If Republicans in Congress truly opposed socialized healthcare in general… Obamacare specifically, it would not be taking effect.  All spending bills must be approved by the House of Representatives (controlled by Republicans) at the Federal level!  

This could have been done in 2011, when the new “Tea Party” Congress took over… It wasn’t.  It could have been done at any time during the campaign to get the Republicrat Romney elected (although this would remove the only reason a Conservative  might have voted for that particular pro-socialized healthcare, pro-gun-control, pro-Federal Reserve, pro-TARP, pro-bailout, big government RINO).  So now that their trap has failed to spring, and their candidate lost, how about feed simply feed us the cheese… and KILL OBAMACARE NOW!

I am under no illusions that the representatives in Congress will take any such actions.  I know that their agenda no longer has them taking any chances in the pursuit of liberty.  Sadly, given the choice between liberty and job security, Republicans who have resided in DC for 2+ years will choose job security every time.  How about limiting spending?  All spending bills have to go through the House of Representatives (again, entirely controlled by the Republican party).  We were promised that if we sent them to Congress in 2010, they would bring the spending under control. 

So when they raised the debt ceiling (also entirely under their control), what was the ‘carrot’ to their constituents?  They would create the “super” committee to ensure spending cuts , with automatic spending cuts if it failed (to show how serious they were…) and how is that working out for us?  Listen to the wailing about the “fiscal cliff” (of which the promised “sequestration” is a component). 

Republicans are abandoning ship like rats fleeing the Titanic!  One after another… promising to disregard their principles and raise taxes to prevent any reduction in spending.  Remember all spending must go through the House of Representatives, which is controlled entirely by the Republican Party, so then… why has the Party of Liberty not cut spending? 

In 2013, the issue of the debt limit will undoubtedly have to be re-addressed (we have again maxed out our Visa), is anybody still under the illusion that the House of Representatives will stop that?  I have my doubts they will even object.  My point here is to point out that.. these are the the results not of failure… but of victory at the ballot box! 

To put a finer point on it for conservative who still think the Republican party represents their values.  In fact, if the Republican party truly opposed abortion (not what this article is about, but just a “Republican issue”)  they could simply remove the jurisdiction from the Supreme Court (Ron Paul’s idea) – and with that one action by the House alone (again, controlled entirely by Republicans), would make Roe vs. Wade IRRELEVANT!  Republicans don’t though, because not doing that allows them to strong-arm social conservatives into voting for them because they are rhetorically pro-life and anti-Constitution enough to make it a Federal issue (even though any crime that would charge somebody with for having/performing an abortion would be a state crime).  They say they are for these things, yet they do nothing about them because, well… to resolve these issues would free conservatives up to vote their conscience for other less emotionally charged issues! So, they allow these evils to stand because it empowers them to politically enslave the Conservative movement.
 
I bring these failures of the (admittedly, better than the Democrats, but barely so) Republican Party and their “small government” deficiencies not simply to rag on them.  They are, despite my constant derogations, still the better of the 2 main parties.  I bring these many failures of the “Tea Party” Congress  to light not as an insult to the Tea Party (that I consider myself a part of,) rather to show the failures of the system of which most Americans trust to guard their liberty!  In 2010, America rose up to oppose collectivist healthcare, to oppose obscene spending, to oppose bailouts of connected corporations, and to oppose an over-bearing, oppressive Federal government that knew no limits to it’s own power.  The uprising took place largely (although not exclusively) in the form of protests that led to people being organized to take part in the 2010 election. 

I just have to ask (to quote Dr. Phil)… how did that work out for us?  Did we stop the spending?  No! In fact, the debt limit increase went through as expected, and the feds have maxed out yet another credit card.  Did Obamacare get overturned?  Nope again… rather, it is now the law of the land (with several notable exceptions that I will talk about later).  Have privileged, private corporations stopped receiving billions in government handouts?  Nope… they are plundering us just as quickly, and with equally devastating consequences check all the green companies to be bailed out just to go bankrupt after paying the CEOs massive severances.  Did they overturn the NDAA indefinite detention policy?  They’re trying,  but still no.

So, all of these failures of the (most successful in decades) election of 2010, maybe people need to take a closer look at what is currently working.  While the Tea Party was going off the rails and supporting barely-discernible-from-the-competition candidates for Federal offices, and attempting to take over major parties so they could become part of the problem; and while the Democrat party was sharpening their rhetoric, and making any attempt at fiscal sanity look like suicide, the Tenther community has been scoring win after win!  Close to 20 states have refused to establish state exchanges – making Obamacare virtually unworkable in those states, and essentially removing the ability to enforce the mandates in those states (Chief Justice Roberts be damned.)   Over two dozen states have ‘medical marijuana,’ and two states now have legalized pot for recreational consumption (like booze).  More than a dozen localities have nullified the NDAA sections 1021 and 1022 (indefinite detention), as well.  To compare, the Federal courts have struck down (and then re-authorized) these profoundly anti-liberty sections of the military spending bill.  

While Senator and Representative Paul have attempted to get the Fed “audited,” Utah has re-legalized silver as a tender for exchange of goods, undermining some of the Feds power within the state of Utah. While the city of Chicago is busy taxing bullets at 1000% to get around the 2nd Amendment, in the city, seven states have passed Firearms Freedoms Acts, removing from DC any control(s) over firearms that do not cross state lines.  I could continue, but this article is already running long – and if you have not got the point by now, my continuing enumeration won’t give it to you. 

DC will never fix itself, nor will control over the Republican party yield control over Republicans – or DC for that matter. No election at the national level (no matter how successful) will prevent government from growing (if it did… abortion would be a state issue, Obamacare would be de-funded, and the debt limit would still be at 13 trillion), and the Supreme court will never limit the size of the Federal government (if it would, we wouldn’t have a war on drugs, Obamacare, the NDAA, the Patriot act, federal gun laws, departments of Education, Homeland security, Agriculture etc.).

DC only controls the things we are upset about because we allow it to at the State level.  Nullification does work, and if all the effort that the Tea Party put into getting Romney (of all people) elected President.. had gone towards nullifying Obamacare and Roe Vs. Wade instead (so these things could happen at the state level as the Constitution prescribes), as well as nullifying the Federal Income tax for items that are un-enumerated, etc., etc., -add infinite- …well, then they/we could have cut the size of the Federal government in half …instead of making it larger still (as it has grown since 2010).

We have a chance to learn from our mistakes here!  I beg of you… anyone who reads this article – Do not appeal for federal involvement for non-enumerated powers… and please do NOT comply with unconstitutional federal actions! Appeal to your respective State legislatures to nullify every usurpation in your state (even if they have to pass an identical law at the state level where it is legal first).  You never have to request permission (from DC) to succeed! Government works for US, not the other way around! If you think secession is right for your state, then tell your state legislature, dont request permission from DC!  Asking permission is for slaves.  Stop playing DC’s game by DC’s rules, officiated by DC’s ref. Time to play Jefferson’s game, and time to win! For America! For ours and our childrens’ future!

The 10th Amendment

“The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.”

LEARN MORE

01

Featured Articles

On the Constitution, history, the founders, and analysis of current events.

featured articles

02

Tenther Blog and News

Nullification news, quick takes, history, interviews, podcasts and much more.

tenther blog

03

State of the Nullification Movement

232 pages. History, constitutionality, and application today.

get the report

01

Path to Liberty

Our flagship podcast. Michael Boldin on the constitution, history, and strategy for liberty today

path to liberty

02

Maharrey Minute

The title says it all. Mike Maharrey with a 1 minute take on issues under a 10th Amendment lens. maharrey minute

Tenther Essentials

2-4 minute videos on key Constitutional issues - history, and application today

TENTHER ESSENTIALS

Join TAC, Support Liberty!

Nothing helps us get the job done more than the financial support of our members, from just $2/month!

JOIN TAC

01

The 10th Amendment

History, meaning, and purpose - the "Foundation of the Constitution."

10th Amendment

03

Nullification

Get an overview of the principles, background, and application in history - and today.

nullification