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'Constitutional' conservatives -- not
NY Post ^ | February 24, 2010 | JACOB SULLUM

Posted on 02/24/2010 3:24:36 AM PST by Scanian

The day before last week end's Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, a group of prominent conservatives gathered a few miles away at the Virginia estate of our first president. Their Mount Vernon Statement swears fealty to a "constitutional conservatism" that "applies the principle of limited government based on the rule of law to every proposal" and "honors the central place of individual liberty in American politics and life." If only they meant it.

Constitutional conservatism certainly sounds better than "compassionate conservatism," which turned out to be code for big-government conservatism. And it is easy to hope that the thread of a properly limited federal government could bind the strands of a movement that has been unraveling since the end of the Cold War.

(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: commerceclause; cpac; federalpower; mtvernonstatement; teaparty; tenthamendment; usconstitution; wickard
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To: joe fonebone

“1) Ending the war on dope will result in smaller government.”

The same could be said of:

1) Eliminating the military.

2) Ending the war on terror.

3) Ending all traffic enforcement. Just like using dope does not ALWAYS cause the junkie to hurt others, running a red light or a stop sign on a busy street, or driving drunk or stoned does not ALWAYS cause an accident. Let’s only punish those who actually kill someone, right?

4) Ending the “war” on murder, rape, assault,arson, robbery, larceny, fraud, and every other crime. Making all these things legal would reduce the size of government dramatically, but would also destroy any chance of a civil society.

The smallest government is anarchy.
The American people have a right to a nation that is not overrun by drug crazed , unproductive citizens, who almost invariably harm innocent people, and a nation that is not run by drug lords. It is a legitimate purpose of government to provide them with it.


21 posted on 02/24/2010 5:05:43 AM PST by Above My Pay Grade
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To: Wolfie
Everybody’s got a good reason why we just can’t go by the Constitution. Everybody. So here we are.

State rights are the answer. Give all the power back to the states where it belongs. The country would change for the better overnight. People WILL pay attention to what's happening in their own back yard (especially if it's costing them a fortune).

22 posted on 02/24/2010 5:06:57 AM PST by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: concerned about politics

Nah. People don’t want States’ Righs either. Witness medical marijuana laws.


23 posted on 02/24/2010 5:08:19 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: Above My Pay Grade

Maybe, jut maybe, we could look at behavior that does or does not transgress the personal or property rights of another. But that’s just crazy talk.


24 posted on 02/24/2010 5:10:17 AM PST by Wolfie
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To: concerned about politics

So you are making the case that top down federal laws are currently alleviating the ills you mention?


25 posted on 02/24/2010 5:11:11 AM PST by listenhillary (the only reason government wants to be our provider is so it may become our master)
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To: Rockingham

You’re missing the point. It’s about the Constitution. Where does the Constitution give the Federal Government authority to prohibit drugs? They had to have a Constitutional Amendment to ban alcohol, why not one for drugs?


26 posted on 02/24/2010 5:11:28 AM PST by Jabba the Nutt (Are they insane, stupid or just evil?)
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To: Above My Pay Grade
The American people have a right to a nation that is not overrun by drug crazed , unproductive citizens,

We don't have this problem now, right?

27 posted on 02/24/2010 5:13:27 AM PST by listenhillary (the only reason government wants to be our provider is so it may become our master)
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To: Wolfie
Nah. People don’t want States’ Righs either. Witness medical marijuana laws.

People are worried it will come to their state - by force. If the states had all the rights rather than feds, the PEOPLE could outlaw it themselves. I think people know the Feds want the taxes that will someday be placed on the marijuana (something has to replace the lost tobacco revenue).
For example, look at homosexual "marriage." The states voted and didn't want it. That's a good thing for them. The homosexuals are now trying to go around the people and force it on them through the Feds. This is wrong. Political correctness is wrong. The states took matters into their own hands as it should be. They're afraid they may not have to option to vote on marijuana laws, and they'll have no say. The federal government is out of control.

28 posted on 02/24/2010 5:18:27 AM PST by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: concerned about politics
Immorality leads to a nation of sloth, filth, dependency, and chaos. How would be rid ourselves of it?

We seemed to get along fine for 150 years before the progressives thought that the government could do a better job than the private charities and temperance societies.

29 posted on 02/24/2010 5:20:48 AM PST by listenhillary (the only reason government wants to be our provider is so it may become our master)
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To: LibLieSlayer

“It is not what he said but how he said it.”

Spoken like a feel-good liberal.

You say you are a Constitutionalist but in reality you are a federal gov’t nanny-stater.


30 posted on 02/24/2010 5:25:11 AM PST by webstersII
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To: listenhillary
Immorality leads to a nation of sloth, filth, dependency, and chaos. How would be rid ourselves of it? We seemed to get along fine for 150 years before the progressives thought that the government could do a better job than the private charities and temperance societies.

Morality was important to our founders. The progressives made morality politically incorrect. The immoral became protected "victims."

“Our Constitution is made only for a moral and religious people.” -- John Adams.

31 posted on 02/24/2010 5:30:53 AM PST by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: concerned about politics

What do you do when Islam is the one defining morality? It is totally possible that we will simply be out bred by the Islamists. Do you still want morality enforced by the federal government?


32 posted on 02/24/2010 5:37:48 AM PST by listenhillary (the only reason government wants to be our provider is so it may become our master)
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To: listenhillary
So you are making the case that top down federal laws are currently alleviating the ills you mention?

No. Top down laws encourage the immorality that leads to social chaos.

Federal social programs actually advocate it. The more social failures the government can create, the more government dependents there are, and the more power the Federal politicians have.

33 posted on 02/24/2010 5:38:05 AM PST by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: listenhillary
What do you do when Islam is the one defining morality? It is totally possible that we will simply be out bred by the Islamists. Do you still want morality enforced by the federal government?

No. I want it voted on by the people in each state - like homosexual "marriage" was. The PEOPLE decided.

34 posted on 02/24/2010 5:40:18 AM PST by concerned about politics ("Get thee behind me, Liberal")
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To: Rockingham
Yep. Dope and the T&A show. That's all libertarians are about. You've got us pegged.

All that other stuff about Capitalism, BoR enforcement including full restoration of RKBA, property Rights, limited government, etc...

That's all just window dressing. Right?

Think before you open your mouth.

35 posted on 02/24/2010 6:00:24 AM PST by Dead Corpse (III, Oathkeeper)
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To: listenhillary

We have some, but we are not as overrun as we will be if we legalize drugs or stop enforcing drug laws.

We have lots of murders, rapes, robberies, etc., but I don’t see anyone saying, “Well, the “war on violent crime” has failed, it’s time to give up and let the criminals do whatever they want.”


36 posted on 02/24/2010 6:02:01 AM PST by Above My Pay Grade
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To: webstersII
Revised Articles of confederation. Weld on an idiot proof copy of the BoR.

That's cure 99% of the crap we currently get from government.

37 posted on 02/24/2010 6:03:28 AM PST by Dead Corpse (III, Oathkeeper)
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To: Above My Pay Grade

Why keep alcohol and tobacco legal?


38 posted on 02/24/2010 6:10:05 AM PST by listenhillary (the only reason government wants to be our provider is so it may become our master)
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To: Above My Pay Grade

“We have some, but we are not as overrun as we will be if we legalize drugs or stop enforcing drug laws.”

Source?


39 posted on 02/24/2010 6:10:57 AM PST by listenhillary (the only reason government wants to be our provider is so it may become our master)
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To: concerned about politics

Although I cannot tell you who is responsible, I can tell you who is NOT responsibe....the federal government. Sorry, but the issues you mentioned are state issues ( 80% of the stuff the feds do are actually state issues )In answer to your kind inquiry, who cleaned up the body of the 80 year old woman in georgia gunned down in her home by the swat team? Answer to that question is her family. And yes, it is the responsibilty of the neghborhood to clean up it’s own area...you are both condoning and supporting increased government, both in size and responsibility over your life. You are a closet lib at best, a commie at worst


40 posted on 02/24/2010 6:12:07 AM PST by joe fonebone (CPAC.....Commies Playing At Conservatism)
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