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Repeal the 17th amendment? Right on!

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each state, chosen by the Legislature thereof for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. - Original version of Article 1, Section 3, Clause 1 of the United States Constitution.

There was a reason for the legislature of the various states to have ultimate control over who was the Senator. While it might be hard for progressives to swallow, but the Founding Fathers believed the United States should be a Republic for which it stands one Nation under God, and that includes the various states having an equal vote in the United States Senate.

The Founders established the House of Representatives to be the voice of the people, but the United States Senate was established to be the voice of the states, and the states alone. Being important for America, is that the people of the United States have a voice in the House, but it was just as important for the states to have an equal voice in the Senate, so legislation that infringed on the tenth amendment or was bad for the states, would be defeated.

Not to mention, the Founders believed in states rights, and that the states deserved just as much of a voice at the table via the Senate, as the people have via the House. Before the progressive era, the tenth amendment meant alot.

The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years, and each Senator shall have one vote. - 17th amendment to the United States Constitution.

During the progressive era, nothing was safe. Knowing that elected representatives of the United States Senate would oppose much of their agenda, progressives sought the destruction of all Constitutional barriers to their utopia agenda, including one of the longest standing passages in the Articles of the Constitution.

Because of that change, we now have Senators such as Senator Nelson of Nebraska, who ignores the will of the Nebraska people, Governor, and legislature without regard for the effects of horrific legislation on the populace. If the 17th amendment was to be repealed, we would have folks who were elected to represent the states as a whole, and restore another piece to the Republican form of government puzzle, which has been missing..

Repeal the 17th amendment? Right on! This is America, we are a Republic, not a damn Democracy.

What say you?

-- Tim K.

The vote that counted.

A campaign that wasn't supposed to be

In a township of just 1,600 voters, the race for Town Supervisor in little known Richmondville New York, put a whole new meaning to the phrase, "every vote counts". Just a few weeks ago, a small, yet hot blooded town of 3,000 citizens, was in the midst of one of the most interesting elections one person could ever encounter.

Supervisor John Barlow (R) wasn't supposed to be running for re-election, as the death of his beloved wife of decades and the loss of his leg because of diabetes, painted a bleak picture for the future of the longtime Councilman and one term Supervisor, however, due to lack of another Republican to run for the seat, Barlow decided to run for another term, and perhaps his last two years in public office.

Local Republicans were concerned with the electoral chances of Supervisor Barlow, as his ability to campaign was limited, and the campaign consisted of a few advertisements in the paper, a local appearance touting local Republicans seeking elected office, final weekend campaigning of a few supporters, and a last minute mailer to the voters of Richmondville.

Facing off against John Barlow was Scott Bennett, an inexperienced Councilman whom was just elected to the Town Board in 2008, the longtime Democrat was running a strong campaign, however, with the 2009 economic recession affecting Americans all across the Nation, experience was golden for candidates across the board.

With the 2009 elections nearing, the Supervisor election was expected to be a nail biter, as the longtime Republican councilman who was elected as Supervisor with under 50% of the vote in 2007, because of fractures amongst left-of-center voters, would tout his years of service to the Town, and the experience he could provide during these tough times, something his Democratic opponent could not offer.

Election day

Its amazing, candidates will spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on a local election over the timeline of months, and it all comes down to just fifteen hours of voting. The polls opened as a beautiful morning was just beginning, however, nightfall would bring a long night of wondering as Republicans and Democrats watched the results stream in.

Turnout was respectable, however, those who remained on the sidelines must have regretted their choice of ignoring an important local election, with the closest election I have ever witnessed.

With all votes counted, Supervisor John Barlow trailed his Democratic opponent by a margin of just two votes, with dozens of absentee ballots yet to be counted. The feeling was unrealistic, that such an important election, could come down to so few voters, a wake up call for those who dismiss their sacred vote, a vote secured through two hundred years of Americans fighting for freedom.

Two weeks later, the local Board of Elections counted the last of absentee ballots in the Richmondville Supervisor election, the full measure of a the American vote was realized on this morning, as it was announced Supervisor John Barlow was re-elected to the highest office in this small town, by just one vote.

346 citizens voted for John Barlow, 345 citizens voted for his Democratic opponent, 80 citizens skipped this election while filling out their ballots, and one vote was void.

What to learn from this election

The next time someone declares "your vote doesn't count", I want you to remember the Supervisor election in a little town, the United States Senate election in Minnesota, and the close Congressional elections in both of New York's special elections in 2009.

Your vote does count, please don't waste it.

On a side note, the 2009 election was not just a great testament to the value of the American vote, but it appeared as though John Barlow was revitalized, as though a man was born anew. Another testament of this election, never give up, even during the worst of times.

--Tim K

Obamacare and the Constitution.

This health care battle is not to just defeat socialism, the destruction of the greatest health care system in the world, and to defend freedom at all costs. This battle is also about the United States Constitution, and whether we as a Nation will follow the words of freedom, small government, and Individualism.

The United States Constitution is specific, it details the freedoms the government must protect at all costs, and leaves all other rights to the various states in the land, and the people of the United States, while at the same including the rules of governing for the United States, a perfect balance.

Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution has a detailed list of what the United States Congress has Constitutional authority over, and absent from the list, is government run health care, along with the lacking of authority to mandate the American populace to purchase something or else be sent to jail.

The tenth amendment of the United States Constitution is specific about who controls the powers not delegated to the federal government, "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.", notice it does include Congress, the Executive branch, or congressional Democrats.

Besides for the facts, that the proposed health care plans will raise taxes, push the destruction of Capitalism, give the government more control, install a health care system which does not work, provide for taxpayer funded abortions, jail Americans who just want their freedom, raise costs, add trillions more to the national debt, allow illegal immigrants to receive health care, provides for millions of Americans to receive something they have no right to (health insurance), pushes individual freedom and personal responsibility down the toilet, and will lead to lower survival rates, fewer doctors, and rationing, all Democratic legislation proposed is against the Constitution.

In the end, just one document counts, the United States Constitution. It is about time, we focus more on what it declares, instead of what proponents of government health care demand.

If this legislation does pass, I hope Conservative lawyers across the Nation will launch lawsuits against the legislation, reach the United States Supreme Court, and the Justices will rule the legislation as unconstitutional. If that does not happen, America is over, once and for all.

-- Tim K.

Vote in Our Poll: Obama's First Year Grade

Walt Minnick has just lost re-election.

Congressman Walt Minnick (D - Idaho's 1st congressional district) has just sealed his defeat in the 2010 congressional elections, as the first elected Democrat to the United States House of Representatives from Idaho in decades, Minnick was expected to have a tough election next year, however, after his "aye" vote this afternoon on H.R. 4173, his defeat is guaranteed.

Congressman Walt Minnick was elected to the House of Representatives as a fiscal Conservative, while having a liberal belief system on all other issues. During his first term in the House of Representatives, Minnick has voted as a fiscal Conservative on most if not all economic related legislation, however, this afternoon Minnick supported legislation that can be described alone as fascist.

According to Open Congress, The Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2009 will "overhaul regulations in the financial sector. It would establish a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to regulate products like home mortgages, car loans and credit cards, give the Treasury Department new authority to place non-bank financial firms, like insurance companies into receivership and regulate the over-the-counter derivatives market.", in other words - more government control.

This legislation is awful and pure evil, as it will establish more government control over the economics of Americans and businesses alike, the United States Chamber of Commerce has launched an advertisement campaign against the legislation, and all 175 Republicans present this afternoon voted against the legislation, with 27 Democrats opposing the legislation as well.

Congressman Walt Minnick, a supposed "blue dog Democrat" from Idaho, supported and voted for this horrific legislation, which will allow more government interference into the private market, push our economic system to resemble a fascist regime instead of a Capitalistic system, and provides for a 6 billion dollar bribe to appease the corrupt Congressional Black Caucus.

Several Conservative Republicans are running against Minnick, all of them deserve our support as they seek to reclaim Idaho's first congressional district as a Conservative Republican district, with real fiscal Conservative representation.

http://salzbergforcongress.com/
http://www.vaughnward.com/

Rollcall on H.R. 4173 - http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2009/roll968.xml
6 Billion dollar bribe for CBC - http://michellemalkin.com/2009/12/10/barney-frank-gives-in-to-congressional-black-caucus-shakedown-crew/

-- Tim K.