The Super Congress created by the recent debt ceiling increase deal is a typical example of something nefarious attached to a bigger bill that is rushed through Congress without giving Members ample opportunity to consider the full ramifications. This commission may turn into an early Christmas present for the well-heeled lobbyists of K Street. This is because the commission presents a huge opportunity for lobbying firms to sneak their client's pet projects and issues into whatever legislation is created by the commission. The fact that automatic cuts to defense are named if the committee deadlocks simply signals to the military industrial complex to bring their A game to the lobbying effort.
One red flag I am constantly aware of in my position as a Congressman is that highly complex and convoluted legislation frequently has dangerous provisions hidden in the fine print. Elaborate legislative packages force lawmakers to take the bad with the good, and often if they refuse, they are accused of voting against the positive provision – never mind the blatant Constitutional violations in the bill, the spending, the waste, and the unchecked expansion of government. I don't usually have to read too much of a bill like that before encountering something unconstitutional, or simply unwise. Then I have to vote no.
That doesn't seem to be the case with a majority of legislators, unfortunately. In order to ram through one special interest's favorable treatment or giveaway, a certain amount of horse-trading is done. The end result is mammoth bills with myriads of unrelated provisions that favor those with the best lobbyists at the expense of everyone else.
The creation of a 12 member committee to preside over $1.5 trillion in spending decisions, and the exclusion of the rest of Congress also means lobbying firms can focus their efforts on an anointed few, which is certainly more manageable for them than having to deal with the entire Congress. Every cut considered will, of course, have a recipient on the other end whose livelihood is being threatened. The probable outcome is that any cuts realized will be more a function of lobbying prowess than the merits or demerits of the actual programs on the chopping block.
Make no mistake – I am enthusiastically for cutting government spending. The goal should be to eventually reduce government down to the size and scope of its constitutional limitations. However, the process of getting there must also be constitutional. Concentrating such special authority to fast track legislation affecting so many special interests to a small, select committee is nothing more than an unprecedented power grab. Only fears of an impending catastrophe could have motivated Members to allow this legislation to be rushed through Congress. The founding fathers had strong feelings about taxation without representation and under no circumstances would they have felt excluding 98% of Congress from fiscal decisions was appropriate.
I see nothing good coming out of this Super Congress. I suspect it will be highly vulnerable to corruption and special interests. No benefit can come from such careless disregard of the Founders' design.
(ViaLewRockwell,com)
Wenzel-
ReplyDeleteTwo Friday's ago I was thinking about RP and his chances of winning. I was running through various campaign ideas in my head when the date of the election popped into my head- November 8th. 'V for Vendetta' popped into my head at that point, and I thought if RP were to get the Republican nod, then we should have a "Remember the 5th of November" Activism bomb instead of a money bomb- where people across the country go to the streets handing out fliers and holding various demonstrations. Funny that the next morning, V for Vendetta was on FX.
November 5th, 2012 is a ways away. However, the same thing could be done this November 5th in spurring attention for the primaries.
Figured this was the best way to get that idea heard, being as you're on the board of the Revolution PAC. Hope you guys can do something with it.
-Mick
"V for Vendetta" is one of the dumbest, most anti-Catholic movies in history. Pure silliness.
ReplyDeleteYou don't change a behavioral pattern that has been entrenched in society for decades in a year or two. Neither do you change the behavior of people who for all intensive purposes are spoiled rotten, do not understand how much better off they are versus two thirds of the world, and are highly addicted to cheap money.
ReplyDeleteIt is truely sad that most of Americans would really have no idea what Ron Paul is saying in this and the MYRIAD/S of other appropriate discussions he has tried to have with them. I challenge you that if you don't know Ron Paul and what he and very few others in his shoes is/are trying to communicate to America, you need to. You need to tell it to everyone. The pre-programmed with smirk and giggle, but, the intellegent few who haven't allowed themselves to remain swamped with the intended mayhem being imposed by the establishment's agenda will grasp onto it and hopefully speak out and help the cause of freedom as it was intended by the Founders and the Constitution.
ReplyDelete“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
ReplyDeleteJohn Adams quotes (American 2nd US President (1797-1801), 1735-1826)
Unfortunately, I feel we are the "other".
Bob
The Founders were not all of one mind - or of one philosophy. Recall that John Adams was a one term President and was replaced by Thomas Jefferson in the "Revolution of 1800". I prefer Jefferson's quotes to Adams'. I don't quote Hamilton either, regardless of how fine any one particular sentence may be.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a historian, just conservative American; w e disregard what the ordinary citizen is capable of: when the "entitled classes" take too much from us & their greed takes precedence over the rest of us, I think we are possessed of the moral fiber to put them back in their places & retake our country back to its successful roots. I am hopeful that I am correct here.
ReplyDeletewhen do you just tell the truth and state that:
ReplyDeleteTHE UNETHICAL, IMMORAL AND CORRUPT PRACTICES OF THE CONGRESS AND SENATE AS THEY EXIST TODAY IS A DIRECT VIOLATION OF THE U. S. CONSTITUTION AND MUST BE STOPPED EVEN IF IT MEANS AMERICAN CITIZENS MUST OVERTHROW THIS GOVERNMENT THAT REPRESENTS ONLY 1 PERCENT OF THE 300 MILLION CITIZENS?
OR ARE YOU AFRAID OF LOSING YOUR PERKS AS WELL SINCE YOU YOURSELF HAVE OBLIGATIONS TO SOME OF THAT ONE PERCENT.
RP is challenging the very core of corruption, upon which Congress feeds. No wonder he is blacked out in the media. He represents a real possibility to deal with the roots of the problem, not just re-arranging the furniture on the titanic.
ReplyDeleteRon Paul not withstanding, most thinking people have to know that the biggest problem we face today is our own government. This ellitist class of people have led us into this massive spending spree to help themselves get reelected to remain above the masses. All the great societies in history have fallen from grace for the very same reasons. The Roman Empire,Spain,England,etc..,all once great empires overexpanded and overspent themselves into the trash heap of history with their leaders expounding the same garbage we hear out of Washington today.High sounding comments to lull the masses while linning their own pockets at our expence. We are in this mess because those in Washington have deemed it so. No outside forces are greater than the greed and and corruption coming from Washington today which is bringing ua further down the path of destruction.
ReplyDeleteWe are engaged in a mindless battle in the Middle east, spilling the blood of our finest and spending ourselves into oblivion. If you want to find the most dangerous terrorists to our society look no futher than Washigton DC. Most of our so called leaders are the greatest whores ever gathered in one spot. We are a country led by a young, immature, inexperienced child who has had the benefit of a gilded education and is able to articulate his comments in a very beliveable way. His policies have delivered us further down the road of destruction and his constant excuse of laying the blame on others is compeletly unacceptable. If we,the people, don't wake up very soon, it will be impossible to claw our way back to the great country we once were.
This "Super Congress" whom by the way, does not represent a majority of the people, (only those whom Obama chose to represent) creates an illegal government agency that will provide a majority of ideas for taxation without representative for that majority. It does create a shadow government that Obama intends to use against the majority. I think its legality is certainly undermining the limits of power provided by the Constitution. Our representatives in Congress and the House are standing by and letting this happen. Their honor is lost and their ignorance is exhibited. Our representatives are not doing the job they were elected to do. McDonald's would fire a french fry cook if he didn't cook french fries and took months of vacation every year. Where has common sense gone?
ReplyDeleteThere is a point where the elite need less people to serve them than earlier. As people procreated faster, science stepped into the equation and moved this date at an exponential rate which was several years ago now... now they have to somehow magically turn us back into consumers, without putting any more skin into the game... as it is a balancing act to stay in this elite group of the super rich.
ReplyDeleteOh, and when does this super congress disband... as a true bureaucratic entity... it never will and the people on this panel will never be voted out of office so their district/state benefits from being on this board of 12... then we just need to remove term limts for the President and voila ... An American version of a Monarchy.
ReplyDelete