The Conservative Newsletter

"If you love wealth better than liberty, the tranquillity of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms [and] may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen." --Samuel Adams

** Time to Break Out the Ol' Veto Pen
** Speak While You Legally Can
TCN comment:
** Just for the Record
** CFR Nothing But a Sham
** Alabama's High Court Denies Custody to Lesbian Mom
** Help End Gov't Race Classifications

Time to Break Out the Ol' Veto Pen

"The President has been hinting he'll sign this assault on free speech (the campaign finance reform bill), and that made sense when his hints told Members of Congress that what they voted for might actually pass. They needed to know they didn't have a free vote. But now that this monstrosity might become law, Mr. Bush has to think about the oath he took to protect the Constitution. The easy political decision is to sign anything that hits his desk. . . . But that would also be a Constitutional abdication of the first order.

"...During last year's Senate debate (on campaign finance reform), the White House issued the 'reform principles' it wanted to see in any bill reaching his desk. Almost none of them are contained in this bill. Mr. Bush wanted to 'maintain strong political parties,' but this bill makes them far weaker. The President asked for 'paycheck protection' so union dues couldn't be used for politics against the will of workers; this bill includes nothing of the kind. And he requested that any bill protect 'the rights of citizen groups to engage in issue advocacy.' But this bill lays on such onerous advocacy restrictions that even its supporters think the Supreme Court will overturn them.

"The crusade for campaign finance reform has been marked by more cynicism and hypocrisy than even your average Congressional debate. The buck-passing ought to stop with President Bush."

Speak While You Legally Can

The corruption in our political system is as repugnant to me as it is to you. Now, the corrupted officials want us to believe that so-called campaign finance reform will "clean up Washington" and help make them less corruptible. But the only cleansing campaign reform will do is to wash the little guy out of politics and ensure the reelection of the fat-cat incumbents.

Washington's language tricksters are hard at work -- but don't get duped by the oldest trick in the book. "Reform" should mean a change for the better, but can you name one governmental "reform" that actually improved anything? How many times has Social Security been "reformed?" How about public education? The Internal Revenue Service? Health care? The United Nations? In Washington, "reform" always means more spending, more taxes, more bureaucrats, more rules, more regulations and less freedom.

We're fed up too -- but the new laws will restrict your First Amendment rights to criticize the policies of the incumbents while allowing these same incumbents to fill the airways with unchallenged campaign propaganda.

Do you think citizens in New York need to know about Senator Chuck Schumer's plans to confiscate firearms? Speak out within 60 days of his reelection -- the time period between Labor Day and election day when every politician knows most Americans begin to pay attention to election issues -- and you would be breaking the law. Do you think citizens in California need to know about Representative Tom Lantos' allegiance to the United Nations? Speak out within 60 days of his reelection and you could end up in jail. In short, so-called campaign finance reform would mean that if The Liberty Committee made you aware of some really awful votes during the 60-day period running up to an election, its executive director -- yours truly – could end up in jail.

Incumbents love it. Bureaucrats think we're stupid. The debate is taking place now. The vote on campaign finance reform is expected to take place tomorrow at 2:00 a.m.

Tell your U.S. representative that you won't be muzzled. Express your opinion now...while you still legally can.

*** TCN comment: This dated article went unheeded by most folks and the House passed this legislation by a margin of 240-189. The bill has now been sent to the Democrat controlled Senate with Daschle's promise to see that it is passed. While Senate Republicans say they have enough support to block it, I doubt that they really do. In the Republican controlled House, 42 Republicans voted for this unconstitutional bill and the Senate Republicans have certainly done nothing heretofore to indicate that they had any intention of ever turning conservative.

No one with normal mental capacity believes that more than a handful of our US Senators have any desire to see corruption removed from the government. And who could be convinced that these people who are all incumbents and who constantly heap upon themselves more and more power and wealth at the expense of the liberties and paychecks of the people they "serve" will pass up a chance to enact an "Incumbent Protection Act"?

The only way that this bill will be blocked is to assure the Senate and the President that voting for this act will mean voting themselves out of office. If they don't hear a clear signal from their support based back home that they will be replaced if they steal the right of the people to speak out clearly on issues, they will do it with a smile. – Editor

Just for the Record

The following Republicans voted for the Shays-Meehan Incumbent Protection Act (campaign finance reform)

Bass, Bereuter, Boehlert, Bono, Capito, Castle, Ferguson, Foley, Frelinghuysen, Ganske, Gilchrest, Gilman, Graham, Greenwood, Grucci, Horn, Houghton, Johnson (CT), Johnson (IL), Kirk, LaTourette, Leach, LoBiondo, McHugh, Morella, Osborne, Ose, Petri, Platts, Quinn, Ramstad, Ros-Lehtinen, Simmons, Smith (MI), Thune, Upton, Walsh, Wamp, Weldon (PA), Wolf

CFR Nothing But a Sham

"The long-awaited 'campaign finance reform' vote finally took place last week, with the House ultimately passing the measure. The debate was full of hypocritical high-minded talk about cleaning up corruption, all by the very politicians of both parties who dole out BILLIONS in corporate subsidies and welfare pork. It was quite a spectacle watching the big-spending, perennially-incumbent politicians argue that new laws were needed to protect them from themselves!" - Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), "Texas Straight Talk," 2/18/02

Alabama's High Court Denies Custody to Lesbian Mom

The chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court says he supports a court decision that denied child custody rights to a woman because she is a lesbian. Late Friday, Chief Justice Roy Morre -- in an opinion backing the unanimous decision -- said the homosexual conduct of a parent "creates a strong presumption of unfitness that alone is sufficient justification for denying that parent custody of his or her own children or prohibiting the adoption of the children of others." His opinion continued:

"In this case there is undisputed evidence that the mother of the minor children not only dated another woman, but lived with that woman, shared a bed with her, and had an intimate physical and sexual relationship with her. ...But Alabama expressly does not recognize same-sex marriages or domestic partnerships.

...Homosexual conduct is, and has been, considered abhorrent, immoral, detestable, a crime against nature, and a violation of the laws of nature and of nature's God upon which this Nation and our laws are predicated. Such conduct violates both the criminal and civil laws of this State and is destructive to a basic building block of society -- the family. The law of Alabama is not only clear in its condemning such conduct, but the courts of this State have consistently held that exposing a child to such behavior has a destructive and seriously detrimental effect on the children. It is an inherent evil against which children must be protected."

The reaction to Moore's comments has come quickly. The Montgomery Advertiser quotes a state Democratic representative and a civil rights group who are calling for his resignation. State Representative Alvin Holmes says Moore "has no business" being chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, and has called for an investigation from the Alabama Judicial Inquiry Commission.

And a spokesperson for the central Alabama group Equality Begins at Home says Moore cannot be relied upon to preside fairly in cases involving homosexuals. The group is also concerned that the judge's comments will incite "more violence" against by homosexuals by people who oppose the sinful behavior.

But Moore is getting praise from within and without the State. John Giles, president of the Christian Coalition of Alabama, says the Alabama Supreme Court did its job and upheld state law. He also notes it was a unanimous decision, with all nine justices -- both Democrats and Republicans -- voting in favor of the ruling.

Giles tells the Advertiser that anyone filing a complaint with the Judicial Inquiry Commission should first check Alabama law.

And Pastor Ralph Ovadal of Wisconsin Christians United says the ruling should be cause for celebration by thankful Christians all across America, as well as encouragement that the "battle for God-defined liberty and God-ordained law is not lost." Commending Moore and the entire Alabama State Supreme Court for using "law lawfully," Ovadal says he is praying that God will raise many more champions like them.

Help End Gov't Race Classifications

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