ACTION

Whether TEA means "Taxed Enough Already" or "Taken Enough Abuse," Old Rajjpuut, has been encouraged by the Tea Party phenomenon beyond that of any other occurrence in political-activism since at least the days of Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi. Patriotic opposition and even a bit of civil disobedience against corrupt government and corrupt politicians is certainly long overdue in this country. The TEA Party, one hopes, will continue to be a vibrant fiscal-conservative backlash against the abuses of both major parties and the federal government and a strong PRO-voice

supporting the U.S. Constitution. Not a cut and dried "litmus test" but rather an intelligent range of views that define patriotism.

Just as the original Sons of Liberty which conducted the Boston Tea Party became the Whig Party; and the original abolitionists became outraged at the impotence of their Whig Party and gave birth to the Republican Party in 1854, let’s hope this new movement leads us back to our conservative, freedom-loving roots once again. Fiscal conservativism and social moderation and tolerance are worthy goals. To those ends here is a Suggested Unity Platform for the Tea Party:

Guiding Principles:

I. We hold the Declaration of Independence's truths to be self-evident that all men are created politically equal and own the unalienable rights to LIFE, LIBERTY, and the PURSUIT of HAPPINESS. We believe in equality of opportunity, not forced equality by government theft and re-distribution. Each human life is potentially of great worth and dignity. Diversity of opinion and diversity of support are vital. Patriotism comes in many wonderful packages. We are a party of inclusion not exclusion. We welcome patriotic dissent as well as patriotic agreement. We expect “discussion” to be civil and search for win-win resolutions at all times, but we totally deny the idea of political correctness.

II. We believe that political correctness is gutless and dishonest. In its place we search for political integrity and the best possible results for the American people as a whole. We do not support or agree with notions of affirmative action. The family is sacrosanct, but after childhoold, each person stands on his own within the bounds of reason and compassion.

III. Because the original Tea Party consisted of radicals whose attack on the establishment on December 16, 1773 (flinging taxed tea crates into Boston Harbor) was a defiant act of civil disobedience, we embrace peaceful but intelligent and provocative defiance toward the present political establishment. We are the people and they govern at our pleasure, they work for us, we do not work for them. We loathe their current attempts at "Taxation without Representation" and consider our pocketbooks and our persons equally sacrosanct. The methods of Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Thoreau, our own founding fathers and Ronald Reagan provide a guideline for constructive, intelligent and effective actions.

IV. Patriotism means first of all respect for the U.S. Constitution and the men and women who’ve fought, died and struggled to make this country great.

Be it resolved that we hold this type of federal government to be self-evidently preferible to all others.

A. A Republic featuring Democratically-elected representatives

B. A federal government in line with the principles of the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution particularly the 10th Amendment.

C. The smallest possible federal government possible that can protect the people from aggressions foreign and domestic

D. The federal government which taxes the least, interferes in daily life the least and keeps it monetary affairs in good order

E. The federal government that honors the principles of complete separation and balance of executive, legislative and judicial powers and in honoring the 10th Amendment honors the balance of central government powers with state and local governments and with the individual.

F. A federal government that will not invoke nor allow ex post facto laws or ex post facto voting or scheduling of voting to fill vacant seats

G. A federal government which practices a balanced budget except in wartime or real emergency

H. A federal government that does NOT feature a central bank nor (except in wartime) allow national debt

I. A federal government that supports a strong currency

J. A federal government that honors and enforces separation of Church and State and favors no religion

K. A federal government which except as necessary (in keeping with the bill of rights) respects and does not interfere with or subvert the state government or the rights of individuals

Be it further resolved that the twenty-one principled behaviors and attitudes listed below outline the attributes of a true American statesman or stateswoman. We believe that candidates that adopt at least eighteen of them are worthy of our votes. We resolve to revisit and revise this list not less than once every eighteen months to keep it current, relevant and intelligent . . . .

The Twenty-One Statements

A statesman/stateswoman of integrity that patriotically represents the American people . . .

•1. Supports strong national defense

•2. Supports responsible capitalism and minimal government interference with honest and responsible captitalist endeavor

•3. Supports minimal taxation

•4. Supports smaller, more efficient, more effective and less onerous and interfering government

•5. Opposes socialism, Marxism, communism and social-progressivism in all forms and strives for repeal of Obamacare and all socialized medicine

•6. Supports reduction of and elimination of the national debt

•7. Opposes the existence of the federal reserve bank

•8. Opposes deficits and unbalanced budgets

•9. Supports market-based health care reform

•10. Supports full exploration and use of America’s present energy storehouse and potential by the free market, including but not limited to nuclear power; oil-shale development; offshore drilling; drilling in the country itself, especially in the newly discovered huge Baaken Reserve Fields. Supports green-tech with minimal research funds and leaves development of those sources of energy to private businesses and individuals.

•11. Opposes mandatory unionization and card check; and supports secret balloting everywhere in America including in the jury room and work place

•12. Opposes cap and trade or other such energy legislation and is willing to revoke any such measures should they pass. Expects "global warming" to either become a real and proven science or disappear based upon its scientific merits or lack thereof, not on political power grabs and falsified data

•13. Opposes illegal immigration in all its forms

•14. Supports victory in Iraq and withdrawal within four years

•15. Supports victory in Afghanistan and re-building that nation’s infrastructure, especially schools and insisting that nation educate its women before eventual withdrawal. Opposes all terroristic activity.

•16. Opposes “marriage” by same-sex individuals; but supports civil unions without the right of adoption. for such people.

•17. Opposes public funding of elective health care options such as abortion and unnecessary plastic surgery

•18. Supports second amendment freedoms; opposes all irresponsible use of weapons of any sort; opposes violent felons ever getting the right to bear arms; opposes fully-automatic military assault type weapons in the hands of civilians; supports a strong National Guard and other military reserve INDEPENDENT of the federal government except in emergency or wartime necessity

•19. Opposes the irrational and violent governments of North Korea and Iran and supports all measures to stop their nuclear proliferation

•20. Supports all just laws. Supports abortion as the PRESENT law of the land but opposes federal or state funding of abortions. Respects the right of non-violent opposition to abortion and the right to seek a constitutional amendment limiting late-term abortions. Respects the right of peaceful protest and demonstration against all unjust laws and all unjust local, state and federal actions and laws.

•21. Opposes all government jobs creation. Outside of its legitimate limited functions, governments cannot create jobs that benefit the greater public; they can only tax and waste our money. Specifically opposes the present green jobs program of President Obama which will, in order to create the desired five million green-tech jobs, cost the country over eleven million^^^ real jobs. Additionally, the jobs created will be temporary in 91% of the instances; be low-paying in 94% of instances and be a sham. To create jobs and especially green tech jobs the Federal government needs to stand aside, lower taxes and enourage research, period. Supports private sector jobs growth by lowering taxes on business and individuals.

Resolved: candidates whose “track record” demonstrates substantial compliance with both the spirit and the letter of these "Twenty-One Statements" is considered a “friend of the Tea Party” and worthy of our full respect and support. Candidates whose “litmus test” results are very close to the seventeen agreement threshhold may also be supported on a lesser of two-evils basis. Candidates who substantially differ from these standards will be opposed by all legitimate means at our disposal.

Ya'all live long, strong and ornery,

Rajjpuut

^^^ According to a Spanish study of the results of a similar experiment in their country leading to 18.7% unemployment, each government-created job cost the permanent loss of 2.2 real jobs from the wider economy. Some government created jobs were of extremely short duration, only roughly 9% were permanent and not many paid well.

We are in a serious financial crisis. Obama seems to feel he is playing with Monopoly money, but he is now in a danger zone of economic bankruptcy. He either does not have a clue about economics, or he is deliberate in his destruction. Why this man was never vetted is the mystery of the decade. The public is not aware of his academic career, or the subjects he took, or the papers he wrote, much less his grades. I would be curious to see his college writings, and his theses, irrespective of his "books".

With Health Bill, Obama Has Sown the Seeds of a Budget Crisis
http://tinyurl.com/yfyq4qu

I would like to hear from my fellow MO'ers what you think of the Senate candidates to replace Kit Bond.

I personally am concerned about Roy Blunt. Wasn't he running the GOP in the Senate when they went off the rails and

Let's see, we need to replace the D voters we pissed off ramrodding through the healthcare legislation...

what to do, what to do...

I know! We'll create millions of new (likely D) voters by 'reforming' the illegal immigration situation!

Problem solved!

You think I'm joking... I only wish I were! This is coming this summer.

In case State-run CNN wonders why they are losing their audience, a picture speaks a thousand words. Their deception and biased reporting has them in last place where they belong. CNN reported "dozens" attended the Searchlight, NV Tea Party Rally where Sarah Palin spoke.

Dozens attend Searchlight Tea Party Rally? Really?

http://tinyurl.com/yhcpbwp

Once again the Tea Party makes national headlines.

And once again the message (government overspending) is overshadowed by the messeger (Ann Coulter).

I'm not knocking Ann - she's politically to the right of me, but I enjoy reading her columns *because* I don't always agree. I think she is intelligent, acerbic, pointed - and an even worse publicist for the Tea Party than Sarah Palin.

And that's saying something!

She exemplifies the Left point-of-view that the Tea Party is an ignorable whacky fringe Republican thing. Which is odd - the Republicans have been spending like drunken sailors on shore leave for years, and they're only now getting in bed with the Tea Party because they're both anti-Obama.

If the Tea Party wants political traction, they'll need some Dem support too.

Because It Costs Too Much Green

After your income information had arrived from your employer and you placed it in the drawer, after all April 15 was months away.

Many of the Americans that have lost their job didn't realize that their unemployment payments are taxable until they filled-out their Federal income tax returns.

The big corporations are still firing workers to boost their earnings even as their stock prices are at the highest level that they have been since the market low in March 2009.

When the companise finally start hiring Amerians are going to have, Click Link: A New On-The-Job Experience

In the face of this Global Warming farce, don't forget to turn all your lights ON tonight at 8:30, as we did last year. Think where we were one year ago tonight -- still pretty new to what was about to happen. Before all the TEA Party rallys, before all the townhalls, before the 912 March on DC, and before witnessing the corruption going on behind closed doors in our government. Boy, are we a different country today.

MY OWN "EARTH HOUR"

http://tinyurl.com/ycwc2vy

“Americans were at war with themselves,” it observed, “and both sides lost.”

Indeed, national accord had been ruptured.

No one wants to see that happen again, but that’s the kind of antagonism spreading across the land today, a bitter divide created not only by the merits of Obamacare, but by the bureaucratic heavy-handedness that jammed it down the throats of a populace whose questions had not been answered and whose fears had not been allayed.

It was Washington telling us, “Government knows best,” and if there’s anything we know for sure, regardless of which party holds office, it’s that government can screw up a two-car funeral.

That’s why, in his first inaugural address, Ronald Reagan drew thunderous applause in proclaiming, “Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

All these years later, thanks to a passionate civics teacher named Belle Strickland, this writer can quote such fundamental principles as, “Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Yet Barack Obama exhibits disdain for those he governs.

Accustomed to the hosannas of fawning admirers, he turns a deaf ear to anyone suggesting he might not have all the answers.

He simply declared his presidency demanded passage of this controversial legislation, and Congress assured him it would comply, by any means necessary.

Americans will always have contentious debate over volatile issues, but at the end of the day we have time-honored ways to reach a consensus, which is what this president and this Congress totally disrespected, igniting a furious backlash.

“Find out what people will submit to,” Frederick Douglass, the famed abolitionist, noted a century ago, “and you’ll have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them.”

So millions of Americans are now telling Washington they do not want to submit to Obamacare, and he’s pooh-poohing their recalcitrance as civil disobedience.

It’s no such thing. It’s just a reminder this government still belongs to the people, which is what most of us were correctly taught a long, long time ago.

The only way to pay for the behemoth government takeover health care bill is with taxes, taxes and more taxes. You conveniently won't hear much about the upcoming taxes until after the November 2010 mid-term elections, and of course the tax increases already implemented will not hit until early 2011 either. The big push will be the european-style socialized Value Added Tax, more commonly known as VAT.

The VAT Cometh
This massive new entitlement needs a cash cow
http://tinyurl.com/ykpo3f3

The short term Tea Party goals are important. We must remove irresponsible politicians from Washington DC and try to regain some measure of control over our government. This is only a stopgap measure, however, since the legal loopholes that allowed this gargantuan government to evolve are still in place.

We can argue about what we consider Constitutional until we are blue in the face, but as long as the Supreme Court rules in favor of big government with vague interpretations, the Republic will always be at risk.

The first time I saw a map with 38 states taking action to legally oppose Obamacare, it suddenly dawned on me: 38! Just the number of states needed to ratify an Amendment to the Constitution! We have the momentum and now support from the several states.

THE TIME IS RIGHT TO FOCUS THE TEA PARTY ON A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION TO ELIMINATE THE GENERAL WELFARE CLAUSE AND MODIFY THE INTERSTATE COMMERCE CLAUSE FOREVER

Make no mistake, America is going through its second revolution. She has witnessed the full blown threat of government takeover, and this is not the foundation on which this country was based. This one is very different, because it's not blood in the street, but an awakened America engaged as never before at the polls, at TEA Party rallys, at town hall meetings, on the web, throwing their hat in the ring as a candidate, rounding up votes, holding meetings and seminars, sounding the alarm about backroom shenanigans, sounding off about losing education and freedom of religion in our schools, and becoming educated like never before in their lifetime. As Minority Speaker, John Boehner, said the other day, violence and threats are unacceptable.... channel it into positive change.

HERITAGE RESPONDS TO HEALTH CARE VOTE: REPEAL

http://tinyurl.com/yf6mdao