The 2009 Conservative Political Activists Conference was quite an eventful experience. Liberty was in the air everywhere you turned your head. Let me first proudly tell you that the results of the 2009 CPAC straw poll were released at the end of the Saturday session and our inspiration, Congressman Ron Paul finished a close 3rd behind Mitt Romney and Bobby Jindal. This included an entire field of  other conservative candidates behind the top three. Though I have to admit I was disappointed initially about the results,  Catherine made a great point. We definitively have made up a ton of ground in the last year,  (just a huge sign of what is to come). The contacts we made were incredibly valuable, the training was informative, and the free food and drinks were just an added bonus. Keep your eyes peeled for our DC Tea Party run down.

-Chip

This is the update I put together for my radio show, the Liberty Restoration Hour, this past Thursday.  Stay tuned for more CPAC updates from both myself and Chip in the next day (including photos/videos from the Tea Party rally!)

Here I am in the belly of the beast, Washington DC for the Conservative Political Action Conference.  I felt very optimistic about this experience in the days leading up to my flight out of town because of my experience this past weekend at Lincoln Days (the Missouri Republican Party State Committee Meeting).  At the state committee meeting I spent my time having frank and honest discussions with elected officials, candidates, and Republican supporters about issues and ideas I felt were important for the MO GOP to focus on including reducing the size of government, the idea of FISCAL conservatism, ending the war in Iraq (if for no other reason than economic), ending the Federal Reserve Banking System, and believe it or not, medical marijuana.

The greatest opposition to my words were surrounding the idea of ending the war.  This is going to be a hard topic to sell as many people involved in the GOP are still touting the party line on this issue, BUT I was able to discuss  liberty minded issues including how young conservative thinkers are fundamentally opposed to this war without facing harsh criticism or negative response, yes at times they opposed me, but not once was I made to feel bad or out of line for speaking my mind.

I think it was SO HEALTHY for the discussions to start and I left feeling very optimistic about the future of this party if for no reason other than the fact that CONVERSATIONS are FINALLY happening.  Most of you remember how difficult it was to facilitate constructive conversation about these issues 6 months and a year ago!  At the RNC this year I heard not one conversation about the role of government or changing the direction of the party – so blindsided by election fever, I was surrounded by talking propaganda machines who attacked anyone who asked questions or offered dissenting opinions as they cheered with vigor for a candidate they didn’t even support!  The culture of this group of people is absolutely going through a transformation.

Maybe failure has caused folks to reconsider the direction of the party, maybe the influx of young conservatives into the political spectrum are opening some eyes, I’m not certain of the cause behind their openness to conversate about formerly taboo subjects, but it is absolutely happening.  I also had many people come up and tell me how horrible they felt the MOGOP’s actions were when they treated the Ron Paul activists poorly.  Are they waking up?  Quite possibly.  Now that I have arrived in DC I am more than confident the answer to that question is YES.

Is the GOP changing directions?  Today I have heard talk about how Bush and Karl Rove have derailed the Republican Party, discussions about homosexual civil unions, and re-focusing on small government and fiscal conservatism instead of the divisive social issues of the failing Republican message in recent years.  I have to admit I was extremely surprised by the presence of so many young people here this week .  Typically, I am the youngest person at Republican events but this year at CPAC 2009 I am but one of many.  What does this mean for the Republican Party?  I think it means growth and a newly found openness to explore the behavior of their recent past in order to preserve the message of less government and FISCAL conservativeness.

Possibly one of the most amazing speakers I have heard recently was today during the Conservatism 2.0 forum hosted by PJTV.  Deroy Murdock received the only standing ovation during the event – he identified by name the individuals, such as Karl Rove, and John McCain who have steered our party in the wrong direction and how we MUST be discussing this in a frank and open manor.

Two weeks ago, LRP members traveled to Jefferson City to testify in the Real ID / Privacy Committee in favor of House Bill 361, which would halt the mandate of Real ID in the state of Missouri.  The LRP believes this is a tenth amendment issue for our legislatures and is honored to support Representative Jim Guest in his efforts to fight the Real ID. 

Please call your state representatives and ask them to support HB 361!  This is urgent!  We must stand up against this federal power grab initiated during the Bush administration!

To learn about the bill: http://www.house.mo.gov/content.aspx?info=/bills091/bills/HB361.htm

To find your representative: http://www.senate.mo.gov/llookup/leg_lookup.aspx.

Things are really happening here in, Missouri!  Welcome to the rEVOLution!

peace, love and liberty,

Catherine

Last week the LRP traveled to Jefferson City to testify by the side of fellow liberty lovers ( Missourians Against Red Light Cameras ) against the use of Red Light Traffic Cameras in the state of Missouri. 

Now it’s up to these seven senators whether our bill lives or dies. Call and tell them you support Senate Bill 211 and disdain the use of these cameras on our streets! 

John Griesheimer (573) 751-3678

Dan Clemens (573) 751-4008

Delbert Scott (573) 751-8793

Carl Vogel (573) 751-2076

Joan Bray (573) 751-2514

Ryan McKenna (573) 751-1492

Wes Shoemyer (573) 751-7852

They could be voting any day this week, so it is imperative that you CALL NOW!

peace, love and liberty,

Catherine Bleish

Now the inauguration is over, and an incredibly short honeymoon, I wanted to reflect on what has changed in our movement towards Constitutional Liberty and the care we must take in delivering our message. The day of the inauguration, and the day after, the web was alive with gloom and doom panic and conspiratorial fears and remnants of that despicable and evil character known as “party politics”. One forum I visit often, the Daily Paul, had post after post of “…this is the end of America” and “…hide your guns tomorrow” and the incessant hollering for the Supreme Court to declare Obama ineligible (I’m not commenting on the merit of that claim – but the Chief Justice wasn’t exactly standing up for the Constitution, as he was too busy screwing up the oath). Fox News spent the time finding flaws with everything and trying to hold on to a vestigial appearance of conservativism. The majority of the people in America were illogically hopeful, tearful, and star-struck – including the news outlets, every one of my friends, and every single person I work with.

What does it all mean? My response to many people, both verbal and in blog, was “It means nothing. Nothing has changed.” In truth, I was distressed that so many who claim to be part of the Freedom Movement still had that last step to take to be free from the chains of propaganda, to be truly “awake”. One year of patriots involved in the Ron Paul Campaign screaming from the rooftops that there was no difference between the two candidates, and we still cannot quite get past the labels and the ingrown fears. Now, to caveat my own statement, I am not saying that working within the Republican Party is a bad thing or that Ron Paul wasn’t offering the perspective of what the Republican Party “should be”. Quite the contrary for on a local level Republicans are much closer to the positions of people like me, a true conservative. On the federal level however, I see little difference. One party in Washington is open about large, overreaching federal government and the other party pretends to be the opposite – but always manages to cash in their consciences for compromise.

I recently read an article by David A. Patten on Newsmax titled “McCain Now Obama’s No. 1 Senate Ally”. The article describes, with quotes from his chief political advisor no less, of McCain continuing to be the bridge between the parties. One McCain quote in the article which he made after the confirmation of Secretary Of State Clinton: “”I remind all my colleagues: We had an election. I think the message the American people are sending us now is they want us to work together, and get to work,” he lectured.” After reading it I was reminded of Governor Jesse Ventura at the Rally for the Republic comparing the two aristocrat parties to professional wrestling. During the elections they appear adversarial, almost as though they have different philosophies. Now that the election is over it is back to compromising for the “good” of the country. At what point does compromise turn into capitulation? And, is the country the same as the Federal Government? And more importantly, who said compromise is a good thing? (Answer: In business or law when both parties get a portion of the money out of a rotten deal instead of settling for none and keeping true to their task)

Our job remains, our duty remains, to “wake” the people and to turn spiral-eyed sheep into thinking and reasonable citizens. There is much excitement over President Obama right now, and he has done some things in his first few days that appear to be positive steps. I personally think the little he has done is showmanship and nothing more. In the same week he signs an order to close Guantanamo, he bombs civilians in Pakistan (remember, our “ally”). I would say those two actions cancel each other out in relation to our foreign policy and how we are viewed in the Middle East. While he exclaims in his inauguration speech that we will be stalwart against terror and violence, he is mum on using phosphorous shells on civilians and children in Gaza, which we the American people supplied to Israel – not a word. While claiming to bring transparency to the White House, the second half of the bailout money (Obama voted for) is going to be given to the same people who are still under no requirement from Congress to fill us in on how the money is used, many of whom supplied the funds from bailout money for his inauguration parties. Nor, has Obama told his flock about the 1 trillion dollars in addition to the 700 Billion created by the Federal Reserve in monetized debt or how much inflation tax his new ‘stimulus’ package will cause or how much money will be needed for his pointless government work programs. At the same time he claims to want to draw down numbers in Iraq (16 months from now, maybe), he is increasing troop levels in Afghanistan by another 30,000.

When my friends asked me how I was feeling about the inauguration, I replied, “Pretty apathetic, just as if McCain had won – they are both neocons”. This, of course, brought inward gasps of disbelief. I do not have the answers and I do not know the best action to take. What I do know is that now the honeymoon is over and the miscreants in DC are doubling the national debt, you must do something, anything. Just writing your representatives is something. Joining us for End the Fed II is something. Writing editorials in support of state sovereignty is something. Otherwise, I will be here four years for now saying the same thing about a Republican.

In the interest of time and space, here is a list of what continues from Bush to Obama:

The President is still a neoconservative (a “fake” conservative)

The Patriot Act is still in effect

We will continue our interventions in Iraq & Afghanistan

We continue to encroach into Pakistan, with weekly bombings and civilian deaths

We still bailout banks with fake money

We still have a fiat currency in dire straights

We still have a messy and ineffective drug war

We still have black prisons in other countries and let others torture for us

We still give Israel all the bombs and weapons they need, at taxpayer expense

We still find it acceptable that Israel uses our munitions to kill children

We still tax and spend

We still struggle to retain our inalienable rights

We still have an overreaching federal government

And most importantly – We still must band together and do what we can to reawaken the ideals of the American Enlightenment.

From kindergarten through 12^th grade, Americans are conditioned by our education system to believe certain things and go along to get along, often suppressing deep seeded convictions they may have.  From the teaching in science classes of Darwin’s theory of evolution to the one-sided views often presented in history classrooms, our educators are less concerned with the students’ ability to think for themselves, and instead concerned with the students’ capacity to memorize “facts.”  In many respects, the public school system has also taken on the role of parent, teaching right from wrong to its students and imposing on them a belief system and a set of values, which is a direct violation of the precepts of a free society. 

A cornerstone of free enterprise is the principle of competition.  Our government-controlled school system has assumed a virtual monopoly on the education of the young people of the nation.  While one is free to send his or her children to a private school, or to home school if they wish, that individual is still expected to endorse the public education system, and everything that it teaches, through the paying of his or her property taxes. 

People who pay exorbitant fees and tuition to send their children to a privately funded school, together with those who home school, should be able to opt out of that portion of their property taxes that is used to fund the local public school, or free to claim their tuition for private school or materials for home school as a deduction from their property taxes, thereby hopefully reducing the amount of money that they pay into the public school system.  Parents only send their children to a private school, paying the sometimes astronomical tuition costs, or home school their children, when they sense that their local public school is failing to provide the education that they expect for their children.  But as long as the school is taking in money by force of law, it has no obligation to improve or to ensure an adequate education to its students.  Government education has therefore become, by definition, a monopoly.

States Rights.  State Sovereignty.  State Power.  No matter what term you want to use to describe it, several states, and Freedom Movement citizens in those states, are making an effort to restore the Constitution – the 10^th Amendment specifically.  Ten states have “Tenth Amendment” resolutions in committee or on the docket, and counting.  Twenty-one states have similar resolutions in the works or similar legislation based on Constitutional delegation of powers being proposed.  The Tenth Amendment states:

There are many areas in which our federal government has overstepped its bounds, we all know this.  Just a few of these areas are education, health care, federal police, environmental “permissions”, federal drug penalties, meat and produce regulation, and on and on….  The resolutions proposed vary in intent, but they all have one thing in common:  To remind the federal government and the executive and legislative branches in Washington DC that the Tenth Amendment still exists, that the Constitution is still the law of the land, and that the people are aware of federal intervention into local governments.  Some of these resolutions declare the next step, that if their sovereignty in these areas is not recognized, that decisions and laws made at the federal level are now void and there is no legal justification to follow the federal regulations.  For instance, the resolution in New Hampshire in reference to both the Tenth Amendment and Section 8 of the Constitution delegating the powers of Congress, reads:

“That the Constitution of the United States, having delegated to Congress a power to punish treason, counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States, piracies, and felonies committed on the high seas, and offences against the law of nations, slavery, and no other crimes whatsoever; and it being true as a general principle, and one of the amendments to the Constitution having also declared, that “the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people,” therefore all acts of Congress which assume to create, define, or punish crimes, other than those so enumerated in the Constitution are altogether void, and of no force; and that the power to create, define, and punish such other crimes is reserved, and, of right, appertains solely and exclusively to the respective States, each within its own territory;…”

The Missouri House Resolution13 reads:

“Be it further resolved that this concurrent resolution serve as Notice and Demand to the federal government, as our agent, to cease and desist, effective immediately, mandates that are beyond the scope of these constitutionally delegated powers; and

Be it further resolved that all compulsory federal legislation which directs states to comply under threat of civil or criminal penalties or sanctions or requires states to pass legislation or lose federal funding be prohibited or repealed; and”

These are powerful, and justified, statements of members of the Constitutional Republic.  If you think of the many, and the mundane, federal laws forced on the people outside of those delegated to Congress by, supposedly, the law of the land then you have a very long list of void legislation.  You will also find a long list of bureaucracies and institutions that could be wiped away from our state and the costs that go with them. Principally, we the several states agreed to form a union and created a servant federal government with very few delegated duties.  If that agreement, the Constitution, is void then we have a lot of work to do to “reconstitute” a union.  As sovereign individuals, living in sovereign state members of a union, we must find ways to maintain our property and our rights.  John Locke, a philosopher who created the basis for what would become the American Enlightenment codified by Thomas Paine, famously wrote about security of property:

“The reason why men enter into society, is the preservation of their property; and the end why they chuse and authorize a legislative, is, that there may be laws made, and rules set, as guards and fences to the properties of all the members of the society, to limit the power, and moderate the dominion, of every part and member of the society: for since it can never be supposed to be the will of the society, that the legislative should have a power to destroy that which every one designs to secure, by entering into society, and for which the people submitted themselves to legislators of their own making; whenever the legislators endeavour to take away, and destroy the property of the people, or to reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power, they put themselves into a state of war with the people, who are thereupon absolved from any farther obedience”

Would “reduce them to slavery under arbitrary power” be relative to the IRS and the last three “stimulus” bills?

New Hampshire is the first of many states to begin the process of regaining their lost National Guard Troops from our interventions overseas.  New Hampshire representatives are putting forward a House Bill to establish a Permanent State Defense Force, justified in part that, “The general court finds that a large portion of the New Hampshire national guard has been and is on active duty outside the boundaries of the state and, therefore, finds it prudent to heed the recommendation from the Department of Homeland Security to establish a permanent state defense force by revising the militia statutes relative to the state guard.”  The bill establishes that “The governor is hereby authorized and required to organize and maintain within this state, under such regulations as the Department of Defense of the United States may prescribe for discipline in training, and otherwise in general conformity with existing law, regulations, rules, and practices pertaining to the national guard, military forces to defend this state from invasion, rebellion, disaster, insurrection, riot, breach of the peace or imminent danger thereof, or to maintain the organized militia.”

These resolutions and bills are a good start, but we must be realistic on their chances.  In a recent You Tube (Jefferson Blow off Part 1 & 2) there is a discussion in committee in New Hampshire about the Tenth Amendment bill.  No member of the committee speaks against it, yet it is still voted down.  These efforts may seem to be pushing a rock uphill, yet we should not be deterred.  On February 10^th, some members of the Liberty Restoration Project went to Jefferson City, Missouri with Campaign For Liberty members and others to speak for the Tenth Amendment Resolution as well as a bill against the REAL ID Act.  After the committee hearing, they visited the floor of the State House and heard language those of us in the Freedom Movement often use: “sovereignty, federal intervention, states rights”.  Is it possible some are listening?

This may only be the beginning, but it HAS BEGUN.  What is needed now is for the citizens to support these brave representatives.  And they are brave, facing ridicule, loss of campaign funds, and if the movement grows, increased media opposition.  If your state has resolutions in committee, or about to be proposed, please call your representatives.  If you can, make it to the capitol and testify.  To prepare you can access many sources, including the Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers, and reading “Common Sense” again can give you some great quotes.  We can, and we must, convince our fellow citizens that it is imperative to Restore the Republic. 

by Kevin L. Kobe

Just Two weeks ago, members of Kansas City’s Liberty Restoration Project arrived in Jefferson City just seconds before the 8:00a.m. Special committee on families meeting. Several persons were hoping to view a debate on abortion issues. However, one clause in HR 212 derailed the debate. LRP was hoping to state our case.

It was not our case to make, however, it was the case of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America. It was the case of the sovereignty of the state of Missouri to stand superior in the creation of laws within its borders. It was something that I personally felt that Missouri Legislators should look at as job security.

This is exactly what I had testified to during my few moments to speak to the house committee. When the federal government can overturn state laws at their every whim, why even have a body to make state laws?

The opposition to the bill, argued the normal Abortion rights issues, and argued that this bill seemed to be in opposition to a bill on the Federal level that had not been presented yet. They argued that Missouri’s laws were not in immediate danger, and that even if the Federal government overstepped their bounds, that these issues would be determined by the courts, as women’s health issues.

Again, The Constitution does not allow for multiple legislative bodies to be equals in conflict, with the courts deciding which differences are sovereign based on an individual’s rights. This would be legislating from the court bench. Also, the opposition offered an interpretation of the tenth amendment that focused on the last part of it. “Amendment X : The powers not delegated to the United States by the constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.” They focused on a claim that the rights of a sovereign person are superior to the state. (assuming they mean the right to choose an Abortion is a person’s right first, superseding bodies of established government.) The question here is, How does a sovereign individual make a law? Through petitioning, and changing of the body of laws through a vote or through petitioning their elected representatives in State or Federal government.

The issue is not whether the “Freedom of Choice Act” or similar legislation becomes law in Missouri, the issue is whether the law is passed by the US Congress or the Missouri General Assembly (or the courts if you happen to agree with those who were in opposition to this legislation). We are a Republic. That means that even the voices not in the majority should have a say in the laws imposed on them. This is why we have state government. The United States may be one large body, but the insurance of freedom is dependent on different sections of the population being able to live under their own sets of values. What works for south-central Los Angeles might not work in rural Missouri. This is why it is clearly defined in the United States Constitution that it is a right of the state to decide how to proceed with dealing with these issues.
After the committee hearing on this bill, the members of Liberty Restoration Project were introduced on the floor of the General Assembly as special guests of Representative Cynthia Davis of District 19 – St. Charles County. Then we spoke with Representative Jim Guest momentarily, as the session began, before we went to some offices to request meetings with our own district officials. The whole day was very exhilarating to see in person the types of debates that go on in the halls of government, however, the brightest point for this activist did not happen inside the capitol building, but outside as we were leaving. There were protesters outside holding signs. One of them said “Tell Barack to get his peace on!” That is a federal government issue I can get behind!

Catherine’s Note: This bill was passed in the Missouri House under HR 294 last week!!

Big news!  Today we officially opened our online t-shirt store!  www.libertyrestorationproject.org/store.  Items will not ship until the first of March, but anyone who pre-orders before then will receive free shipping! 

Major THANK YOU extended to all the hard work by David, Paul and Kriss to make this happen!  You guys are amazing!

Support the projects found in our 2009 Action Plan by shopping with us today!

Channel 9 video: http://www.kmbc.com/video/18720732/index.html

Channel 4 article: http://www.fox4kc.com/news/wdaf-red-light-cameras-story-21609,0,5078568.story

If you find more photos/press on this rally please email links to catherine@libertyrestorationproject.org.

Also, if you are interested in testifying in person or in writing on SB211 (to ban red light cameras in MO) in Jefferson City this Wednesday, please  email catherine@libertyrestorationproject.org