Free Republic

We feel the enormity of an important election on the horizon. As we wait, who out there understands the immense importance of knowing how government in America was meant to work? Why wouldn’t any thinking citizen want to know why our Founding Fathers created our government the way they did, deciding what government was supposed to accomplish, how our leaders were expected to lead? The “Founding Fathers” sound so far away. But their relevance is not, because present-day “progressive” politicians want to sweep away the principles of the fathers so a new structure can be imposed. What’s so great about...

Pres. Obama: “Our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes.” Uh, that’s because the Founders were trying to prevent exactly what you are trying to do, Mr. President. They did not want the Federal Government to dominate the life of every citizen from cradle to grave. They wanted people to be free – to earn their own keep and keep what they earn. What a concept.

In the time of the Founding Fathers, the colonists suffered under tyrannical rule and understood the consequences of being subjects to government. As a result, America was originally structured around the Articles of Confederation – a document one step to the left of anarchy on the political spectrum. Recognizing the document’s lack of sustainability, the Founders realized while drafting the Constitution that government had to have limited power. And yet, in the past century, the United States has witnessed an unprecedented expansion of federal government power. Whether it’s the creation of the Federal Reserve, the establishment of Social Security and...

So a guy whose contract was terminated by NPR on a phony pretext for not toeing the liberal line enough, including writing a book ("Enough: The Phony Leaders, Dead-End Movements, and Culture of Failure That Are Undermining Black America--and What We Can Do About It") which indicted the modern civil-rights movement for, well, undermining Black America, now appears to want eliminate "Constitution" and "Founding Fathers" from the lexicon of Republican candidates -- and possibly, it would appear, from political discussion in general -- because, well, they're racial code words. How ironic. Two weeks ago at the Fox News/Wall Street Journal...

Of course President Obama is not concentrating on campaigning, White House press spokesmen assured us -- as the president headed off to Chicago for three fundraisers and a drop-in at his campaign headquarters, two days after a high-roller fundraising choked off traffic five blocks from the White House, with the assistance of a score of D.C. police cars. No one, or at least no one who is paying attention, is fooled. It's standard presidential procedure to say you're not absorbed in campaigning even as you go out to raise money every other day. Bill Clinton, in my view, spent an...

Huntington Bank discovers original checks signed by Lincoln, Washington, Edison, Twain and others (photo gallery) President Abraham Lincoln made out this First National Bank printed check to "self" for $800 on April 13, 1865, two days before he died. BROOKLYN -- Dozens of personal checks -- some 150 to 200 years old and signed by the likes of Abraham Lincoln, Charles Dickens, George Washington and Thomas Edison - have been unearthed by Huntington Bank. Some of the historic checks, all signed by U.S. presidents, were unveiled Tuesday and are on display at Huntington's newest branch in Brooklyn. The display is...

On October 3, 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation declaring Thursday, November 26 of that year as a national day of Thanksgiving and prayer. Various states continued to hold their own Thanksgiving celebrations on various fall dates until President Lincoln standardized it as the fourth Thursday in November (with one brief hiccup during the days of FDR, when he moved it up a week and then changed it back)… but it is good to consider that the Thanksgiving tradition that began unofficially with the earliest colonists – at St. Augustine, at Charles City County, at Plymouth – has been...

While thanksgiving days are as old as history, e.g., King David dancing with all his might in a loincloth before the returning Ark of the Covenant, 2 Kings 6: 13-16, it is Thanksgiving Days in American history that concern Noman today. I. THE "FIRST" THANKSGIVING (1621) • The Historical Context 1492 - Columbus discovers America 1492 - First Christmas celebrated in America when Columbus's ship, the Santa Maria, is grounded on a reef off Haiti. 1511 - Spanish settle Cuba 1517 - Reformation begins in Europe 1528 - Fray Suarez, first Catholic bishop in present day U.S., arrives in Florida...

It is encouraging news that the Supreme Court has decided to consider the constitutionality of key provisions of Obamacare. By the end of next summer we’ll know if the federal government can force individuals to buy health insurance and if they can force states to comply with a newly expanded Medicaid program. Professor Walter Russell Mead blogs that in the debates to ratify the Constitution, it was considered a weakness “that important laws could be passed and would operate for some time before people knew whether they were legal…” He points out that there are more clever ways that forced...

<p>Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Ryan Larsen. I’m a truth lover, chess player and avid political junkie. I co-founded WhyRomney.com, which is dedicated to correcting distortions and inaccuracies perpetrated against Mitt Romney.</p> <p>Before WhyRomney, I wrote for Lyingliar.com. At Lyingliar, we debunked all of Al Franken’s big attacks, from his “Chelsea Clinton is a dog” smear against Rush, to his “Peabody” smear against O’Reilly.</p>

When it comes to the U.S. Constitution, there’s good news and bad news. (And then some really good news!) Good news first: As the political debates have sharpened over the past few years—since the rise of the Tea Party movement—more and more Americans are interested in the Constitution.  While academics and some limited political circles have always discussed the Constitution and its meaning, it’s striking to see so many ordinary Americans having these conversations—and embracing the ideals of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution itself. Now the bad news: while interest in the Constitution is growing, few Americans actually know...

Michael E. Newton’s new book Angry Mobs and Founding Fathers is a must read for anyone interested in America’s founding and should be part of every patriot’s library. His book is clear, concise, well documented, and chock-full of quotes from the founding fathers. Newton takes the reader back to Colonial America when angry mobs were protesting British tyranny. He brilliantly juxtaposes the debate over separating from Great Britain and how the founders skillfully navigated America through the stormy waters that resulted from the Declaration of Independence. After defeating the English, he expertly guides you through the articles of confederation and...

WHAT IS A FOUNDING FATHER? By John F. Di Leo, in Illinois Review, July 4, 2011 A.D. Every year for two centuries plus, the American people have celebrated the events of June and July, 1776… those fiery weeks when the Continental Congress debated changing their focus from improving our relationship with the King and Parliament who ruled them, to terminating that relationship once and for all. On a broader scale, on Independence Day, we champion the Founding Fathers, those wise and courageous patriots who managed this transition, who won us our independence and set these United States on the course...

“There is not a man living who wishes more sincerely than I do, to see a plan adopted for the abolition of it.” - George Washington, letter to Robert Morris, April 12, 1786 “Every measure of prudence, therefore, ought to be assumed for the eventual total extirpation of slavery from the United States. … I have, throughout my whole life, held the practice of slavery in … abhorrence.” - John Adams, letter to Robert Evans, June 8, 1819 “It is much to be wished that slavery may be abolished. The honour of the States, as well as justice and humanity,...

Every year for two centuries plus, the American people have celebrated the events of June and July, 1776… those fiery weeks when the Continental Congress debated changing their focus from improving our relationship with the King and Parliament who ruled them, to terminating that relationship once and for all. On a broader scale, on Independence Day, we champion the Founding Fathers, those wise and courageous patriots who managed this transition, who won us our independence and set these United States on the course to greatness. In addition to celebrating these actions, it might also be worthwhile to ponder who these...

ABC's "This Week" began its Independence Day weekend program with a segment that echoed Time magazine's cover story questioning whether the Constitution matters anymore. After historian Douglas Brinkley said, "We shouldn't act like [the Founding Fathers] were somehow omnipotent," ABC's John Donvan responded, "They were not gods, they were guys - guys who didn't give women the vote and let slavery stand"

When President Obama ponders tough decisions at the White House, he may join the cadre of presidents who have sought inspiration in the Truman Balcony’s stunning vista, gazing at the Washington Monument and the Jefferson Memorial, which commemorate our first and third commanders in chief. But there’s a man missing from this presidential panorama. Where is John Adams, our feisty second president and lifelong American patriot? If George Washington was the sword of the revolution and Thomas Jefferson the pen, why have we neglected the voice of our nation’s independence? Adams himself predicted this omission. “Monuments will never be erected...

Originally appearing on US4Palin, @Twolegsgood, a Palin supporter from Hollywood, writes an excellent piece about the need for a Capra-esque leader, such as Governor Palin, to make a fight for our country. The analogy is fitting. Both of Governor Palin’s books discuss her admiration for a character in one of Capra’s films, Jefferson Smith from Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. In Going Rogue, Governor Palin notes how she had a picture of Jefferson Smith with her at her desk as an inspiration, and in America by Heart, she references Jefferson Smith’s story of character in light of adversity and smears....

Several readers sent me for comment a lengthy cover article in Time Magazine by managing editor Richard Stengel. Stengel’s piece is one result of new public interest in our Constitution and in “first principles”—interest that has forced political liberals to think about the document’s real meaning. While it’s good that they are now addressing it, like a baby learning language the results are often garbled. Correcting all of the irrelevancies, distortions, and errors in his essay of nearly 5000 words would take far longer than it is worth. Below is just a sample: Stengel: “Here are a few things the...

This is how the progressives do it. Plant some seeds, then before you know it these kinds of ideas will be all over the media. Time magazine cover features shredded U.S. Constitution, asks if it still matters And This Exists: Iceland Rewrites Their Constitution Using Suggestions Through Twitter This second link has me more troubled than the first. The things that Fareed Zakaria are saying could practically be lifted right out of the pages of The Road to Serfdom. I don't think it's possible to state just how much danger we are in. These progressives are out for blood.

The 2012 presidential election cycle is underway. With the Democratic candidate a foregone conclusion, there is not much uncertainty about where the Democratic Party is going. For better or worse, Democrats will likely continue to “dance with who brung them,” meaning Barack Obama and his brand of 21st century liberalism. Not so on the Republican side. After historic defeats and victories in the past two elections, respectively, the Republican Party has yet to define itself for the future. It must come to grips with the fact that its miraculous comeback in 2010, after crushing defeats in the presidential and congressional...

As a nation we have a government that reflects the people of this nation. Our founding Fathers set up our nation based on simple Biblical truths and Biblical morality. Our laws are based on the nd 10 commandments. Don’t believe me? Well look at the top of the Supreme Court building and you will see Moses holding the Ten Commandments with the last 5 visible and in Hebrew. Today many on the left and some on the far right “Libertarian Right” are fighting to change our nation from within and put out the light on our Shining City Upon a...

There is an old joke that circulates among right-wing libertarians, which says that any American President who attempts to govern according to the US constitution, would be impeached. But the America of today, makes the founding fathers turn over in their graves. The last American President to govern according to the constitution, was William Howard Taft (1909 - 1913). Taft was later appointed as the Chief Justice of the United States in 1921, by President Warren G. Harding. Woodrow Wilson (1913 - 1921) turned America from a Republic into a global empire, similar to the Roman Empire. He imposed the...

A special discussion tonight with Dave Miller regarding the impact of the Bible on the founding of our nation. Dr. Miller is a graduate of Lubbock Christian University, where he earned a B.A. degree in speech and Bible. He earned his M.A. degree in speech communication from Texas Tech University, and his M.Th. and M.A.R. from the Harding Graduate School of Religion.

Read this short column and weep, for as a people we have squandered our legacy. Madison: This term [property] in its particular application means "that dominion which one man claims and exercises over the external things of the world, in exclusion of every other individual." In its larger and juster meaning, it embraces every thing to which a man may attach a value and have a right; and which leaves to every one else the like advantage. In the former sense, a man's land, or merchandize, or money is called his property. In the latter sense, a man has a...

Many today want to get rid of the electoral college method of choosing our president. For example, there is a book called Why the Electoral College Is Bad for America. It has quite a lot of good information in it, though the author draws the wrong conclusion. Or search Google for “electoral college failure” and browse through some of the 333,000 results. Attacks on the electoral college system accelerated after the 2000 election in which Al Gore won more popular votes but George Bush won the electoral college. The Founding Fathers considered, debated, and voted on different methods of choosing...

Left-wing satirist Bill Maher is taking his hatred of the Tea Party movement to the next level. Evidently epithets like crazy, stupid, and racist no longer satisfy him, and he’s decided it’s time to hit "teabaggers" where it really hurts: by mocking their reverence for America’s Founding Fathers, suggesting the Founders’ values aren’t their own: “[T]he Founding Fathers would have hated your guts…and what’s more, you would have hated them. They were everything you despise. They studied science, read Plato, hung out in Paris, and thought the Bible was mostly bullshit.” Maher got a crack in at the Founders as...

The Republican plan to start off the first session of the new House of Representatives today with a reading of the United States Constitution is giving the left the fantods -- and with good reason. At Salon, Michael Lind gives us a piece headlined, "Let's stop pretending the Constitution is sacred." Ezra Klein, a Washington Post blogger, told a TV interviewer that the reading as a "gimmick" and suggested the Constitution isn't binding (though he later backpedaled). And David Corn, under the title "The House GOP Weaponizes the Constitution," argues that the Founding Fathers "wouldn't cotton to lawmakers exploiting their...

It’s rather dismaying to see the thoughtful and well-regarded online magazine Front Porch Republic being roiled by a series of articles written by editor John Medaille celebrating the virtues of monarchism as compared to democracy. I don’t believe John’s point was call for the U.S. to build its own Buckingham Palace or design its own crown and scepter, which will never happen in a million years. It was to simply show the follies of democratism as a guarantor of the public’s liberties compared to an enlightened king (one tyrant 3,000 miles away as compared to 3,000 tyrants one mile a...

IN GOD WE TRUST: Virginia Bill is sponsored in the Assembly by Valley legislators, Sen. Mark Obenshain and Del. Dickie Bell andrequires at least 350 pre-filed applications to be on hand for approval, we are urging Valley residents to file their applications as soon as possible.

Diversity. What a pleasant sounding word. I see colorful posters bearing the word placed in prominence around the office where I work. I often see the word applied in noble motto: “Strength in Diversity” or “Celebrate Diversity”. What a lovely sentiment. What could be wrong with that? I am a German American, whose original German-born ancestor arrived in the United States of America in 1853 following the death of his first wife. I’m quite sure his life in Germany was shattered. He came to America destitute, with small children in tow. He remarried an Ohio woman and settled in the...

Am I a radical? Are you a radical? Are all freedom loving Americans who want the government to stick to their constitutional limits now to be labeled as extremist? This seems to be the case and perhaps is a new tactic used by the leftist and the Obama administration in an effort to disparage and disrupt the effect that the Tea Party and those involved with the conservative party are having on American politics. Abandoning the Oval Office in favor of campaigning for the Democrats, Obama’s latest stump speech reported by Breitbart: "US President Barack Obama on Friday branded Republicans...

Editor's Note: Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D. is a frequent contributor to RFFM.org. Rapacki is an independent intelligence analyst. The head of SENTINEL INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, LLC, Rapacki receives and disseminates critical intelligence and policy information from and to law enforcement, intelligence and homeland security officials, and government and community leaders; Rapacki is the author of dozens of white papers, bulletins and briefings, and he is frequently called on to share his expertise with public and private security directors and organizations. A History Lesson: How Elite Replaced Founding Fathers' Grand Vision Of A Republic With Corporate America by Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D....

On September 17, 1787, the greatest political document in the history of mankind was established, the United States Constitution. Today, September 17, is Constitution Day! Simply put, the Constitution was created by "radical right-wingers" (or at least that's what the elitists in the ruling class would refer to them as) for two main purposes...

As I was pondering the unexpected primary win of Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, and whether or not to donate to her campaign, I was reminded of what the signers of the Declaration of Independence had risked. They actually risked, as they put it, a “pledge to each other our lives, our Fortunes, & our sacred Honor”. They really meant that because, if the British won, these signers would all be hung. What am I risking by making a donation to O’Donnell? That she will lose, or that she will not carry out her pledge to the Tea Parties to be...

The Tea- Party has finally come to Comanche County. And so I suppose this is my cue to finally get involved. But before I do I would like to address a few things. In the first place its important to recognize that not all of the “founding fathers” were patriots. There was quite a large contingency of men during those formative years that were not in favor of liberty for mankind, nor for low taxation, nor for a limited government. Ben Franklin at one point put fourth the idea of doing away with the states entirely and having a single...

Build it or We'll Keeeeeel You! Imam Ralph came right out and said it to Soledad O'Brien when she asked him about the possibility of moving the mosque site:  Rauf gave a reply that boils down to a threat. Rauf said that if his Cordoba House does not get built on his chosen site near Ground Zero, “The headlines in the Muslim world will be that Islam is under attack.” As for the message Rauf’s words might impart to the many Americans who oppose his project, his warning doesn’t sound like bridge-building. It sounds like blackmail. (Forbes - Claudia Rosett) Doctor...

Gentlemen: While I now receive with much satisfaction your congratulations on my being called, by an unanimous vote, to the first station in my country; I cannot but duly notice your politeness in offering an apology for the unavoidable delay. As that delay has given you an opportunity of realizing, instead of anticipating, the benefits of the general government, you will do me the justice to believe, that your testimony of the increase of the public prosperity, enhances the pleasure which I should otherwise have experienced from your affectionate address. I feel that my conduct, in war and in peace,...

While doing the MSM circuit this week, American University professor Akbar Ahmed told some whoppers about Adams, Jefferson, and Franklin Akbar Ahmed, the chair of Islamic studies at American University, has advised many government officials, including General Petraeus, Richard Holbrooke, and George W. Bush. He speaks regularly on BBC and CNN, and has appeared on many U.S. shows, including Oprah and Nightline.To oppose the “burn the Quran� event planned by Pastor Terry Jones, Ahmed wrote an editorial for CNN in which he stated: Not only are the actions of Jones contrary to the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, but...

The father of our country, George Washington, was a man of prayer. We have all read of how he went to the thicket many times to pray during the winter his army was at Valley Forge. However, little publicity has been given to the vision and prophecy he received at that time. The account of this vision was given in 1859 by an old soldier. He gave it to a writer, Wesley Bradshaw, who published it. In the vision God revealed to George Washington that three great perils would come upon the Republic. He was given to know that America...

How would the Founding Fathers and the Presidents of the past react to Barak Obama’s trampling of the Constitution? What would their faces express and their body language tell you? Artist Jon McNaughton shows you: VideoDid you notice the expressions of progressive President’s that came before Obama, clapping and smiling?

The funny thing about books that cover the Founding Fathers is that they generally only come alive when the authors quote their subjects. This is perhaps inevitable given that any writer will be at a disadvantage laying his own prose and conclusions beside theirs. It is a particular pitfall for academics, especially when they add their own interpretations alongside those of the luminaries. Richard H. Immerman of Temple is the latest brave soul to make such an effort in Empire For Liberty: A History of American Imperialism From Benjamin Franklin to Paul Wolfowitz. “Franklin identified six ‘Things’ in particular to...

A frequent, and well-founded, criticism of American journalism is that too many reporters focus more on a good story than telling the truth. To be fair, though, that label must also be applied to a large segment of the American people. Perhaps it’s because we’ve evolved into a quick-fix, instant-oatmeal society, or maybe it’s because tackling tough problems can seem hopelessly daunting. But maybe the main reason for the proliferation of red herring issues is that so many American politicians shamelessly take advantage of people’s fears, manipulating issues to their political --- and financial --- gain. Whatever the reason, it’s...

Accuracy in Academia is featuring a true patriot and accomplished writer at its Constitution Day author’s night. Allie Duzett is the author of How To Save America: A Tactical Guide For Practical Patriots. “We must devote the time it takes on a personal level to fully understand our Founding Fathers’ intent,” she writes. “It is appropriate for us all to be experts on Constitutional intent.” “We must invest our time to understand our founding documents, including not just the Constitution, but also the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers, and the writings of all our Founding Fathers.” “We must learn...

There was a time in the not-too-distant past — 234 years ago to be precise — when the ideas articulated by the tea party movement would have rightly been considered “radical.” Not just radical in their ideological composition, either, but radical in the more “irrational” sense — in that advancing these ideas was a good way to wind up dead. And that’s exactly what happened to more than 25,000 American Revolutionaries — patriots who gave their lives in order to provide the liberty we enjoy today (and which we now aspire to pass down to future generations). From its founding...

Having moved into the life as a former candidate (WA-01), a citizen running for the first time, I can tell you that I’m pretty sick of the following phrases, “Well, that’s politics”, “It’s all about the money”, “We have to unite”, “Politics is dirty”, and “You can’t say that. You have to get the independent vote”. Do you think the Founding Fathers thought that way, or would accept working in such a political system?...

Israel: The Canary in the Coalmine by Norma Zager “I will insist the Hebrews have [contributed] more to civilize men than any other nation. If I was an atheist and believed in blind eternal fate, I should still believe that fate had ordained the Jews to be the most essential instrument for civilizing the nations…” John Adams Why in the world should anyone care about Israel? Even many Jewish people are “over it.” I mean what’s the point? Sure they invent great stuff there, but there are Jews everywhere so who needs Israel? It just causes more trouble for us...

As I have said before and I will say again, this is the most critical election you will likely face in your lifetime. The ones who would rob you of your freedom, your liberty, all in the name of saving us from ourselves, always, and I mean always tell you who they are and what they intend to do. This video, via Hot Air, was put together by the Republican Study Committee and Congressman Tom Price. I have played each of these sound bites individually on the air, but this video puts it all together. Watch, and be affraid. Government,...

Well, we all know of the self-disclosures from Obama's "Dreams From My Father," and we know of his recent and occasional public references to the Founding Fathers, but who are HIS "Founding Fathers"? I'll start the list with the most general, but feel free to join in. 1. Lucifer 2. Mohammed 3. Karl Marx

How many ways can progressives distort and rewrite history? If you read a recent piece entitled “Doomed to Repeat History” by policy analyst Ian Millhiser at the progressive think tank Center for American Progress the answer would be countless. His inaccuracies, partisan propaganda, scare tactics, and mistruths scream for a response. Of course, the statist zombies who sop up progressive talking points will probably view Millhiser’s work as the trump card against “tentherism,” but that is the principal problem. Millhiser has no idea what he is talking about (surprise!). He does not understand the objectives of the Tenth Amendment movement...