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Peace at any cost is a Prelude to War!
CONGRESS ACTION: February 17, 2002
=================
ASSAULT ON FREEDOM: Over the past several weeks, the forces that are seeking
to destroy liberty in this nation have been launching salvo after salvo, and
in the final week their assault against the republic and all that it stands
for has built up to a fevered pitch. So uniform has been the attack that, if
one were of a suspicious mind, one could easily suspect that this "axis of
evil" is engaged in a full-blown and coordinated conspiracy to deny the
American people their freedom. The enemies of freedom are cunning, so they
have adopted the methods of the saboteur, sowing destruction piecemeal and by
stealth. In preparation for the final assault launched this week, they
carefully laid the groundwork over the course of many months and even years,
one by one gradually undermining the institutions of defense and sapping the
will of freedom's defenders. Like the saboteur they have used lies and
deception to confuse and disorient their intended victim. In some isolated
instances a few over-eager attackers have mistakenly betrayed their designs
too soon and were smashed, providing a reminder to the foes of freedom that
their enemy was still potent, still capable of defending itself when
confronted by the full face of evil in the broad light of day. So like rats,
the enemies of freedom scurried back into the shadows, continued to lay their
plans, and were amazed that their enemy still couldn't see the danger that
confronted it. But the stealthy assault could only accomplish so much, and
laying the groundwork for the destruction of freedom could not achieve that
goal all by itself. The minions of tyranny knew that they would eventually
have to come out of the shadows. Then a series of random events gave them
their opening, and they rose up and struck their fatal blow. They had spread
their propaganda well and found that, like Lenin had foretold, the camps of
their victim were infested with useful idiots who were tragically deluded
into thinking that they were helping the cause of freedom, while in reality
they were aiding in its ultimate destruction.
No, this is not a recount of some terrorist assault on America, laying the
groundwork for the outrages of September 11th. After that attack, we were
urged to use caution lest in our desire to protect our nation, we do damage
to our Constitutional freedoms. Laws were enacted to safeguard our country
and our people, and the hand-wringers squalled that we had overdone it,
scolded that those laws might be (heaven forbid!) infringing on the
theoretical rights of foreign psychopaths bent on our death and destruction.
But this week those same hand-wringing scolds were quite content to see the
Constitutional rights of American citizens shredded for the professed goal of
saving us from corrupt politicians.
This week, one of the most basic of our freedoms was trampled in the House of
Representatives -- "the people's House". Severely damaged was our very
freedom to speak and to criticize those grandees ensconced in the United
States Congress, who increasingly see themselves not as our elected public
servants, but as lords and masters who rule by divine right. Campaign finance
reform was the sham used to expand the tyranny of Congress over the citizens
they rule. It is difficult to realize the extent to which this republic has
become degraded since our noble beginnings, and the extent of dishonor that
we are willing to accept, but perhaps a simple thought experiment will
provide some insight.
Imagine if George Washington had stood before the assembled crowds at his
second inauguration and spoken the following words: "Thank you for
re-electing me your President. I must tell you, however, something that I
discovered during my first term in office. I am corrupt. My loyalties, my
political convictions, my very actions as your President can be bought by the
highest bidder. But because I enjoy the pomp and the prerogatives that come
with my office, I will not step down to allow you to replace me with another
individual with more integrity. And to make sure that there are no
unpleasantries and no unkind comments from you about whatever I do as your
President, I will also insist that you citizens make a sacrifice. It concerns
this new Bill of Rights ratified just two years ago, and this First Amendment
of yours, the one that permits you to speak your minds in the realm of
political debate, the provision that actually allows you to criticize your
government. This is simply unacceptable. The idea that the peasants of this
country could put their pennies together and buy space in a newspaper or
print broadsides to criticize me or other public officials, well that is
simply ridiculous. Even though we may lie and we may be corrupt, you should
not be allowed to say so. So I will just delete this small part of the First
Amendment that guarantees your freedom of speech. It is for your own good."
What would have been the reaction to those words from a people who so highly
valued honor, integrity, and a Constitutionally limited government? Fast
forward two hundred years. We now have politicians who claim that the entire
Congress is corrupt. But rather than outraged citizens demanding
resignations, the response from the average citizen is complete indifference.
In contrast the media (one facet of the axis of evil incessantly demanding
"reform", another facet being our educational system that intentionally keeps
people ignorant of their fundamental rights) responds with crocodile tears of
feigned shock and dismay about the corruption of money in politics. Media
special interests, however -- the largest and most powerful special interest
in the nation (after government), now grown even more powerful -- have cause
for celebration, because their fondest dreams have been realized. No longer
will they have to put up with ignorant citizens contradicting their superior
wisdom about what is good for the country.
The media can continue to say whatever they want, whenever they want, about
whomever they want, without restriction or limitation; but you, private
citizens, no longer have that right.
Senator Phil Gramm made the still relevant points and asked the still
relevant questions during debate over McCain-Feingold last year -- "If we
limit the power of people to spend their money, we strengthen the power of
people who exert influence in other ways. We don't reduce power. We don't
reduce whatever corruptive influence may exist among the people who want to
influence government. We simply take power away from some people and, by the
very nature of the system, we give it to somebody else. Why should the New
York Times have more to say in my election than the New York Stock Exchange?
Is the New York Times not a for-profit company? Why should they have the
right to run editorials and write front-page articles that can have a
profound impact on your election, and they are a for-profit corporation,
publicly traded, and yet we say in this bill, they, but not others, have
freedom of speech? They can say whatever they want to say. But yet the New
York Stock Exchange is denied the same freedom. How can that be rational? How
can that be just? Who says that freedom of speech should belong only to
people who own radio stations and television stations and newspapers? I
reject it." (Congressional Record, Senate page S3120; March 29, 2001.)
But, as those in Congress never tire of telling us, this is all about
corruption, or the "appearance of corruption", or the "opportunity for
corruption". It is about the inherent evil of money in politics. Never mind
that trying to stifle political speech is patently unconstitutional, as those
in Congress know full well. Which is why, every year, a bill is introduced to
change the Constitution so as to allow Congress to restrict freedom of
speech. Senator Ernest "Fritz" Hollings talked about his own role: "So I
travel the country, up to Minnesota, everywhere and anywhere I can, to
collect money. That takes my time on weekends, weekdays, any nights that I
can. So I am part of the corruption I am trying to cure." (Congressional
Record, Senate page S2853; March 26, 2001) But that remarkable admission did
not cause the Senator to do the honorable thing, to submit his resignation
and depart. No, he wants to punish you, he wants to take away some of your
liberty, because he is "part of the corruption". Hollings' admission was made
as he introduced his latest assault on the First Amendment, S. J. Res. 4
(co-sponsored by Senators Specter, Cleland, and Byrd), which provided that,
"Congress shall have power to set reasonable limits on the amount of
contributions that may be accepted by, and the amount of expenditures that
may be made by, in support of, or in opposition to, a candidate for
nomination for election to, or for election to, Federal office." Forty
Senators -- 40% of the United States Senate -- voted in favor of amending the
Constitution to limit your freedom to speak (Roll Call vote # 47, March 26,
2001). The House also showed its flagrant disregard for the First Amendment,
with the defeat this week by a vote of 188 to 237, of Hyde amendment # 418
("that nothing in the bill may be construed to abridge First Amendment
rights"). In that vote, only 43% of the House stood to defend the First
Amendment (Roll Call vote # 22, February 13, 2002).
Enron was the excuse used to force enactment of Shays-Meehan. But the
evidence to date shows that Enron gave lots of money to Bush, and bought
nothing. Enron gave far less to Clinton, as democrats constantly remind us,
but according to many commentators bought a great deal. But that fact was
virtually ignored by most of the mainstream media, with the result that most
people see Enron as a classic case of money buying influence, and thus the
need for so-called campaign finance "reform" -- a perfect example of the
enormous power the media already has to shape the political landscape and
obtain the legislation that they desire. However, during debate over
McCain-Feingold in the Senate, Senator Robert Bennett expressed the wisdom
that the members of Congress who whine about corruption still, apparently,
cannot comprehend: "Corruption comes from the heart of the receiver, not the
wallet of the giver. If an individual is corrupt, he is going to stay
corrupt, whether or not the speech police are watching him. He is going to
find some way to remain corrupt and to game the system to his advantage. The
person of integrity is going to remain a person of integrity, regardless of
how many people come waving bills at him to try to get him to change his
position solely on the basis of money." (Congressional Record, March 29, 2001)
The issue is not who gives how much money to whom -- the issue is the
integrity of those we elect to public office.
McCain-Feingold (S.27) passed the Senate on April 2, 2001, by a vote of 59 to
41; and this week, at 2:42 in the morning of February 14, the companion bill
Shays-Meehan (H.R.2356) passed the House by a vote of 240 to 189. Once again
the Congress, in defiance of Article V, amended the Constitution by a simple
majority vote. Those who hope that the courts will redeem our First Amendment
freedom are likely to be just as disappointed as those who hope that the
courts will reject encroachments on the Second Amendment, or on the property
rights of the Fifth Amendment, or that the courts will restore limited
government by reviving the Ninth and Tenth Amendments.
".certain forms of government are better calculated than others to protect
individuals in the free exercise of their natural rights.yet experience [has]
shown that, even under the best forms, those entrusted with power have, in
time and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny." -- Thomas Jefferson
(1779)
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or
of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to
petition the Government for a redress of grievances." -- First Amendment in
the Bill of Rights
But you -- private citizens who want to spend your own money to express your
political opinions, who want to join with other citizens to support your
candidates -- you can just shut up. Your masters will tell you when you can
speak.
There will be no issue of CONGRESS ACTION next week (February 24, 2002)
FOR MORE INFORMATION.
========================
Legislative Text: http://thomas.loc.gov/home/c107query.html
House Roll Call vote on passage of Shays-Meehan (H.R. 2356):
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2002&rollnumber=34
House Roll Call vote defeating the Hyde amendment, that H.R. 2356 will not
violate the First Amendment:
http://clerkweb.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.exe?year=2002&rollnumber=22
Senate Roll Call vote on Senate Joint Resolution 4 (Hollings, to amend the
First Amendment): http://www.senate.gov/legislative/vote1071/vote_00047.html
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mr. Kim Weissman
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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