in Nordyke v. King, however, specifically stating in their ruling, “We are therefore persuaded that the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment in-corporates the Second Amendment and applies it against the states and local gov-ernments.”

Should the change in Supreme Court Justices cause the court to rule 5-4 in the opposite manner of the Heller case, then states and municipalities will be given free rein to restrict citizens’ Second Amend-ment rights, including a total ban on gun ownership. On the other hand, if compel-ling and historical arguments convince Jus-tice Sotomayor that the entire Bill of Rights, including the Second Amendment, are in-corporated in the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment against states and municipalities, gun rights advocates will score a major victory.

Gun Rights Hang in the BalanceBy “Thomas Paine”Contributing Writer

Should the change in Supreme Court Justices cause the court to rule 5-4 in the opposite manner of the Heller case, then states and municipalities will be given free rein to restrict citizens’ Second Amendment rights, including a total ban on gun ownership.



We have all been told by environmental-ists and green politicians alike for years that a consensus on climate change has been reached, the science is settled, the debate is over, and it is time for action. Many people may be only superficially aware, if aware at all, of the “Climat-egate” incident. This is due, in no small part, to the handling of the issue by the mainstream media. This past Novem-ber, the Climatic Research Unit (CRU) in Britain was hacked into by as yet un-specified persons, and many thousands of e-mails, literally a decade’s worth, be-tween climate scientists, press reporters and others were released to the outside world.

Many of these e-mails contain oth-er-than-appropriate communications about the handling of data that did not match the climate model predictions, not least of all was the fact that most temperatures have dropped rather than risen. Buried in the ten years’ worth of e-mails were the manipulation of data and the suggestion that certain findings need to be over-dramatized, as well as disturbing talk of joy over the death of a global warming skeptic.

Scientists must hold themselves to the highest standards of academic in-tegrity and truthfulness. Ask any college student who has had to write a research paper; they must always use sources from reliable peer-reviewed journals and must keep emotions and opinions out of the discussion.

Sadly in this case, a large number of scientists worked together to spread alarmism and misleading information, leaving out pertinent information in order to skew their research and graphs to their own bias, and completely falsi-fied other information. Some data were left out of research reports; others were buried in other data, but most were not included. This is a sad discovery because it shows that some scientists may have begun their research by searching for the truth to a mystery, but when that truth did not match their predictions, (ironi-cally, when it became an “inconvenient” truth), they let politics make the deci-sion instead of science.

According to the Washington Ex-aminer, the not-so-shocking thing is that following Climategate, others unaffiliat-ed with the incident came forward with similar complaints and examples. They included Russian climate scientists from the Institute of Economic Analysis head-quartered in Moscow. These scientists shared the astonishing complaint that the British Meteorological Office appar-ently had changed and excluded data in order to show that, in Russia, tempera-tures were rising, which runs contrary to the actual data. Meanwhile, another climate scientist, Ben Santer, “one of the lead authors of the 1995 U.N. Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group I report, one of the pri-mary documents of global-warming the-ory, came forward. Mr. Santer admitted

that he deleted sections of the document that stated that humans were not respon-sible for climate change.”

Many may not see this as a very big deal, but consider the following: suppose a person went to a doctor, concerned that he had cancer. If the doctor was con-vinced from the get-go that he did have cancer, his doctor would run every test available to find out for sure. However, all the tests show that the patient is per-fectly healthy and does not have cancer. The doctor would not put him on che-motherapy in the face of these results! However, with global warming alarm-ism, including the recent Copenhagen conference, that is exactly what has hap-pened. Despite the overwhelming evi-dence that global warming is a natural trend and is not linked to the activities of man, politicians and environmental-ists discourage dissent and are asking for the equivalent of political chemotherapy for the planet when it is healthy.

Despite all of this evidence show-ing that many climatologists and other scientists were knowingly deceiving the public for purely political and possi-bly monetary reasons, the Copenhagen climate conference went on as planned only a couple of weeks after this story had broken. Those in attendance at Co-penhagen showed their hypocrisy by fly-ing to the conference in private jets and airliners which are capable of spewing out more carbon than most cars do in a year – on a single flight. At first, many poorer Third-World nations staged a walk-out in protest that they were not getting enough money from the richer countries in the vast redistribution of wealth scheme embodied in the Danish Text. Thankfully, that decision fell apart, although another agreement, however tentative it may appear, was reached.

This accord was made in spite of the evidence that nearly everything we have been told for ten years about “global warming” or “climate change” is based on false or questionable evidence.

This conference dovetails nicely with the possibility of Cap and Trade being revived. Although essentially po-litical suicide for those who support this bill, it would also be economic suicide. This bill, along with EPA regulations on carbon dioxide, is another attempted power grab from the Obama Admin-istration. They are using the excuse of global warming to bring in new envi-ronmental regulations that would cause energy and utility bills to rise dramati-cally, would subsidize green jobs at the cost of other jobs, and would involve the controversial use of carbon credits for companies.

These plans would be job-killers and would encumber America with many new and expensive regulations. They would bring another unnecessary, un-constitutional, and wasteful expansion of government and bureaucracy. The pretext for passing any major climate legislation has been proven to be so in-credibly flimsy that before any laws are made, an independent, non-political in-vestigation ought to be called into all of the allegations brought forth by climate scientists for the past twenty years. This would be the ethical and wise thing to do before burdening the American econo-my, and before a single penny of taxpay-er money is spent on such legislation.

Climategate: The Global Warming ScandalBy JM PetersonContributing Writer

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We take the right to individual liberty for granted. It seems that most of us believe liberty has been a key concept of govern-ment from time immemorial ascertained by man through the mere means of logic and reason. Indeed, it took a revolution of thought and belief to bring real freedom to mankind, but you might be surprised by the source.

Throughout history, the innate value of the individual was not universally ac-cepted. Most people lived under the threat of death at the hands of the powerful with little or no rights or legal recourse if they were harmed.

In ancient Rome, the father of a house-hold literally held the power of life and death in his family. For most of Rome’s history, Roman custom gave the father of a household—designated by the legal term Pater Familias—the responsibility of en-forcing and exampling Roman law on his household. Any property obtained by the older children belonged to the family as a whole and were fully controlled by the fa-ther of the household. A male child could not obtain the position of Pater Familias until the death of his father. This extended to grandchildren as well. Children could be sold into slavery. The Pater Familias was even required by law to kill any children who were “obviously deformed” in order to help the Roman race survive in strength, rooting out weakness. Thus, in Roman cul-ture as in most ancient cultures, individual rights and value were given only to a select few men.

Until very recent history, government institutions in their various forms granted no innate legal rights to individuals born

under its protection. Most societies were governed by kings who owned not only the entirety of the land they controlled but also had full rights to dictate law and pun-ish their subjects in whatever manner they deemed appropriate with no recourse.

Even in Ancient Greece and Rome where citizenship gave clear rights to the individual, that privilege was not auto-matically given based on one’s country of birth. It was given pri-marily to men and to women on a limited basis. Children were not given the rights of a citizen until adult-hood. And if one was born in Greek or Roman territory without being a citizen, those rights had to be purchased or given through the influence of someone in high position.

For the last 300 or so years in Western culture, the concept of freedom expanded. We accept without much argument that all human beings have an innate freedom and rights associated with that freedom which do not come from government and should not be taken away by government. But most people give little thought to the ori-gin of that freedom. If the state doesn’t give or have a right to take away our freedom, then who or what does? The answer to this question should be evident to us all. That freedom comes from God.

The ultimate expression of this con-cept is found in the American Declaration of Independence. If we read these words written by Thomas Jefferson closely it is

abundantly clear what is the origin of hu-man freedom:

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dis-solve the political bands which have con-nected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the sepa-rate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them…

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are cre-ated equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are

Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happi-ness—That to secure these rights, Govern-ments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…

The Declaration is the definitive ex-pression of the foundation for individual liberty. People all over the world and in many different cultures know that the Dec-laration is the ultimate statement of our freedom. The words used make it abun-dantly clear: Men receive their liberty di-rectly from God, not by the will of some group of men or any government institu-tion. Governments formed among men are responsible before God to protect the rights of the individual and not to usurp them. And when governments stop pro-tecting those rights or seek to overtake them, men have a right before God to alter or abolish that government.

This radical belief was mocked in its day, but it has stood the test of time. Yet there is a great debate about the religious aspects of this statement of freedom. Be-cause those who wrote it were influenced by the Bible, it is hard for modern religious skeptics to accept its religious origins. However, there is no individual liberty without a belief in the innate value of every human being which originates outside the state. And it wasn’t until the Reformation that the value of the individual before God

and the rightful liberty of the individual became universally accepted.

Some point to The Enlightenment as the carrier of this concept of individual liberty. It is true that The Enlightenment, which began just prior to the American Revolution, played a major role in expand-ing the concept of individual liberty. It was a movement not of religion but of the mind and reason. Some Enlightenment thinkers would have called themselves Christians but all of them based their arguments in reason as opposed to theology. However, it was through the advance of the Gospel in Europe throughout the Reformation which taught that man can have a personal rela-tionship with God – independent of gov-ernment and religious institutions or social status – that individual liberty became a universal concept.

Freedom is not free. It can through ne-glect be lost over time. In 2009 we saw the most significant effort since FDR to expand government intrusion into the life of indi-vidual Americans. In 2010, we may be on the verge of giving the government control over our individual healthcare—one of the most intimate aspects of our lives. Global warming alarmism over the last three de-cades may lead to government control through the EPA of every emission of CO2. Government in the United States is looking less like the protector of individual liberty and more and more like a socialist direc-torate ordering every aspect of our lives.

Liberty is the natural state of Man-kind. The hearts of all men yearn for free-dom. This is an eternal truth to which all human beings bear witness in their hearts. We are endowed by our Creator with the unalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness because God exists and He bestowed them upon us. This very truth must animate us anew and motivate us to reassert that God-given liberty in our institutions.

Jim Pfaff is host of The Jim Pfaff Show weekdays from 11am to Noon on 560 KLZ, Denver. He is also the editor and publisher of www.OpinionTimes.com.

The Laws of Nature and Nature’s GodBy Jim PfaffFeatured Writer

The authority of the (state) is not limited by checks and controls, by special autonomous bodies or individual rights. The concept of personal liberties of the individual as opposed to the authority of the state had to disappear. There are no personal liberties of the individual which fall outside the realm of the state. The Constitution is therefore not based upon a system of inborn and inalienable rights of the individual.”

—Ernst Huber, 1933 speech toNational Socialist Workers (Nazi) Party

…all human beings have an innate freedom and rights associated with that freedom which do not come from government and should not be taken away by government.

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Let’s start with a definition of the terms positive and negative rights:

A positive right is one granted to an individual or group for something of value by the government. The “something of value” may be directly economic or per-mission for an activity. Examples would be the right to healthcare or to a well pay-ing job.

A negative right is one not to be in-terfered with by the actions of the govern-ment or its agents. If granted the power by its citizens, the function of government is to secure these negative, inherent, and natural rights. The U. S. Constitution as-serts that the government must use its power to guarantee and secure these rights. Examples would be the right to free speech, the right to property or the right to keep and bear arms.

To put it briefly, positive rights re-quire the action(s) of the government. In contrast, negative rights prohibit the action(s) of the government.

In the case of negative, natural or in-herent rights the government is the guar-antor, not the originator of these rights. However, with positive rights the govern-ment is the originator, designer, grantor and enforcer.

As our Declaration of Independence from Britain proclaimed, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Lib-erty, and the Pursuit of Happiness – That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the Gov-erned…”

The assumption of our Founders was that as humans we are born with the in-alienable (modern usage) rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness (the original phrase was life, liberty and prop-erty) and government is established only to secure these rights with the people’s consent.

In 1774 Thomas Jefferson summa-rized the debate of many others in the colonies about the possibility of indepen-dence with his brilliant article “A Summa-ry View of the Rights of British America.” He indicated that even the all-powerful British king was but a servant of the peo-ple, not the other way around. These views were greatly influenced by John Locke’s “Second Treatise on Government,” written approximately 100 years prior, in which Locke extolled the virtues of meritocracy. This was the foundation upon which the concept of the primacy of individual and natural rights was established for the Brit-ish people including the American colo-nials.

As long ago as the Magna Carta (1215) British common law had advanced the concept that rights do not arise from the Monarch (Government) but that lib-erty, property and contract are inherent components of British citizenry.

The U. S. Constitution carries forth this concept in its very preamble and be-yond, “We the People…do ordain and es-tablish this Constitution.” In Article I “All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in Congress.” That these powers are clearly limited is verified by the specific listing of them in Article I section 8. The 10th Amendment in the “Bill of Rights”

reinforces this, stating “The powers not Delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States Respec-tively, or to the People.”

The idea of “Positive Rights” has con-tinued to emerge throughout the last 100 years. Examples are delineated in Presi-dent Franklin D. Roosevelt’s 1944 State of the Union Address:1. “The right to a useful and remunerative

job…”2. “The right to a good education.”3. “The right of every businessman, large

and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies…”

4. “The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident and unemployment.”

5. “The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health.”

6. “The right of every family to a decent home.”

7. “The right to earn enough to provide ad-equate food, clothing and recreation.”

FDR’s preamble to these rights stated, “We have come to a clear realization of the fact that true individual freedom cannot exist without economic security and in-dependence. Necessitous men are not free men. People who are hungry and out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.”

“In our day these economic truths have become accepted as self-evident. We have accepted, so to speak, a second Bill of Rights under which a new basis of secu-rity and prosperity can be established for all—regardless of station, race or creed.”

Cass R. Sunstein, a contemporary of President Barack Obama on the faculty at the University of Chicago Law School, contends that FDR’s revolution is unfin-ished and that “… we need it more than ever.” He is currently a top advisor to Barack Obama.

President Barack Obama has been quoted as saying that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Affirmative Action policy as well as the judicial decisions in their support do not go far enough in that only “Negative Rights” are enforced. He believes in “Positive Rights” enforcement which would empower the underprivi-leged with equal and compensating op-portunities.

How specifically do positive rights hinder and negative rights enhance our freedoms?1. Positive rights lack permanence. Since

the government is the originator, de-signer, grantor and enforcer any change of government leadership could change the characteristics of these rights. In a democratically elected government a change in leadership could even result in the abandonment of right(s) previ-ously granted by the prior leaders. New interest groups supportive of the change in leadership will likely petition for these changes. Even more so in an authoritar-ian or totalitarian government, individu-als or groups can fall in and out of favor and rights previously granted by the “supreme despot” can suddenly evapo-rate. Since negative rights precede the existence of the government they are less easily altered or abandoned. In the U. S.

RIGHTS on page 27

Positive and Negative Rights and the Effect of Each on Our LibertyBy Richard EleuterioContributing Writer

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Our Constitution is a grand plan for gov-erning a free people with a limited form of republican—or representative—gov-ernment. The philosophical bedrock of founding documents, our Declaration of Independence, lays out three good reasons for government—the protection of life, liberty and the ability to pursue our happi-ness (enabled by our right to maintain and protect our property, which allows us to pursue our happiness as free people).

The only reason we need to have a government at all is because people are (dare I say it?) sinful creatures and are capable of unspeakable evil against their fellow man. This is true at the local level between neighbors and it exists on a grand scale between nations. It also means that since governments are made up of people, governments themselves can be capable of unspeakable evils and must be con-strained—limited—and watched.

Philosophically, self government starts in the home. The family is the basic building block of society and thus the fam-ily is the basic building block of govern-ment. Higher levels of governments are only necessary to do those required tasks that lower levels of government cannot do. Individuals can and ought to protect their family and home, which is one reason that the preservation of the 2nd Amendment is so important. But families are not re-ally capable of providing a police force or fire fighting force to protect a community, while cities and counties can.

Families, cities, and states are not in a position to organize, train and equip a modern military force necessary to keep international threats at bay or engage and

defeat them if necessary. That is why it falls to the federal government to do so. The founders outlined in the Constitution national defense as one of the few respon-sibilities that truly does exist at the federal level.

The Constitution is brief on national defense and the conduct of war, though in the preamble it mentions the provision of the common defense as one of the funda-mental reasons for having a Constitution in the first place. In the conclud-ing paragraph of the Decla-ration of In-d e p e n d e n c e , Jefferson lists ‘levying war and conclud-ing peace’ as the first in a list of rights belonging to Free and Independent States.

The Constitution gives to the Con-gress the responsibility to declare war and to provide for the common defense by raising and funding the Army and Navy. Importantly, the Constitution gives to the President the sole responsibility for acting as Commander-in-Chief of the military. By giving him the power to make trea-ties with foreign governments (with the consent of the Senate) it clearly gives the President the lead in the conduct of for-eign policy, including the development of a national security strategy.

If national defense is an appropriate role for the federal government, what are

its bounds? As mentioned, the purpose of national defense is to protect life, liberty and the property of Americans. Clearly, it is sometimes necessary to risk life to pro-tect the nation. But if we risk the lives of our citizens when there is no threat to the country or when there is a threat but no plan for victory over our enemies, then we violate the first principle of government to protect life. When the conduct of national

defense has a higher cost in lives and trea-sure than what it is attempt-ing to protect, it has become anathema. I ac-knowledge that is not always easy to deter-mine, but that ought to be our

goal in national security strategy.The so-called Powell or Weinberger

Doctrine laid out a way to think about these things. Among other important guidelines it asked questions that had to be answered in the affirmative if military force was to be used by the United States: Is a vital national security interest threat-ened? Do we have a clear attainable objec-tive? Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed? Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted? Have the consequences of our action been fully considered? These are important questions because fundamentally they go right to the core issue of the value of hu-man life. We the people, and the govern-ment as our representative, have a moral obligation before we risk one life in mortal combat to count the cost of risking that life against what is to be gained for the peace and security of our country.

There may well be a ‘clear and present danger’ from a foreign power—or today from a non-state organization like Al-Qae-da—that would justify our going to war to protect our liberty, freedom and property at home. (Importantly, we don’t go to war to protect our “American Way of Life.”) But if the politicians have no intention of ever winning that war, then it would be wrong for us to engage and risk the life of one American in that folly.

This is a concern for Afghanistan to-day. If you accept, as I do, that there is a real national security threat emanating from Afghanistan and that we must take care of it to protect the United States, then the only rational plan is to do what is nec-essary to be victorious. If the politicians

are not going to do what it takes to win, if they are only going to make the moves necessary to protect their own political hides, then we should be out of there this instant.

Putting American lives in jeopardy abroad with no intention of securing the protection of Americans at home is crimi-nal. The founders understood this. For example, while President Washington is oft quoted to warn of the dangers of po-litical entanglements with foreign powers, he also was clear that a strong national de-fense was imperative for the young coun-try.

In his First Annual Message to Con-gress, a very upbeat and encouraging speech, he made his most significant point the importance of a strong national de-fense. To the Congress he said, “Among the many interesting objects, which will engage your attention, that of providing for the common defence will merit partic-ular regard. To be prepared for War is one of the most effectual means of preserving peace. A free people ought not only to be armed but disciplined; to which end a uni-form and well digested plan is requisite…[W]e ought to be prepared to afford pro-tection to those parts of the Union; and if necessary to punish aggressors.”

Washington and the other founders understood that national defense is the responsibility of the federal government as laid out by the Declaration of Indepen-dence and Constitution. National defense is also the primary responsibility of the President as Commander-in-Chief to keep this country safe and free from external (and internal) threats. While it is a proper role of the federal government, they un-derstood that its conduct has boundaries. It is clear that it is worth the necessary in-vestment, but that doesn’t mean we should spend with no regard to the budget.

Today there are existential threats to our liberty and freedom (not all from off shore). Those of us who have served in uniform took an oath to protect the Constitution from external and internal threats. But life is precious and must only be risked when the threat demands our action, the cost for failure is higher than the cost in lives and treasure, and victory is our goal.

For these reasons, President Obama owes the military and the American peo-ple a clear plan for victory in Afghanistan. Failing that, he should order a complete and immediate withdrawal.

Bentley Rayburn retired from the United States Air Force as a two-star general. He served as the commander of the Air War College and the Air Force Doctrine Center.

Whither National Defense?By Maj. General, USAF (Ret.) Bentley RayburnFeatured Writer

We the people, and the government as our representative, have a moral obligation before we risk one life in mortal combat to count the cost of risking that life against what is to be gained for the peace and security of our country.

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Sometimes President Obama gets it right. So, giving credit where credit is due Pres-ident Obama gave the best acceptance speech he was capable of when receiving his Nobel Peace Prize December 10th in Norway.

There are plenty of valid criticisms that could be expanded upon. The Presi-dent had absolutely no accomplishments to warrant his nomination, much less ac-tual award of the Nobel Peace Prize, when he was nominated in February after only one month in office. The President could have refused the prize because of his lack of accomplishments. He could have sent a survivor of the 9-11 attack on the Pen-tagon or one of our wounded warriors from the war in Afghanistan to accept the prize on behalf on the United States as a whole.

Suffice to say there’s plenty of criti-cism not only of Obama in this matter, but also for the Nobel Commit-tee itself. The once esteemed Nobel Peace Prize has become the politi-cal plaything of the global elite. The committee often seems bent on mak-ing a political state-ment rather than honoring someone that has truly advanced the cause of peace in the world. Can there be any other expla-nation for Obama’s nomination?

Ignoring, for the time being, that Obama’s speech...hailed by some as the “Obama Doctrine.”.. is at best naive and endangers the United States, let’s give credit where credit is due. Obama de-livered as close to a comeuppance to the Nobel Committee as possible given the circumstances, the somber nature of the ceremony, and the shared worldview of Obama and the committee.

The committee that honored terror-ists like Yasir Arafat and global warming hoaxers like Al Gore was honoring the President that gives constitutional pro-tections to terrorist masterminds and was prepared to surrender American Sovereignty at the altar of climate change. But it didn’t turn out that way. The ac-ceptance speech should have been a love fest, the global elite honoring America’s social elite.

Obama reminded the commit-tee that there is evil in the world, and that sometimes, just sometimes, mili-tary force is necessary to confront evil. Coming on the heels of the President’s announcement that he was sending an additional 30,000 US troops to Afghani-stan, Obama noted the irony of receiv-ing the Peace Prize. Obama said, “we [the United States] are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thou-sands of young Americans to battle in a distant land. Some will kill. Some will be killed. And so I come here with an acute sense of the cost of armed conflict.”

Obama seems to have suddenly become aware of his responsibility to defend the nation when he reminded the Nobel Peaceniks, “as a head of state sworn to protect and defend my nation, ...I face the world as it is, and cannot stand idle in the face of threats to the American people.” Thank goodness...some of us were concerned.

The most poignant line in the speech was when Obama reminded the commit-tee that evil is a real force in world poli-tics. He stated, “for make no mistake: evil does exist in the world. A non-violent

movement could not have halted Hitler’s armies. Negotiations cannot convince al Qaeda’s leaders to lay down their arms. To say that force is sometimes necessary is not a call to cynicism – it is recogni-tion of history.” As I watched the speech on television it seemed these words stung Thorbjorn Jagland, Chairman of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. Presi-dent George W. Bush could not have said it better, which is high praise for Obama when it comes to national defense.

Worth quoting at length were Obama’s comments concerning the role of the United States throughout modern history in bringing peace,

“The United States of America has helped underwrite global security for more than six decades with the blood of our citizens and the strength of our arms. The service and sacrifice of our men and women in uniform has promoted peace

and prosperity from Germany to Korea, and enabled democ-racy to take hold in places like the Balkans. We have borne this burden not because we seek to impose our will. We have done so out of enlightened self-

interest – because we seek a better future for our children and grandchildren, and we believe that their lives will be better if other peoples’ children and grandchil-dren can live in freedom and prosperity.”

Surprising if welcomed words from a President prone to apologize for Amer-ica’s success and prosperity while over-seas. Again, his predecessor, President George W. Bush, might have spoken these words that appeared on Obama’s teleprompter.

One could see that the committee, and especially Thorbjorn Jagland, was visibly uncomfortable with Obama’s re-marks. While the Norwegian press criti-cized Obama for breaches in protocol, such as taking a pass on the expected lunch with Norway’s King, there was praise for him as well. The press noted that Obama was accepting the Peace Prize while being Commander and Chief of a nation involved in two wars and was making the case for war to the Commit-tee.

Whatever their motivations for ac-cepting the nomination of Obama for the Peace Prize and then actually select-ing him, despite the absence of a notable accomplishment for peace on the world stage, the Nobel Committee got more than they bargained for in the end.

As with much President Obama does, there’s plenty of room for criti-cism of his acceptance speech. However, sometimes, just sometimes, Obama says something so profound it deserves note and even praise. The staff at The Consti-tutionalist Today encourages you to read the full text of President Obama’s speech here. Perhaps finally gaining some ac-tual leadership experience has tempered Obama’s views. Sure, the evidence for this isn’t great, but, there’s always Hope that Obama can Change.

Obama’s Noble Nobel EffortBy Eli ThomasContributing Writer

Obama reminded the committee that there is evil in the world, and that sometimes, just sometimes, military force is necessary to confront evil.

…no arsenal, or no weapon in the arsenals of the world, is as formidable as the will and moral courage of free men and women.

—Ronald Reagan

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Senator Ben Nelson from Nebraska was told by the White House that if he didn’t vote for the healthcare bill that Offutt AFB, located in his home state, would be placed on the Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list. The original source was the Weekly Stan-dard, which has a record for fact checking before printing. I was so incensed by the White House’s extortionist de-mand that I im-mediately called our state’s Sena-tors and voiced my outrage. Neither of my senators was aware of the situation, but they promised to look into it. I then called Senator Ben Nelson’s office, and was assured that his vote was not “For Sale;” that the informa-tion was a complete lie. In my persistence with the phone clerk at the Senator’s of-fice, she was obviously irritated that I would not take her word for it – she told me that, “it was a blogger’s attempt to elicit phone calls.”

Shortly after, I read a Drudge Report headline: “SOLD: Sen. Ben Nelson to vote for Health Care Bill; Secured Favors for His Home State.” I sat there numb; not because I was lied to – I expect that from politicians, but that the character of this man and others like him is so lax. His call screener wasn’t even willing to listen to my, “even ifs.” He took pay-

offs from the lawmakers who bought his vote; something I was assured wasn’t for sale. Claiming to be against the abortion provisions of the bill, he was going to take a principled stand for life. But when

enough money was waved un-der his nose, his principles evapo-rated like dew in the morning sun. He’s not the only one. The head-lines are riddled with one story after another of what each elect-ed official was able to secure for his/her state.

Extra amendments and pork projects are continuously blotted throughout pro-spective bills.

This is an underlying current in our elected officials. They take our money and spend it as if it was petty cash that they don’t need to account for. I, for one, am tired of it. If I went down the street and took someone’s wallet for my “cut” of his profits, I would find myself in jail very quickly. Our Congress, every year, re-writes the tax code and penalizes me and others for working hard and making a decent living. They use the tax code as a manipulation tool which they cleverly exempt themselves from, or ignore com-pletely. When the income tax amend-ment to the Constitution was added, we were assured by leaders like Woodrow Wilson that the income tax would NEV-

only pay 10.4% of taxes. This is not a fair distribution of the tax burden.

You who say that the government has an obligation to provide for those less fortunate need to realign your thinking. All that the government has been able to accomplish is to gain an insatiable appe-tite for power and money and to stifle the poor from bettering themselves. It is my desire to pay my fair share for the items a government does well such as foreign policy and national defense, which are explicitly delegated by the Constitution to the federal government. In my opin-ion, my fair share is between 10 and 25 percent depending on the national crises at hand. If the government cannot do what they need to do with that amount of money flowing in, they need to go on a diet.

We need to stop looking at the gov-ernment as if it was Robin Hood. Realize that the fabled Robin Hood was stealing from the oppressive government and giv-ing back to the same people they were systematically starving. You have been manipulated by your politicians, the me-dia, schools and others into being jealous of those who make more money, and feel you deserve a piece of what they have. It’s time to realize that the way to have a piece of the pie is to find what you are passionate about, get off your couch, and begin applying all that talent and edu-cation you’ve been holding back. Stop listening to the elitists and start making America great again!

ER go higher than 10%. However, four years later it was 67% due to World War I; shortly after that, there was another emergency and the highest tax rate went to 92%. Congress latched on to the power very quickly. In arguing against the in-come tax amendment, Richard E. Byrd of Virginia said that the amendment would open up a new and dangerous chapter in American government. He also stated, “A hand from Washington will be stretched out and placed upon every man’s busi-ness; the eye of the Federal inspector will be in every man’s counting house . . . The law will of necessity have inquisitorial features, it will provide penalties, it will create complicated machinery. Under it men will be hailed into courts distant from their homes. Heavy fines imposed by distant and unfamiliar tribunals will constantly menace the tax payer. An army of Federal inspectors, spies and de-tectives will descend upon the state.”

It’s time for a shift in thought. Before you say that it’s only fair for me to pay taxes, ask yourself a few questions and see what the answer is. (1) Why is it fair for me to pay more than someone else? (2) Why does Congress and the party in power get to decide what a fair taxable amount is? (3) Where does it end? Fol-low the logic through to the end. Where exactly does a fair amount end, and a shakedown begin? Currently the richest 1% of earners earn 21% of the money and pay 27.5% of the taxes, whereas the bot-tom 20% of earners pay 0.4% of the taxes. All included, the bottom 60% of earners

Feel Manipulated Yet?By Zach Lee Wright

…we were assured by leaders like Woodrow Wilson that the income tax would NEVER go higher than 10%. However, four years later it was 67% due to World War I; shortly after that, there was another emergency and the highest tax rate went to 92%.



These days the left wing of the Demo-cratic Party has taken to calling themselves “Progressives.” During the 2008 presiden-tial primary debates, for example, Hillary Clinton said she thinks of herself as a pro-gressive. Democrats know the American people are wary of socialism and so, hav-ing thoroughly debased the term “liberal” in the 20th century, they have searched to find another term that Americans have good feelings about.

What do Americans like better than progress? The turn of the 20th cen-tury in America was an era of great optimism: huge numbers of immi-grants from Europe fu-eled a growing industrial economy led by such inventive giants as Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. This was the height of the Progressive Era. In politics, “progressive” had a meaning beyond simply progress. As Ronald J. Pestritto writes:

What, then, is progressivism?...in short we can think of it as an argument to progress, or to move beyond, the politi-cal principles of the American found-ing.

He goes on to write,Whereas the founders had posited what they held to be a permanent un-derstanding of just government, based upon a permanent account of human nature, the progressives countered that the ends and scope of government were to be defined anew in each historical epoch. [1]

This should be a very sobering thought. The goal of today’s Democratic Party—in the words of Barak Obama— is to fundamentally transform America. For one hundred years, progressives have sought to regulate “significant portions of the economy and to redistribute private

property in the name of social justice.” [2]

Have the Demo-crats been attempting to do anything like that in 2009?

Several observa-tions need to be made. First, like any major political or social move-ment, progressivism had multiple strains and goals. Second, while

there was a Progressive Party, progres-sivism itself became a part of both major political parties. Notable progressives in-clude Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson, who faced each other in the presi-dential election of 1912—Roosevelt as a Progressive and Wilson as a Democrat.

Have you ever felt that the two parties are Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum?

The progressives believed that soci-ety evolves along some path of historical development and that government should evolve as well. Ever hear a modern Demo-crat say that we need “a Constitution for the 21st century?” I have. This belief they hold in common with Marxism; that soci-ety is developing toward a utopia and that human nature itself evolves over time to-ward perfection. Think “New Soviet Man.”

PROGRESSIVISM on page 31

ProgressivismBy Al MaurerFeatured Writer

RIGHTS continued from page 23

Constitution these can be altered only by the difficult and laborious amendment process. Only with the assumption of a great degree of permanence can a consis-tent, predictable system of laws and jus-tice (including the required government enforcement of and sanctity of contracts) exist. Predictable law and enforcement of contracts is necessary to a thriving com-mercial system and a resulting increase in the general prosperity.

2. All positive rights are a creature of gov-ernment and are of such a nature that one citizen’s positive right must often be forcibly wrested from another. The gov-ernment must coerce resisting individu-als or groups to transfer and secure these from those naturally possessing them. According to the publisher’s online sum-mary for the book, The Costs of Rights; Why Liberty depends on Taxes, coauthors Stephen Holmes and Cass Sunstein ar-gue: “If (positive) legal rights are to be considered meaningful the existence of a government is required to first establish and then to enforce these rights.” The assumption that rights originate with government is of course just the reverse of the concept our founders had that the role of government is to be the servant of the people and the protector of our in-herent rights.

3. Positive rights need to consume inher-ent rights in order to thrive. An exam-ple is found in FDR’s 1944 State of the Union Address “the right to a useful and remunerative job…” We all know that a job (excepting self employment) requires an employer and in order for this employer to hire you for a “useful” well paying job he or she must need your skills and be willing to pay you a “good” wage commensurate with those skills. If the employer is unwilling or

unable to do so, his rights would be vio-lated if the employer were compelled by the government protecting your posi-tive rights. The above illustrates that ul-timately the Constitution cannot coex-ist with a system of positive rights.

The healthcare reform bill that has been pushed through Congress represent the most invasive violation of our inher-ent rights as Americans ever combined in one piece of legislation. It is an example of the unprecedented monstrous exer-cise of power by our government in using positive rights in a huge transfer of wealth and power from the people to those elite groups in control, in the process destroy-ing our Constitutional rights. This is a scenario in which we Americans surren-der the very reason the United States is ex-ceptional. It is our inherent right to exist as a free people, with our Constitution as the shield securing our immutable, nega-tive rights.

Our founders created the people’s contract with the government expressed in our Constitution. The rights of the peo-ple were to be protected and secured by the government. The powers of the gov-ernment for good and for ill were subject to separations and checks balances. The three branches of the Federal government along with the limited and separate pow-ers of the State and Federal governments were all designed to keep the power di-luted. They also believed from the very beginning that the people should remain forever vigilant. The key question was and is, quis custodiet ipsos custodies? – who polices the policeman? The answer is that it must be us!

We have no option but to police our government, reimpose the limitations on its power and return to our unique stand-ing as the freest nation on earth, ever.

…progressives have sought to regulate “significant portions of the economy and to redistribute private property in the name of social justice.”

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“The enemies of liberty are artful and in-sidious…liberty herself is treated as a trai-tor and a usurper…against these enemies of liberty, who act in concert…the patriot citizen will keep a watchful guard.” —James Wilson

“What follows is for those who want to change the world from what it is to what they believe it should be.” —Saul Alinsky

Thus begins Rules for Radicals: A Re-alistic Primer for Realistic Radicals. Writ-ten in 1971 by prototypical American community organizer Saul Alinsky and published shortly before his death, the book has had a pervasive, yet quiet influ-ence within the statist-oriented left wing of the American body politic. Its ideas have captured the moral attention and professional imaginations of many well-known American political figures today including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, argu-ably “realistic radicals” in their own right, but unquestionably bearing the Alinsky imprimatur. Alinsky is correctly consid-ered the American forerunner of “hope and change” rhetoric and the architect of much of the deleterious political land-scape we see before us.

The main thesis of the book is revo-lution against the status quo and the uses of political power to attain its destruction and transformation. For Alinsky, political power is simply and unavoidably there. It is nothing to be ashamed of or distrusted. It is simply a tool. For Alinsky, “some-body” is using that power or will be using

it, so that might as well be “the radical” with the “better” social vision. Accord-ing to Alinsky, it is far better to recognize power and its transformational abilities, and control them, than avoid exercising power out of some moral compunction or ideological straitjacket. In this, Alinsky is decidedly Machiavellian in his approach, though not nearly as guarded.

With theory and philosophical jus-tification laid out, the bulk of Alinsky’s book is then spent advising the “realistic

radical” on how to proceed in reaching his goals of societal destruction and recon-struction under the rubric of “scientific revolution.” The book includes sections on judging “means and ends” in revolution-ary goal attainment (not pretty but practi-cal), the function of language (it must be used creatively), the “proper”education for a radical (very select), communication (loaded questions in a “crisis” atmosphere) and “Tactics” – “Here our concern is with the tactic(s) of taking; how the Have-Nots can take power away from the Haves.”

It is no secret that the United States is far along down the Alinsky path to to-tal societal makeover by an ideologically determined, unresponsive and radicalized elite who have taken the Rules to heart; an “Elite” who have made the “Long March” through academia, government, and nu-merous “public advocacy” organizations over the last four decades. Simply put, they think that this is “their time.” Con-servative Americans with Constitutional values can see the transformation happen-

ing before their astonished eyes and are rightfully repulsed.

So what are concerned conservative “citizen patriots” to make of all this? How then should they proceed defensively to halt the erosion of their liberties and the slide into a statist utopia? How do they be-gin offensively to roll it back? Without a doubt the followers of Alinsky are “artful and insidious.” Conservatives would do well to keep a “watchful guard.” How do they do this? In practical terms, it means at a minimum, getting and staying in-formed politically. Conservatives tend to

be an inherently solid and basically happy lot, moving on with their lives within the framework of traditional American val-ues. They are not by nature “political ani-mals.” It takes time and effort to stay up on current events as it relates to the issues of freedom. But citizen patriots will endeav-or to keep their eye on the political ball in play lest they find themselves not even in the game and fatally out-maneuvered po-litically with attendant loss of freedom.

Does a conservative need to read Alinsky’s book? No, but an alert and in-formed conservative should certainly carry out due diligence by researching him and his thought, for that is the stated strategy of the radical opposition. Beyond this, a conservative should get involved in the political process. Learn who perti-nent lawmakers are and visit with them by phone, e-mail or letter. Get involved in tea parties. Subscribe to and support media that propagates and defends conservative values. Speak to friends and neighbors. Conservatives have been pushed very hard of late, almost to the point where THEY are the radicals on the margin. That is to be expected, given the level of benign neglect conservatives have shown to the political process over the years. That said, informed and active Conservatives have an interesting opportunity to use Alinsky’s Rules against the radicals who have now become the oppressive and out-of-touch “Haves” in our Government and take the Country back to values that are reflective of freedom.

Who was Saul Alinsky, and Why Should We Care?By Jim WilliamsContributing Writer

[Rules for Radicals’] ideas have captured the moral attention and professional imaginations of many well-known American political figures today including President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, arguably “realistic radicals” in their own right but unquestionably bearing the Alinsky imprimatur.

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American Heritage

Much ado has been made over the paint-ing “Washington Crossing the Delaware” by Emanuel Leutze since it was painted in 1851. The scene is familiar to most Amer-icans, as it has appeared in nearly every American history textbook. The paint-ing depicts Washington heroically posed with an American flag behind him as his troops row across the icy Delaware River to attack the British during the war for in-dependence. Reality, however, was prob-ably a little different. Careful historical analysis has caused me to think that rather than strike a pose fit for a clothing model, General Washington probably shivered in the cold like the rest of his troops as he prayed, “Oh God, I hope this works.”

Washington had suffered a lengthy series of defeats and setbacks dur-ing the first year of the war, 1776. The most significant failure had been at the Battle of Brooklyn. Following that staggering and embarrassing loss, Washington lost a se-ries of smaller battles at Kip’s Bay, White Plains, and Ft. Washington. After these defeats, Washington and his army retreat-ed across New Jersey into Pennsylvania, thereby giving up control of New York to the British.

This series of defeats affected future operations as well. By retreat-ing, Washington had ensured the Brit-ish would be quartered in warm cities and towns with roofs over their heads throughout the entire winter. His own troops would take to tent living, and were not equipped to withstand the harsh win-ter. Many of his soldiers were shoeless, and all went hungry most of the time. Private Joseph Plumb Martin, a regular under Washington, described in his diary numerous occasions in which he left camp in search of food because the army could not keep him fed. (I strongly recommend reading a copy of Martin’s diary.)

Enthusiasm for the cause waned. Desertions were at an all-time high, tak-ing a daily toll on Washington’s ability to put an effective force on the battlefield. Illness, a common factor in pre-20th cen-tury wars, added to Washington’s woes. As 1776 drew to a close Washington had “a mere handful” of regular troops. He called on New Jersey’s 16,000 militiamen to as-sist his regulars but only scant more than 1000 responded. Given these difficulties, recruitment was challenging at best.

As deserters poured out of the ranks each night and illness weakened the re-maining few fighters, Washington himself had difficulty keeping track of just how many soldiers remained under his com-mand. In early December, 1776, he esti-mated the army had dwindled down to 10,000 effectives, but within a week upped the number to as many as 23,000. Finally, he gave up trying to count and admitted to a member of the Continental Congress he had no idea how many troops he had.

One more factor made matters worse: all of the regular army’s enlistments would expire on December 31st, 1776. Washing-ton wisely concluded that without some dashing victory—and with it, hope the

cause would succeed—the Revolution would be over, as few would step forward to fill his ranks.

Given all his disadvantages, Wash-ington knew that a decisive engagement on an open battlefield against the best trained, most disciplined, best equipped

army in the world would do nothing but send his patriot soldiers to an early grave, and their cause with them. Therefore, he conceived a plan rooted in surprise.

German mercenaries (Hessians) made up a large portion of the enemy he faced. Washington knew that both Ger-man and British cultures enjoyed heavy drinking, feasting, and dancing on Christ-mas in those days. So he hoped to take advantage of their lethargy with a surprise attack. Thomas Paine, from whom I bor-rowed my pen name, authored these fa-mous words at just the right time:

“These are the times that try men’s souls: The summer soldier and the sun-shine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

Paine’s words in The American Crisis, which was read aloud to the Conti-nental Army, inspired a number of patri-ots to stay the cause for one more battle, and Washington took advantage of their renewed enthusiasm.

Washington planned a three-pronged attack against the Hessian gar-rison at Trenton, New Jersey. His force, by then down to 2400 men, was divided into three divisions. One would attack the British garrison at Bordentown, New Jer-sey, as a diversion to prevent the British from sending reinforcements. Another, comprised solely of militia, would seize a bridge to prevent the enemy from escap-ing. Finally, Washington himself would command the main effort, dividing his troops into two units. One was command-ed by Major General Nathaniel Greene, who would attack Trenton from the north. Major General John Sullivan commanded the other half of Washington’s division, and would attack the town from the south.

The German garrison at Trenton was commanded by Colonel Johann Rall. He and his contemporaries underestimated the fighting capability of the Continental

Army, seeing the same challenges Wash-ington had noted. He allowed his soldiers to engage in the drunken debauchery so popular at home, and he even neglected to post sentries.

The result was an overwhelming American victory, albeit with setbacks.

Washington’s plan did not go exactly as expected, but then again, anyone with combat experience will say the same holds true today. In fact, a blizzard slowed the river crossing by more than three hours, hence my opening remark about how Washington must have sat shivering like the rest of his troops.

When the attack finally came, how-ever, the Germans were too drunk to of-fer much resistance, and they were taken

completely by surprise as Washington had intended. Colonel Rall himself was too drunk to issue coherent commands, and was killed by a blast from an American cannon. Whether the Germans were ac-tually drunk is a subject of debate; some people believe it was a myth created by the Americans to paint their adversaries in a poor light. Sources also vary on the exact casualty numbers, but historian Thomas Fleming says the Americans captured 868 German soldiers, killed 106, and allowed another 300 to 400 to escape. Amazingly, no Americans were captured or killed, except for two who died during the riv-er crossing. Only four Americans were wounded during the battle.

Washington briefly contemplated fol-lowing up his victory by attacking other nearby garrisons; however, he quickly re-alized the element of surprise was no lon-ger with him and he was vastly outnum-bered in the region. Instead, he retreated back across the Delaware unmolested, basking in the glory of his first major vic-tory, and hoping it would suit the purpose he had intended.

It did. Numerous soldiers were so encouraged by the overwhelming victory they re-enlisted, and others came to join the cause. Washington’s ranks swelled, and the revolution would continue for five more years before America’s inde-pendence was finally won, but it never would have happened but for Washing-ton’s desperate river crossing on Christ-mas Day, 1776.

Washington Crossing the DelawareBy “Thomas Paine”Contributing Writer

Much to be regretted indeed would it be, were we to depart from the road which Providence has pointed us to so plainly; I cannot believe it will ever come to pass. The Great Governor of the Universe has led us too long and too far to forsake us in the midst of it.

—George Washington

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The 5000 Year Leap: A Miracle that Changed the World is an excellent book on the Consti-tution and the intentions of the Founding Fathers that is

easy to read and understand. It should be read by every American, includ-ing (or should I say especially) our government officials. Had my history teacher in high school or even college used this book, I would have fallen in love with our Founding Fathers a lot sooner than I did.

The wisdom and genius of those men led them to establish a Consti-tution, with which they intended to keep the power base close to the peo-ple, emphasizing a strong local self-government. They didn’t see things in terms of Right or Left but rather in terms of more or less government. On one end of the political spectrum they saw the “Rulers Law” which was 100% Tyranny. On the opposite end was “No Law” or 100% Anarchy. In the middle they placed the “People’s Law,” centered squarely between those 2 extremes. Their goal was to design a political system that had just the right amount of government to stop

In January 1776, Thomas Paine published a pam-phlet called Com-mon Sense, in which he made the case for Ameri-can independence from Britain. He outlined the abus-es of the tyranni-

cal monarchy of England. He wrote that in absolute governments, the king is law, but in free countries, the law ought to be the king. Seven months later, the Decla-ration of Independence was signed.

In like manner, Glenn Beck calls for a second American revolution, not with violence, but with the weapons of democracy. This revolution will not be fought on battlefields, but in the hearts and minds of Americans. He writes, “The abuses being perpetrated by our govern-ment are just as obvious now as they were then (1776), but instead of rising up with a collective voice, we sit idly by and watch as our hard-won freedoms slowly dissolve into a puddle of apathy, political correctness, and outright corruption.”

Beck says “it’s time to put principles above parties, character above campaign promises, and Common Sense above all…Do not remain neutral. Do not sit idly by… it’s once again time for our col-lective voice to make a simple yet power-ful demand…Don’t Tread on Me.”

He addresses his book to Americans who try to do the right things. He writes, “…while you worked hard, lived pru-dently, and spent wisely, those who did the opposite are now being bailed out at your expense…You demand a plan that’s

Bumping into similar historical territory, as we are in our current economy, Shlaes is wise to ask why the Depression lasted so long. If you think that our loss of liberty be-gan in the recent

past, read this book. The individuals of the era come to life through Shlaes’ depiction of the forces, decisions, and experimen-tation that turned the prosperity of the Roaring ‘20s into fading memories, dusty archives, and eleven depressing years.

With the date, average unemploy-ment, and Dow Jones average ushering in each chapter, Shlaes, a highly respected economic writer and commentator, deftly portrays the living tapestry woven be-tween the late 1920s and the “Great War.”

The book is littered with examples that illuminate the good, the bad, and the utterly corrupt. Benign-sounding plans, explanations, and excuses are unearthed with the deluded personalities behind each. As a member of FDR’s breakfast-in-bed daily meetings put it, “If anybody knew how we really set the gold price through a combination of lucky numbers, etc., I think they would be frightened.”

The ingenuity creating the explosion of electricity usage was eroded to bits by typically inept, government-subsidized production of the commodity. Naturally, nothing was paid to the inventors and developers of this critical energy source;

based on common sense and that actu-ally has a chance to work.”

Beck says that most Americans are convinced that the country is on the wrong track…that our county is about to be stolen. Many have sold their birthright of freedom for government handouts. Regarding politi-cians he writes, “We have so little trust in the character of the people we elected that most of us wouldn’t invite them into our homes…[or] leave our children alone in their care…” “Yet we leave our country and our children’s financial future alone in their care. Why? Common sense tells us that this is national suicide.”

He points out that our national debt is over $11 Trillion and growing. Our un-funded liabilities for Social Security and Medicare reach another $100 Trillion! He quotes Thomas Jefferson, “The principle of spending money to be paid by posterity…is but swindling futurity on a large scale.”

Beck describes how the tax code is used by corrupt politicians to reward allies, but used to crush enemies. He highlights the special privileges enjoyed by the political elite, and how gerrymandering their dis-tricts keeps them in office. He gives a history lesson on “The Cancer of Progressivism,” and how it influenced both parties to grow big government.

Glenn Beck’s book is a must-read for those wanting to understand what is wrong and how to put our country back on the right track. He urges Americans to empow-er themselves, find their own voices, and re-discover our common principles. Over the past year, Beck’s outspoken pleas for action have helped ignite the Tea Party and 9-12 movements that are sweeping America and shaking up power-hungry politicians.

Book Reviews & On the Lighter Side

Reviewed by William T. Gillin

The Forgotten ManA New History of the Great Depression, by Amity Shlaes

Glenn Beck’s Common Sense The Case Against An Out-of-Control Government, Inspired by Thomas Paine

Reviewed by J McGuire

the government simply took over what was already an ongoing success. Then, to further gut the entrepreneurial spirit of America, successful businesses were ha-rassed by the legal system, which picked key targets to prosecute, mainly for the PR value of the endeavor.

How can a society get by with artifi-cially high prices and wages, energy de-velopment undermined by government-subsidized “companies,” and lofty but costly and unrealistic projects? In fact, dairies, in frustration over low demand for their high-priced milk, got rid of it by pouring huge quantities on the ground.

Governmental disbursement of large quantities of money was thought to be the solution to the evils of greedy capi-talists, an economic idea concocted by John Maynard Keynes. However, Shlaes observes, “Keynesianism provided the intellectual justification and the creation of constituencies.”

Add those pesky political polls to the chaos and a well-crafted depiction of an exciting time in history becomes much more satisfying than mere fiction. The backbone of American prosperity, the free market, was all that kept the econ-omy afloat.

And the forgotten man? His iden-tity is stolen but revived by this book. He could also be the all-but-forgotten President Coolidge whose great wisdom involved restraint and an avoidance of governmental intervention.

By chance, does any of this sound familiar?

anarchy and create peace and stabil-ity while at the same time prevent too much government that would inevita-bly lead to the abuse of people’s rights.

The establishing of America by our Founding Fathers was based on 28 major principles of Freedom. Those great ideas provided the intellectual, political and economic climate for the 5000 year leap. Within the tapestry of all these principles is the assumption made by all of the Founders that reli-gion and morality were the pillars of government. Their desire was to have a moral and religious country, which they knew was impossible without a moral and religious people. As lead-ers they did not hesitate to pray and fast and seek the guidance, protection and wisdom of God. Citizens were en-couraged to do the same.

This book is not just a lesson in history and the establishment of the Constitution—it is a clear reminder that the 28 principles implemented by our Founding Fathers still have the power to foster peace, prosperity and freedom.

What you never learned in your American History Class, you will defi-nitely learn in this book. The found-ing of America and the establishment of her Constitution was truly a mira-cle.

The 5000 Year LeapA Miracle That Changed the World, by W. Cleon Skousen

Reviewed by Dwan Rager

…let a day be solemnly set apart for proclaiming the charter; let it be brought forth placed on the divine law, the word of God; let a crown be placed thereon, by which the world may know, that so far as we approve of manarchy, that in America the law is king. For as in absolute governments the king is law, so in free countries the law ought to be king; and there ought to be no other.

—Thomas Paine, Common Sense

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On the Lighter Side

Democrat politics is an entirely different game. Some people don’t seem to under-stand the game President Obama and the Democrats are playing. Let’s think about it in the context of another game. Baseball comes to mind because most people are familiar with it.

Baseball is the All American pastime. It has been played for more than a century by rules refined over time which are pretty well understood by all. Those rules make sense. They also make it a civilized game for the most part, only rarely marred by those who break the rules.

With that understood, imagine the Democrats, led by Obama, are play-ing baseball. Their opponent is not the Republicans, as one might assume. The Democrat (Donkey) baseball team oppo-nent is We-the-People, all of us. The dif-ference is, We-the-People play baseball by rules we have always known, understood and trusted to keep the game fair. The Democrats don’t.

The Democrats play the game by their own rules. For instance, the ace Pitcher for the Donkeys is southpaw (lefty) Nancy Pelosi, who is known for her screwball, whiffleball and especially her goofball. When a We-the-People batter hits her pitch and starts to run for First Base, the Donkey Catcher (Eric Holder – who as Attorney General can catch anybody for anything) tackles the runner to keep her/him from getting to First Base.

“Yer OUT!” shouts Umpire Barack Obama, who is also the Donkey Manag-er. We-the-People fans roar in outrage as their team gathers around the Ump shout-ing objections. “Get back in the dugout, or you’ll forfeit the game,” growls the Ump

“Let me be perfectly clear. It’s my ball. My rules. Play ball!”

The next batter for We-the-People is fast and outruns the Catcher. Doesn’t matter. The Donkey First Baseman Harry Reid picks up the base and runs into the Donkey locker room and locks the door. When the runner pounds on it, the Ump calls, “Yer OUT!”

And so it goes, throughout all nine innings. As the Donkeys come to bat, all the bases are renamed Home Plate. The catcher for We-the-People never catches the shifty Donkey batters heading for First Base, because the catcher has to go straight or to the right, and all the bat-ters run to the left to touch any base for a Home Run.

The score at game’s end finds the Demo Donkeys so far ahead the Score-keeper Robert Gibbs is three innings be-hind. We learn later that Gibbs, who dou-bles calling the game from the Press Box, declared before the game that it doesn’t make any difference how well We-the-People play or how loudly we protest, the game was over before it began. “Because,” Gibbs chortles, “We Donkeys won, We-the-People didn’t. The system worked”

After the game, We-the-People scramble for the Rule Book, The U. S. Constitution, only to discover it has been replaced by the Saul Alinsky book, Rules for Radicals.

That’s when we wake up. It must have been a nightmare. Not real, we decide. Then we hear a voice that sounds like President/Umpire Obama holler, “Forget Transparency. My ball. My rules. Double Header. Play Ball!”

Ellis in WonderlandDemocrat Rules: Play Ball!By Ellis PoseyFeatured Writer

PROGRESSIVISM continued from page 27

There is a very close relationship between the various forms of European socialism and American progressivism. The distinctions may not be worth mak-ing: Mark Levin and others simply refer to them all as “statists” because they believe in the power of the state over the individ-ual.

The perspective of the constitutional-ist is very different. This is the perspective of the classic liberal, the libertarian and the modern conservative. The Founders’ understanding of just government based upon human nature does not change be-cause throughout recorded history human nature has not changed. Government is formed to serve the people and not the other way around. It is not the govern-ment’s job to try to build within us a “so-cialist consciousness” or to provide for our every need. Whereas the progressive and the socialist aim to build their government and society on a future ideal, the constitu-tionalist builds his government and soci-ety upon experienced reality.

What has the intervening century taught? Socialism has brought nothing but misery, destruction and death from the Stalinist purges of the 1930s to the Cambo-dian killing fields of the 1970s. The Great Depression was viewed by progressives as a failure of limited government and capi-talism and a reason to implement progres-sive, socialist policies in the United States. Yet as Amity Shlaes’ book on the Depres-sion shows, these policies only deepened and prolonged it. [3]

Of course, to the progressive true be-liever, recent history is no more relevant to the argument than any other part of recorded history. The Democratic Party

has taken the financial crisis of 2008 as a reason and a mandate to implement more of the progressive agenda. In their minds, this country has failed not because we have implemented socialist policies in the past but because we have not gone far enough in implementing them.

In that context, does it now make sense that healthcare legislation is priority one?

These are not ordinary times. This is not about Republican versus Democrat, liberal versus conservative. Issues of race, class and gender are mere distractions. There are fundamental questions to be re-solved about who we are as a people and what our country is going to look like. Will we return to the principles of our founding or will we finally and irrevocably abandon them? This is nothing less than a Second Revolution in which we will either reaf-firm our commitment to Constitutional government or abandon it in all but name.

Writing in this paper, you can be cer-tain of my position. America, as we have known it for the past two centuries, needs all Patriots to stand up for her; there is no standing on the sidelines.

[1] Ronald J. Pestritto and William J. Atto, ed., American Progressivism, Lex-ington Books, 2008. pp.2-3. Pestritto and Atto are university professors who put this book together as a reader for their courses studying the Progressive Era.

A good understanding of Progressiv-ism can be had from this collection of writ-ings of early 20th century Progressives—I highly recommend it.

[2] Ibid. p.3.[3] Amity Shlaes, The Forgotten Man:

A New History of the Great Depression. HarperCollins, 2007.

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On the Lighter Side

1 Strongly Disagree2 Somewhat Disagree3 Somewhat Agree4 Strongly Agree

1. All Americans (and illegal aliens) have a right to free healthcare paid for by the government.

1 2 3 4

2. All Americans (and illegal aliens) have a right to food and housing, and if they can’t provide for themselves (even if they choose not to provide for themselves), the government must provide it.

1 2 3 4

3. Guns are evil and should be banned. People don’t kill people; guns kill peo-ple. So if we ban guns there will be no more bad guys with guns.

1 2 3 4

4. “Freedom of speech” means I can say whatever I want and so can you as long as it doesn’t offend me. We need speech codes and laws against hate speech. Hate talkers like Limbaugh, Hannity, and Beck should be burned at the stake as traitors to the State.

1 2 3 4

5. “Freedom of religion” means freedom for all religions except for bigoted closed-minded right-wing Christians. They have no right to speak (see Q.4).

1 2 3 4

6. The bourgeois (the rich) have op-pressed the proletariat (the working class) by exploiting their fellow man, and must return what they have stolen to the people’s government so that they may spread the wealth around, just to be fair.

1 2 3 4

7. Climate change will cause either a new ice age OR a huge rise in sea levels due to melting polar ice caps, destroying all civilization, unless we end all CO2 emissions NOW! (stop breathing now).

1 2 3 4

8. Capitalism has created greedy busi-nesses and businessmen who have reaped unfair profits by perpetuating the oppression of the poor by forcing them to buy their bourgeois goods like flat screen TVs and iPods.

1 2 3 4

9. To make children into “good citizens,” parents need to leave education of their children to the state, and not brain-wash them with their values (that’s the State’s job). After all, children belong to the State, and need to sing songs of praise to our Leader.

1 2 3 4

10. Nationalism is divisive and selfish. The United States should disarm and submit its sovereignty to an elightened world governing body such as the United Nations, where we can all join with corrupt dictators and tyrants and sing “Kum bye ya” together.

1 2 3 4

Now total your scores and rate yourself on the scale below.

Score 10-12: Congratulations! You be-lieve in individual freedom and limited government. You are a Constitutionalist who is mostly aligned with our Founding Fathers. Therefore, your current govern-ment considers you a right-wing extrem-ist! Keep reading The Constitutionalist Today, stay informed, and get involved!

Score 13-24: You are a bit confused. You are partially a Constitutionalist, who be-lieves in some limits on government, but you do like the government telling you what to do sometimes as long as they don’t interfere too much! Keep reading The Constitutionalist Today. You should learn more about our Founding Fathers and the Constitution. You will also learn the dangers of big government.

Score 25-30: You are a fan of big govern-ment and the Nanny State. You might be happier living in a European socialist country paying over half your income in taxes, enjoying high unemployment, where the government dictates your in-come, opportunities, and benefits. But keep reading The Constitutionalist Today; you might change your mind!

Score 31-40: You qualify as a progressive, a liberal, a socialist, a statist, or a Marxist (pick your flavor). You enjoy telling others how to live their lives as long as you don’t have to follow the same rules. You should try living in a country that already prac-tices what you believe, a socialist paradise like Cuba or North Korea. After a month, you might change your mind. Or you could keep reading The Constitutionalist Today; it might save you a miserable trip to another country! And by the way, get rid of the Che t-shirt (no, he did not have a band in the ‘60s), put down the bong, clean up, and get a real job.

With public support for the govern-ment healthcare schemes descending like a clod dropped into a churn, politicians inside the Beltway may have to resort to some other tactic to get it passed (if it hasn’t already by the time this goes to print). I suggest they employ a well honed device our federal government uses all the time. It’s called weasel-word-legerdemain. That means they’ll do one thing and call it something else.

Since they’ve done such a good job running auto companies, why not ap-ply the same expertise to healthcare and call it Health Car. Here’s the way it works. Pretend I’m your friendly federal slime salesman designated to explain our new Health Car program:

You’ll be so pleased to pay for your new Health Car with our new Payment Over Ten Years financial plan we govern-ment folks use all the time to hide the real cost of things. In this case, you’ll pay for ten years starting right away. You won’t get your Health Car for another four years, but hey! In four years you’ll have a brand new Health Car. Ain’t that great?

Best of all, your new Health Car was designed by Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, behind closed doors of course. These won-derful folks used the same expertise that went into their successful Troubled Asset Recovery Program (TARP) and the ever popular Stimulus Plan (PORK) that created and saved all those dozens of jobs. We are so lucky to have them working for us.

Don’t worry about the fine print in the Health Car legislation Harry and Nancy

put together for you. Your congressper-sons and senators don’t bother with that picky stuff when they vote, so you don’t need to read it either. And we promise, if your Health Car doesn’t perform as well as expected when you get it, your govern-ment will keep tinkering with it until they get it just the way they want it.

While we’re on that subject, if you do have trouble with your Health Car, don’t take it to your neighborhood profes-sional, whether it’s a ticker fixer or a body shop. You government relieves you of all those hard choices by telling you where your Health Car has to wait in line when things go wrong. Life is good, huh, if you don’t have to worry when the wheels fall off?

One other thing you should know, because we at your federal Health Car company want to be up front and hon-est with you at all times. If you don’t want a Health Car, that’s okay. Just think how good you’ll feel knowing the penalty you pay for not getting one will help pay for somebody else to have a Health Car whether they want it or not. Share the goodies, we say. We knew you’d agree.

Best of all, you don’t have to sign any of those pesky sales contracts to get your federal government Health Car. You’re gonna pay whether you sign up for it or not... and pay and pay and pay...

Last but not least, I know you’ll like the catchy slogan we came up with to help sell this new Health Car. “You Get the Clunker, We Get the Cash.” Nifty, huh?

Are you a Constitutionalist?Where are you on the scale of freedom? Find out here; take this quiz! Circle your answers and total your score.

Ellis in WonderlandHealth Care or Health Car: Your government has such a deal for you.By Ellis Posey

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