When the Cash for Clunkers plan was first announced, it appeared to be a flawed plan right from the start. There were some obvious problems with the scheme to get people into more politically correct green friendly cars. With the plan only a few days into operation, the plan has successfully seduced so many more people to trade in there bigger, safer cars to snag their share of taxpayer or Chinese money that the initial billion dollars has already swirled down the drain. The government is busy patting itself on the back and proclaiming the program a total success. But is it?

According to a recent Rasmussen poll, 54% of the voting public was against the plan while 35% favored it. Among those with a little more financial interest, 62% of investors thought it should not be done... and an even 50% of all respondents felt that if they were going to run a program like this, it should be restricted to American made cars. However, like so many programs coming out of our nations' capitol... bailouts, health care and all sorts of things we haven't even been told about, the desires of the people... as in “We the People”... have been ignored in favor of elitist programs and schemes to involve the government in more areas of our lives.

Let's look at what really took place in our country. Thousands of buyers have happily driven away from lots in their shiny new or late model cars, with salesmen and women tallying their skyrocketing commissions and dealers themselves hoping they were going to see the promised money. The scenario fits perfectly the thinking of the current administration... transferring dollars to supposedly disadvantaged or favored and adding burdens to evil business owners.

Several dynamics were at work in each transaction... let's look at them.

The most obvious action was people who may have been thinking of replacing their current mode of transportation for a new one saw the incentive of having their fellow citizens chip in to help pay for their car. Often, these were people who could already afford a car and perhaps were planning to buy one in the next year or two. This program just compressed the process. I guess it goes back to the definition of fairness promoted by many in our government for many years... that someone else pays for my benefit. It's human nature... and not the nicest side of it.

However the they are not home free with no down side. In many cases, people have traded in a functioning automobile that carried no payments for another, probably better car, with significant payments. In other cases, some who could not quite swing the deal for the car found a way, with the incentive, to squeeze it into their budget. At a time when people are trying to cut down on their debts, these buyers have been convinced to join the federal government in increasing their monthly expenses in spite of increasingly insecure employment situations. We saw what happened when easy terms and low interest rates drew more and more people into the housing market who should not have been there... to the detriment of the themselves, lenders and our country in general. One has to wonder if this is just a repeat of a foolish strategy that may drive us into even more negative circumstances.

The salesmen are loving the increase in sales at car lots that have been devoid of customers for months. Customers have been waiting in line just to talk to one of these purveys of economical transportation. Assuredly, they will see some massive checks, but at what cost? Customers may have bought their new car next month, or a few months down the road, even into the next year. So we see a spike in sales this week at the cost of many future sales that would have given them a steady income over the months to come.

The dealers are seeing cars roll off their lots in, sometimes, record numbers. They have been told to sell the car, fill out the 1040 type forms, and wait for their payments... if they are approved. Already reports are coming in that submissions are being rejected... meaning the dealer is not getting the money. With hundreds of thousands of cars on the streets through this program combined with the efficiency and effectiveness of the government in getting payments out the door... this could conceivably be responsible for closing more dealers than the auto companies themselves as, essentially, the dealers have to pay off new cars coming out of their floor plan, pay commissions to salesmen and cover a variety of costs of doing business. The more successful they are, the more they are depending on the government to keep its word in a timely manner.

The cars themselves show the desire of the administration to destroy anything they just don't like. They're not all junkers... some are decent transportation for someone without a lot of money, yet, but terms of the agreement, they must be destroyed withing a few days... long before any payments will be received from our Big Brother in Washington. They cannot even be sent to junk yards for salvage, but are destined to be crushed and melted down. So strong is their desire to remove these politically incorrect vehicles from the streets, our “benefactors” don't have any concern for the less financially well off they claim to want to help by shrinking the supply of inexpensive vehicles.

The administration, and even some Republicans who should know better, are touting the plan as a massive success, to the point of looking for an additional two billion dollars from the American people beyond the initial one billion allocated to the plan. All one can do is only look back at one of the gravely voiced Everett Dirksen's favorite quotes, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking about real money.” Unfortunately, the damage goes far beyond the dollars down the drain.

First of all, let’s make it clear that this is not a commercial for Nike. In fact you can wear almost any kind of footwear and take advantage of the ideas discussed here. However, as the phrase tells us, there are times when you just have to set aside personal hang ups, fears and lack of confidence and quit waiting for someone else to get things done. In the Richmond area this weekend we saw the folks that pulled off the Richmond Tea Party put together an event that attracted up to two thousand people who love their country and are looking to see how they can help.

Most of these people were either never politically active or had dropped out of the effort sometime in years past. They were not professional organizers, political, community or otherwise. Yet they pulled together representatives from around fifteen organizations, attract a couple thousand people and television coverage. They filled the Chesterfield County Fairgrounds with organizational displays, food vendors, games for the children and even a couple of dunking booths for the older children.

These average citizens found themselves pulled form their yard work, honey do lists, even time from their jobs and businesses. What pulled them away from the more mundane tasks that occupy most of us? Most likely it was the same thing that thing that caused you to begin reading this post… a recognition that things are not right in our wonderful country, and a desire to set them so.

The problem most Americans have today is that they will take part in events and programs that have been established for them. How often have you heard the phrase, “somebody should do something about that”? It’s a common malady among those of us who have been conditioned and encouraged to look to government programs to do things for us. They like it that way as it gives the statists control over our attention and direction.

This is precisely what these good organizers see as wrong with our country. Our government was established under the concept they its’ power was derived from the people and was the servant of the people. This clearly is no longer the case. The courts, along with the passive and complicit congress have long since stopped listening to the citizens. Often the will of the people is not only ignored, but the elites running government actually take us in exactly the opposite direction.

So waiting for a government program to fix our nations’ ills is like waiting for a thunderstorm in the Sahara… it is not going to happen. These people, and thousands of tea party organizers throughout the country, have decided to look in the mirror to see who will answer the call and get the job done.

If you have the same frustrations as many of us who believe in the United States of America and see the results of the sacrifices of our forefathers coming to naught, look up the people in your area trying to organize such events and spread the word. If you can’t find anyone… be one. It’s an adventure you will find tiring and exhilarating.

Oh the other hand, if you still don’t think you want get involved, consider James 2:20 which tells us “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” The same applies to concern about your friends, neighbors or your country.

Take the first steps. Don’t worry about the results. They are not in your hands anyway. Whatever the results, if you give it your best… even if you don’t accomplish everything you want, at least you can tell your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews that you fought the good fight and did not just let our country go down the tubes. Also keep in mind the fact that the world is run by those who show up. Don’t let everything up to others who may not share your values and concerns.

“Sic Semper Tyrannis”, thus reads the phrase at the bottom of the seal of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Translated, it means “thus always to tyrants.” Above it is an image of Virtue, sword in hand and a foot on the chest of the fallen Tyranny with his crown laying nearby. The symbolism is obvious: that virtue will triumph over oppression. Those of us who have read the Bible through to the end understand this will be the ultimate outcome. That is the ultimate outcome... but what about now?

The motto was suggested at the Virginia Convention in 1776 by George Mason... then placed in the official state seal designed by Declaration of Independence signer, George Wythe. This was at a time when the commonwealth and our fledgling nation were locked in a struggle for survival and independence from the British crown. The Declaration phrased it, “appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions“, meaning that they were looking for divine assistance in their struggle for freedom.

This struggle was one that they understood to be theirs... that they were not just depending on the righteousness of their cause being sufficient for success. These founding fathers knew they had to put forth the effort and endure the pain and hardship of their course... but they also knew that they had the force of natural law, the desire for freedom and their creator on their side.

They knew the struggle was not just for themselves, but for all the other citizens of the the colonies who craved freedom. The freedom fighters knew it was part of their service to their fellow man. James Madison put it this way, "Resistance to tyranny is service to God.” Not only did they look to the hand of God to aid their efforts, they also saw such efforts as serving Him and in spreading the divinely mandated freedom throughout their land.

People of that era did not have the easy life we have today but there was a common understanding of Christian principles... of right and wrong. They understood that rights came from God and not from government. They knew they had to oppose restrictions on their rights.

Today, we don't see a power from across the sea encroaching on our liberties and property. For those of us in Virginia, it is right across the Potomac River. We have a president who is appointing one czar after another. Each one has a sole purpose in live to meddle with, and manipulate, some area of our lives. The last I heard, there were more than twenty of these petty czars, reporting only the the alpha czar, Barack Hussein Obama. They exist to tell us what to do about energy, and the environment. They are here to tell us how much we should be paid, unless we are union members. They are appointed to tell the automobile companies what kind of cars they should make for us to drive.

Even Mr. Porkbarrel, Sen. Robert C. Byrd (D-WV) registered his concern in a letter to the White House where he wrote, "The rapid and easy accumulation of power by White House staff can threaten the constitutional system of checks and balances." He went on to complain about past czars, "They rarely testify before congressional committees and often shield the information and decision-making process behind the assertion of executive privilege."

The point is that they are given significant power in the executive branch, yet are not subject to the Senate confirmation process or congressional oversight. The president could, and may yet appoint the likes of Ward Churchill to oversee education. He has already appointed John Holdren who, in the past has advocated forced abortions and mass sterilizations, as his science guru.

Much of this is going on under the radar and we won't know about it until we run into rules, regulations and restrictions created by executive fiat. We will generally find ourselves alone, facing the power of the federal government as it willfully violates the natural law that our forefathers struggled to lay down as the foundation of our constitution.

The question then becomes how will we respond. Will we tell census takers all the private personal information they request? Will we permit bureaucrats in Washington prescribe our health care? Will we quietly permit federal inspectors inside our homes? Will we stand quietly by as our weapons are confiscated?

In the early morning hours of April 19, 1775 our forefathers made that choice as they stood on Lexington Green, then later that day at Concord, when the British troops came to confiscate their weapons. The colonists stood up the the British regulars... and the regulars did not succeed!

Each one must answer for him or herself, but even Albert Einstein, not a particularly political or revolutionary man had this advice, "Never do anything against conscience even if the State demands it."

There are almost as many answers to this question of what it will take to the our country back on track as there are people who try to answer it. There is an answer that has worked in the past but is being practiced by far to few. II Chronicles 7:14 tells us, “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Many of us, myself included, spend far too much time plotting, scheming and complaining and not enough following this advice.

Christians have had a hand in the creation of the mess as we tend to stay wrapped up in our own little world, not actively working to make our country a better place to live for everyone. The blame is not ours alone, but we can be the ones to set things straight. The founding fathers recognized the need for divine guidance and protection as they broke away from Great Britain to start a new nation based on rights given by our creator rather than granted by a monarch.

The Declaration of Independence declares: “We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States...”

This past Sunday my pastor talked about this very thing. He commented that, “We can't expect our land to be different if we aren't going to be different.” We've all tried complaining. Some of us have tried getting involved in the political system. Some have tried prayer.

So what can me change? I have a humble suggestion for us to consider. Why don't we consider dropping the first and combining the other two actions. We are commanded to pray for our country and our leaders. But that is not enough. Prayer is an expression of faith but James 2:17 tells us “faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

Actions work in two ways. One is to start doing something neglected in the past. The other is to stop doing something we have been doing. We don't like to think about the “turn from their wicked ways” part too much. However recently we've seen “secret sins” come back to both Senator John Ensign and Governor Mark Sanford. Everyone thought they were great men destined for even bigger things, but there was a cancer in their lives that brought them down.

The recent tragedy of football great Steve McNair showed that results of going our own way can be deadly. As a friend of mine commented at the time, “You put yourself somewhere you shouldn't be, this is the kind of stuff that happens.” While we may not be doing these specific things, each of us may have areas of our lives where we have gone along with the crowd where we shouldn't have. True, none of us are perfect, but if we expect divine blessing on our efforts, can we continue to turn a blind eye to things we know are not right?

This two prong approach has got to be better than any one alone. For those who have been doing both, congratulations, you get it! Don't get complacent. Just keep on keeping on. For those of us who have been a little lax in one one, or both areas, it's time to get to pick up the pace. Our country is on a downhill slide... and picking up speed. It's time to fight the battle in the streets and on our knees.

One more thing, it is up to us. It's not up to Barack Obama. It's not up to Barney Frank. It's not up to Nancy Pelosi. It's not up to Harry Reid. The verse says “my people”. That is those who read and understand the word of the creator are responsible. The others have no basis of understanding, they don't know any better than what they are doing. So let us work together as brothers and sisters, recognizing that we have access to all the power of the universe... if only we put ourselves in a position to use it.


For some prayer suggestions, check out http://www.politicalchristian.org/pray.html .

The death of George Tiller was all over the media eager to show the hypocrisy of the pro-life movement. The same media that tells us that Islamic terrorists are aberrations wants to paint all of us who value the lives of the unborn with the same brush of violence. Most responsible groups have condemned this action saying the taking of human life is always wrong.

The sixth commandment tells us the “Thou shalt not kill.” Dr. Tiller was breaking this commandment every time he put on the garb of a healer and ended the life of an innocent creation of God. The question of whether it was the right thing to do has and will be discussed ad nauseum. On one hand, one has to look at the potential lives that would be saved by stopping this man’s work. On the other hand we have Deuteronomy 32:35 (NIV) which says, “It is mine to avenge I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.”

It is clear we are not to seek to inflict justice upon unjust humanity. That is not our job. We may feel offended by the actions of others, but it is really God whose plan for life is being rejected. The offense to Him is far greater than anything our sensibilities may feel since He is the one who created the tiny beating heart.

Taking a life to save an innocent is something we have to look at as this has been an accepted practice when a police sniper will sometimes take out an armed madman holding a school full of children hostage. Hardly any one quibbles with this action. Moses even killed the Egyptian while protecting a fellow Israelite. These cases both involve immanent danger to someone, and it could even be danger to one’s self that would justify a violent, lethal response.

The death of Dr. Tiller represented no such situation. However, considering the thousands of lives snuffed out at his abortion mills, some might argue that it was more of a strategic move than a tactical one. Most of us would have fully supported the assassination of Adolf Hitler as a means of ending World War II and in the process, saving many thousand innocent lives. The same could, and has been, argued in Tiller’s case.

But Dr. Tiller was just a symptom of the problem plaguing our country. Our country where the power of the government is loaned to it by the people… but where courts have become our masters, making laws no legislature would consider. And we permit it! Tiller was working within the legal framework we permitted to exist.

Classic liberal theoretician, Frederic Bastiat, wrote “The safest way to make laws respected is to make them respectable. When law and morality contradict each other, the citizen has the cruel alternative of either losing his moral sense or losing his respect for the law. These two evils are of equal consequence, and it would be difficult for a person to choose between them.” Unfortunately, this is the situation we find ourselves in today.

While Dr. Tiller’s demise set the talking heads all abuzz, just two days later, Pvt. William Long was gunned down outside a Little Rock recruiting center by a radical Islamic convert named Abdulhakim Mujahid Muhammad who is reported to have traveled to Yeman on a Somali passport for indoctrination and training. It will be interesting to watch this play out to see if the real terrorists will be demonized as much as the entire pro-life movement because of the actions of one man.

Whatever happens, we can’t allow the Rahm Emanuel driven White House use this “crisis” to further restrict free speech and protest, nor can we permit them to continue using US Marshals to be pulled away from real law enforcement work to protect the clinics where babies go to die.

We cannot afford to back down in our opposition to this barbaric practice, as some “leaders” would like us to, as doing so would lend credibility to the shared guilt they would like to lay upon us. In some ways, Dr. Tiller suffered the natural consequences of building a good life for himself and his family by depriving countless others of the opportunity for any life at all.

We need to speak up all the more loudly that all lives are worth protecting… not just the rich, politically connected doctor, but also the soldier, just doing his job for his country and the innocent in the womb who may just be carrying in his DNA the wisdom to cure cancer or bring about world peace.

California election day, May 19, 2009, may have been the start of our country’s climb out of the financial abyss. In spite of the Governator’s dire warnings delivered with the fervor seen in Henry Paulsen and Tim Geithner as they stampeded a gullible Congress into their high priced bailout schemes, the electorate proved they were not so gullible. This time the results were different because the audience was different.

Instead of the beltway elites who have the inflated delusions that they can solve most any problem by throwing our money at it… we saw the response of the people who actually have to pay for for these machinations. They have decided that rather than bankrupt themselves, they would call the government’s bluff that rapists would be set free from prison and may even be filling in for laid off teachers in the middle schools. They took the risk that their homes may burn down because of there would be no more firemen or they would be robbed because there would be no police. For once they did not buy the story that their money was really needed to help the sea otters and illegal aliens.

How much of this backbone came from the tea party spirit and how much was natural individual frustration at the continual abuse from Sacramento, is hard to tell. In some ways, it doesn’t matter because the people have spoken. No, the people screamed at the top of their lungs, “NO MORE!” The voters finally had a say in this financial dissipation.

What is interesting is that there were not lines of people waiting to make their wishes known. Turnout was low but margins were high… almost 2 to 1 rejecting some of the proposals. It did not take massive numbers to set California on the course to fiscal sanity. Apparently most of residents were resigned to the state government squeezing more and more out of them, in much the same way the folks in DC do… or they saw the poll numbers and were willing to let others do the lifting for them. It is sad that so many took this view and didn’t make themselves part of the victory. It’s even more frightening because that is how freedoms are lost and tyranny solidifies power.

On the other hand, it shows us that a small but motivated group can actually make a difference in the world. It shows that the citizens have more sense than the professionals who are paid to make government work efficiently and effectively. As I write this, I understand I am talking about residents of the land of fruits, nuts and flakes. The system can even work there. Again I have to remind myself it was a motivated minority that got the job done… and we have to thank them for their efforts.

The denizens of Sacramento got the message. The question remains, “Did the beltway appropriators get the message?” Immediate feedback doesn’t show much of a difference in the spendthrift approach to problem solving. However we can’t be discouraged. We saw progress! We saw the people could defeat the politicians. The boys in DC may just be a tougher nut to crack but with sustained pressure and, may I say, harassment, they will hopefully get the message soon, or find a new career.

Earlier this week, I had the pleasure of attending a We Surround Them/912 meeting with about 70 other concerned citizens. Last week, I spent the evening with about 20 others in a similar meeting. Tonight about 30 more people gathered to in a similar group. What is particularly encouraging, is that most of these people were either new to involvement in public affairs or were coming back after a lengthy hiatus.

The tea parties provided the catalyst to bring them back. The crowds provided the push that let them know they were not alone. Most people are not constitutionally suited to standing against the power of the federal government alone. We cheered the Chinese student staring down the tanks in Tiananmen Square, but tend to shy away from confrontation ourselves. With a group of like minded citizens, the patriots can become warriors.

I was amazed by the intensity of the emotional display. People are concerned about their country. They don’t like where it is headed. They are concerned about the world they will be leaving to their children and grand children. They are looking for ways to channel these feelings and energy.

Members of two of these groups combined to visit local Congressional and Senate offices to present a Petition for Redress of Grievances. These petitions outlined various actions by the federal government that, by almost any reasonable interpretation, were clearly unconstitutional. It must have been a bit of fun to be part of the group of about 25 as the filed into the local legislative offices with video and still cameras. One aide did a great deer in the headlights impression - but I don’t think he was acting, two aides welcomed them in and held a pleasant conversation and one office only showed them a shaken receptionist hiding behind her bullet proof glass shield.

In all cases, it was obvious they were not accustomed to dealing with the public who actually expected them to change the way Washington does business. Another thing that was obvious was that it is necessary to keep up the contact and the pressure. Even the good guys need the encouragement and supervision of their constituents. Lobbyist are continuously in their face… the same should hold true for their constituents… their real employers.

This is just one way citizens can get involved. More needs to to be lined up to keep these good folks involved in the process and get the message across to those who believe they rule from a distance. There is a staggering amount of passion and energy looking to get involved in the process of changing our country back to the free society it was in years past.

Just as many cheered the Chinese student, many also cheered the priests, pastors, and everyday citizens who faced arrest while protesting the desecration of the Notre Dame graduation ceremony. They cheered, but did not take part… myself included. My excuse was the 600 or so mile drive to South Bend. The question I have to answer as do all other Christians and others who say they hold values dear, is that, if the event were in my city, would I have faced arrest for a good cause, or would I have backed away because I did not want a police record. Everyone who loves their country has to consider this question.

The founding fathers understood that by signing the Declaration of Independence, if they failed, they would be facing a hangman’s noose. Even in victory, many faced financial ruin, loss of their homes and loss of family members. Since that time, countless service men and women have given their lives preserving the freedom that people like Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Adams and Henry gave us. So many that we have set aside a day, Memorial Day, to remember and honor their sacrifices.

What sacrifices are we, both individually and collectively, willing to make to leave the country and world a better place for our children and grandchildren? With increasing restrictions placed on ever more areas of our lives, and more of our resources being taken to fund irrational and often immoral schemes, will we stand up and say “No more!” or will we sit, quietly complaining, as our country hurtles toward the “eve of destruction” as Barry McGuire would call it. In answering this question, we would do well to remember the words of James Madison, “Resistance to tyranny is service to God.”

One of our great historical icons has now become a badge of dishonor to the Missouri Information Analysis Center (MIAC). The flag created by Colonel Christopher Gadsden and used by the colonists prior to the adoption of the stars and stripes is now considered to be a sign of a possible domestic terrorist. Never mind that many naval personnel have such a sticker on their cars. It is also revered by many who have an appreciation for American history.

MIAC compiled the report to help law enforcement personnel identify persons who may need watching to protect their citizens from terror attacks. They have decided the modern militia movement is sufficient threat to distract police and investigators from following up on those who have sworn to destroy our country.

Who else is considered troublesome? People who voted for or promoted third party candidates like Ron Paul, Chuck Baldwin or Bob Barr. People who are standing up against illegal immigration or may be supportive of our constitution. People who are concerned about the federal reserve system. People who are looking to keep their guns in the face of potential federal moves to restrict second amendment freedoms.

If any of these fit you, it's time to be concerned. Missouri is middle America... not Governor Schwarzenegger's land of fruits, nuts and flakes. Sure we have crazies running around, but the inability to draw a more precise picture shows perhaps the internalized prejudices of the group or a complete misunderstanding of our American heritage, culture and values.

Even if those concerns are not your hot button issues, but you have the audacity to believe we should not condone the killing of babies or even if you just take your relationship with God seriously with something as innocuous as the “My Boss Is A Jewish Carpenter” bumper sticker, you could be in the governments cross hairs. They can't seem to distinguish between the white supremacist Christian Identity movement which raises some legitimate concerns and the prayer warriors at your local church.

The primary things we Christians need to take away from this report is that not only are we not understood by the people now in charge of our society, but in some quarters there is actual hostility and a desire to make Christians look as bad as AIG executives. So... do we pull back, hide and keep our mouths shut as some would like? What would be the result of this cowardly posture? For one thing, we would not be doing our job of being salt and light in a world full of darkness. Then, even more important, many others would live life without the witness to the truth that could change them forever.

There are already rumblings that the charitable tax deduction may be going away and federal funding for anything remotely connected with God is quickly drying up. Our environment is quickly changing. We have decisions to make. So back to the question, do we pull back, hide and keep our mouths shut or do we continue doing what we know is right? These times appear to be requiring focus and courage. The people in Washington and our state capitols would like us to quietly fade into the background. Will we?

Even though we have no intention of blowing up buildings or poisoning water supplies – and the left knows it, dedicated Christians, even law abiding one, do pose a threat because our loyalties lie far from the oval office... no matter who sits in it. Just as Detrick Bonhoeffer spoke the truth in Nazi Germany, we too are called to speak the truth today. We need to be prepared for the time when all or part of Christian teaching may be officially condemned. This may seem far fetched, but just over our northern border, Canadian pastors have been charged with hate crimes for preaching that homosexuality is a sin. Now is the time to decide our course of action and not wait until opposition materializes.

We need to look back into the history that many would love to have us forget and hear the words of Patrick Henry when people tried to shout him down with cries of “Treason”. He responded with “If this be treason, make the most of it!” What will our answer be?

With the entire Republican delegation finally standing firm against the most recent ‘bailout’ (read ‘pork barrel’) package one has to wonder if backbone has finally returned to the party of low taxes, smaller government and limited spending.  For some this represents no change at all.  These have been the voices crying out in the wilderness that it is immoral to try to spend our way to prosperity by expecting our children and grandchildren to foot the bill.

For others, honorable men and women, I’m sure, it was the opportunity to vote their conscience rather than playing the role of a good partisan by supporting the party or the president.  Still others, the true political types, sensed that opposing this piece of legislation was the best way for them to survive politically since the massive transfer of wealth was now proposed by the rival party and was thus, fair game.

Parties play an important role in our political system by allowing supposedly like minded people to get together and promote shared values… at least that is the theory.  Our system of government is set up to operate with a two party system, which is why it is extremely difficult for any other group to attain a major status.  We can’t expect this to change under either party leadership.

What happens when party leadership starts taking the entire structure in a new direction - one neither espoused nor supported by the rank and file party membership?  Among other things, it reveals the priorities of their members.  Do they value party over principle or principle over party?  It gets even more complicated when we factor in tradeoffs people make.  That is, conceding a point that is not so critical to accomplish something more important.  This is supposed to be the essence of politics.

Whatever the motivation, we have seen over the past four or so years an abdication of the smaller, less intrusive government direction of the Republican Party.  Officials have been listening to the media and not the people.  They have been promoting the ‘big tent’ philosophy of backing away from core beliefs so as not to offend more moderate voters who really haven’t thought things through.

How has this worked?  Has anyone ever gotten anywhere by straddling a fence?  The last two election cycles have produced the two most resounding defeats this party has seen in recent memory.  And yet we hear louder cries from some corners to further desert our ideals to win the confidence of the voters.  Think about that for a moment: people are supposed to trust and respect us more as we tell them we really don’t want to live out our principles.    

So we now see a group looking for a resurrection of credibility, perhaps too late to stop the current madness.  On the other hand, it’s never wrong to do the right thing.  It may be too late, but not wrong.  Perhaps the Republican Party is in the process of recovering its soul.  Perhaps they are beginning down path to renewed influence.

In any case, it’s helpful to look at what happens when people, in this case Congressmen and Senators, who go along to get along.  Many are former Congressmen and former Senators.  Others came closer to defeat than they ever have this past November.  Even those that survived have lost their majority, prestige and influence… not to mention self respect. 

What has happened to this country that says it honors the memory of men like John Paul Jones? We should remember his reply to demands for surrender “I have not yet begun to fight” as the Bonhomme Richard was burning and slipping under the sea.  A few hours later he stood victoriously on the British ship that had destroyed his own.  Did he win this victory by surrendering, compromising and giving up the fight?

The point is, the reasons we got into this situation lie in the past, but we should still learn that we can’t compromise on principle and expect to be successful.  The Republican majority did… and they are no longer the majority.  If the voters don’t understand the value of smaller, less controlling government, the answer is not deserting the ideal, but in better explaining why freedom is better than servitude.  Most of the people have been through the public schools which have systematically denigrated the contributions of men and women like Jones in the interest of turning out good little socialist workers.  We, including our elected representatives, have to stand up for what is right.  We may be like John the Baptist crying in the wilderness.  He did not change his message when no one was there, but when the time came, his message was heard. 

Perhaps we, Congressmen and Senators could learn something from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. when he said, “A man dies when he refuses to stand up for that which is right. A man dies when he refuses to stand up for justice. A man dies when he refuses to take a stand for that which is true, so we’re going to stand up right here.”