Ex-liberal. Stopped being one Election Night, 2000. Al Gore did it. Always voted Democrat, vowed never to vote Republican. I was finally fed up with it all. It had been building for about 10 years, but wondered how, I as a gay man, could vote for a Republican. Then in November of 2000, it dawned on me. I would vote for who would be best for America.

Reid v Covert (1957) No treaty can supercede the Constitution )an excerpt). There is nothing new or unique about what we say here. This Court has regularly and uniformly recognized the supremacy of the Constitution over a treaty. [n33] For example, in Geofroy v. Riggs, 133 U.S. 258, 267, it declared: The treaty power, as expressed in the Constitution, is in terms unlimited except by those restraints which are found in that instrument against the action of the government or of its departments, and those arising from the nature of the government itself and of that of the States. It would not be contended that it extends so far as to authorize what the Constitution forbids, or a change in the character of the [p18] government, or in that of one of the States, or a cession of any portion of the territory of the latter, without its consent. This Court has also repeatedly taken the position that an Act of Congress, which must comply with the Constitution, is on a full parity with a treaty, and that, when a statute which is subsequent in time is inconsistent with a treaty, the statute to the extent of conflict renders the treaty null. [n34] It would be completely anomalous to say that a treaty need not comply with the Constitution when such an agreement can be overridden by a statute that must conform to that instrument.

It has occurred to me that it might be appropriate to state some postions of mine that have changed over the past 6+ years (and assorted other beliefs): I am against: same sex marriage, open borders, the minimum wage, Education Dept, most social services including the continuation of SS and Medicare, McCain Feingold, "comprehensive immigration reform," progressive taxation, popular election of Senators, term limits (including for President)... I believe Republicans (especially the House and less so the President) have done some great things, and attempted others. The Republican Senate under Bill Frist has not impressed me. It is a tragedy if the SCOTUS is not restored to its rightful place in society: a place where laws are judged, not made, and "rights" are not created out of socialist wishes. America is a great nation and should remain so. God Bless President Bush, God Bless our Armed Forces and God Bless America.