Posted on 07/18/2011 7:29:32 AM PDT by harpu
Judge Andrew Napolitano extends his thoughts to Speaker of the House, John Boehner, in an open letter concerning the looming debt ceiling deadline and the struggle for sanity on Capitol Hill.
Dear Mr. Speaker,
When the Founders at the Constitution Conventional in 1787 created the House of Representatives, it was fashioned to act as the voice of the people within the institutional checks and balances of the Federal Government. That's why the entire House faces reelection every 2 years. That's why Constitutionally, you don't have to even be a member of Congress to serve as speaker. And that's why the Constitution allows for thousands of members of the House for our current population. It is the people's house, and the people spoke last November. They cried out against a government completely out of control. After President Bush grew the U.S. debt by $7 trillion dollars in 8 years in office, and President Obama added $4 Trillion in just 2 years in office, the people cried out against big-government policies that are sabotaging the economy and taking over our lives. And because they cried out, you are no longer just John Boehner from Ohio. You are now the second in line to succeed to the presidency. You are the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Mr. Speaker, the House of Representatives has just 8 working days left before the August 2nd debt ceiling deadline, and by wide margins in whatever way the question is asked, Americans do not want to see the debt ceiling raised. They're sick and tired of paying interest on borrowed money; money borrowed in their name. The Federal Government borrows so much money from so many sources, Mr. Speaker, that no-one knows for sure just how much it owes to its lenders. It already appears that it has exceeded the legal limit set by the congress at $14.294 trillion, and they actually at this moment in time are closer to $14.5 trillion. The White House is putting intense pressure on you and on Congress to raise that limit. The President's apologists have even suggested invoking the 14th amendment to bypass the will of Congress and borrow money without legal authority. Given the way the White House has run roughshod over your House in the matter of the "not-war" in Libya that our military is still "not" engaged in, the word of the President's lawyers that there is no presidential power in the 14th amendment to borrow money on his own can hardly be trusted. This is a president who does not regard the Constitution as a limit on the exercise of governmental power. But the President can only get away with violating the Constitution, Mr. Speaker, if you let him do so.
If you stand up for the will of the people, you will restrain him. This is the moment of truth for the Congress, Mr. Speaker. The scare-mongers and the chicken-littles in DC will tell you that the sky will come tumbling down if the debt ceiling isn't raised, even though your colleagues, Senator Pat Toomey and Rep. Tom McClintock, have introduced legislation that would prevent the United States from defaulting on its debt obligations.
I have two words for you, Mr. Speaker. Stop it. That's right, just stop it. For too long our government has spent beyond its means and in our names, sinking us and generations as yet unborn into deeper and deeper debt. And you, Mr. Speaker, can stop it. The President stands with the big-business, big-banks, big-government complex, and against the American people. He's even prepared to defy the laws of economics. But the American people are not ignorant as he thinks they are, and you know that.
Mr. Speaker, you have the opportunity to do something that no standard bearer of small government has ever been able to do in our modern era; get the government to live within its means. You can do it by standing firm with your colleagues in the Congress who are leading the call for change. You can stop it. You can force the Federal Government to make the difficult decisions to bring itself within its means and begin to loosen the chains of debt that have been foisted on our country by a centuries worth of progressive big-government architects. End it this summer, Mr. Speaker. Stop it. Tell the President, "not a penny more." Stand up for the American people, bring government within its means, and begin the restoration of our republic.
If you do this Mr. Speaker, if you restrain the federal beast, you will become one of history's great champions and heroes of freedom. If you don't, we'll all go through this again the next time a president wants to spend beyond the government's means and chain us all down to more debt.
Mr. Speaker, don't let us down.
-Judge Andrew P. Napolitano
He's either being schrew as all hell or he deserves to be primaried in 2012!
bfl
Boehner desperately wants to cave and cut a deal with his new golfing buddy, but Cantor and the 87 TEA Party freshmen won’t let him.
Boehner’s been ok during this process, but we need better than ok to defeat the opposing party and their media brethren.
We have shown in the presidential race and the freshman class of both the senate and the house that our bench if filled with highly articulate and effective conservative communicators, and we must ensure these individuals move quickly into leadership positions. Imagine Rubio instead of McConnell and Allen West instead of Boehner, Cantor, or McCarthy. We’d be so much better off.
Our leadership in both houses is less than effective in communicating conservative solutions to the American people, and unless they come up with at least a decent solution to this impasse, we must move full speed to force change. I hold no grudge against Boehner or the house leadership, we just have to get better as a team. McConnell on the other hand has been there too long. I believe he has been either majority or minority leader for a decade or more. That’s simply too long to be effective at implementing a grassroots platform.
Let's hope he and his cohorts do something about this.
I didn't know that, though I never looked into it.
Wonder if it's ever happened...
Boner better keep his act together on this or he will be credited with single handedly destroying the GOP as an electable party. He lost a lot of good will on the last budget negotiations. There is not much left for this one.
“When the Founders at the Constitution Conventional....”
HOORAY Judge Andrew P. Napolitano! Thank you, sir.
Mr. Speaker, don’t let us down....just say NO!
My .$02, ok a nickel with inflation is that Alan West would be a better speaker. He carries the message and is fearless. He is my hero in many ways. JMHO
None of the guys seem to have it in them to man up when they are really needed.
I think ALL of the old timers in Washington are being blackmailed. Both parties have film of the others doing something stupid, perhaps at a party while drunk -— something with a cute young boy or girl -—something that would bring their career to a sudden halt.
If spending is not stopped now, then when?
As my tag line says for California, it is true for the Federal government. We do not have a “money problem” we have a spending problem.
The Democrats brought us to this financial disaster, and then demand they be allowed to spend even more, to prevent the disaster.
Borrowing and spending will not fix our economy anymore than an open bar can cure an alcoholic.
I am not sure who to believe anymore, I am beginning to think that most economist have no more idea of how the economy works then I do. Actually, I think I have more of an idea since I know if I spend more than I have I will soon be in financial trouble. That means I can not do or buy everything I want, I have to make choices.
The only choice the left wants is A)cut military spending, B) raise taxes.
If not now, when?
Once again Judge Napolitano nails it. He needs to be on the Supreme Court
“He’s either being shrewd as all hell or he deserves to be primaried in 2012!”
Look at the photos of him in each of these meetings. Read the body language. He is a whipped cur.
He cannot claim to be an uniformed whipped cur now though, and should he fold he needs to be held accountable as a deserter along with those who were aggressors against the Constitution when this all gets sorted out, or as opportunity permits.
Or . . . he can fake strength long enough to do the right thing on this, and then hopefully decide to spend more time with his family. If he had any integrity, he would step aside for a more qualified person. But then if he had integrity, he would be up to the job.
Yes and who knew Cantor would grow a spine. He must smell blood in the water and is positioning himself to run for Speaker when the spot becomes available. Whatever, I’m just glad Cantor is trying to stand up as well and the other tea party reps.
The hew and cry of the statists that not raising the debt limit will “affect the credit worthiness” of the USA is a sick joke. A nation that is not only bankrupt but has no chance of paying for some $60 TRILLION dollars of unfunded liabilities in the future has NO “credit worthiness.”
Dave Ramsey pointed out on Wolf Blitzer’s show last week that, put in terms that we can all understand, the government is spending $375,000 a year, but only making $55,000 a year. Tell me what such a person’s “credit worthiness” should be in that case.
“My .$02, ok a nickel with inflation is that Alan West would be a better speaker. He carries the message and is fearless. He is my hero in many ways. JMHO”
Hell forfend that mere integrity, zeal and competence should be set at a higher value than something as dynamic and exciting as seniority!
As ridiculous as that sounds, it makes perfect sense to the federal government. ...go figure.
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