Time For a Second Bill of Rights

I am beginning to wonder if the Republican Party knows what it’s doing.

I don’t think they understand what the TEA Party movement is all about. I was listening to Hannity the other day and he was being criticized for saying ‘We need to take back the Republican Party’ while being registered as a Conservative. I was listening to a local morning guy who was recommending conservatives become precinct captains in the Republican Party and control the outcome of the election that way.

See? They don’t understand. We’re not just fed up with Democrats; we’re fed up with Republicans too. We’re fed up with every time some dipstick in Washington has “A PLAN” we lose some more of our money and our liberty. We’re fed up with being told that Washington is the answer, when we know Washington is the flippin’ PROBLEM!

Have you read the Constitution lately? If you haven’t, I urge you to take a few minutes and do so. It’s written in plain English and takes maybe an hour to read. While you’re reading, make note of which clause it is that gives the Federal Government the authority to regulate Health Care. Or look for the one that authorizes Social Security; Medicaid; Freddie Mac/Fannie Mae or any other number of government programs. Unless your copy of the Constitution has Obama’s signature on it, you won’t find them.

The Constitution gives the Federal Government ONE internal power; the Interstate Commerce Clause. Article I; Section 8, Clause 3: “To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;”. This one sentence has been bastardized to mean that the Federal Government has the ability to regulate a single farmer, growing grain for his own use, because that use will mean he will not need to purchase grain from another state, which invokes the Commerce Clause (US Supreme Court; Wickard v Filburn, 1942). A great discussion of the history of the Commerce Clause is here if you want the details.

Why have I drifted here? Because we need to reform not just Congress, but the Constitution, because the Supreme Court has way over stepped the original intent of the Commerce Clause and has aided and abetted in the destruction of our liberty, not as a safeguard to it.

The Constitution spells out four paths for amendment:
• Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state conventions
• Proposal by convention of states, ratification by state legislatures
• Proposal by Congress, ratification by state conventions
• Proposal by Congress, ratification by state legislatures

We need to start working at the state level to amend the Constitution several ways. I would like to see these amendments:

Amendment 28: Balance Budget- Washington cannot deficit spend without the approval of 2/3 of the states.

Amendment 29: Congressional Term limits: two terms or max of 15 years for a senator; 3 terms or 7 years in the House Consecutive, may serve a second 7 year stint if out of office for 6 years; up to a total of 20 years in Washington in if you serve in both Houses.

Amendment 30: Outlaw Congressional pensions. Let the bums retire on their own dime, not mine.

Amendment 31: Repeal the 17th Amendment and go back to State legislature appointing the Senators.

Amendment 32: Federal Judge Term limits. 10 years in any given chair; 25 total service to the Federal bench, mandatory retirement at 70.

Amendment 33: Reform the Commerce Clause so Congress can only strike down items that prohibit commerce between the states, not pass laws to control it. And make it retroactive.

The political class will scream bloody murder when we try this; Democrats and Republicans alike. And that’s what I mean about Republicans not getting it.

They wanted to start a Revolution against the Democrats.

Instead, they started one against Federal power.

I hope.