Posted by
Civis on Tuesday, April 24, 2007 6:25:00 AM
The Constitution is commonly a forgotten document during campaign season. Sure, the Republican candidates for President pronounce that they would nominate strict constructionists to the courts. However, when it comes to their domestic policies, the Constitution is an afterthought. Candidates tout their programs for education, healthy eating initiatives, bird flu preparations, health care, and social security looking to cure everyone’s ills. The federal government was not designed to apply blanket fixes to our problems. All this leads to is fraud, waste, and duplication.
As Rudy Giuliani says about gun control, what works in New York may not work in Mississippi or Montana. Why do we not have candidates for elected office that can intelligently describe the form of government that was created by the Constitution and the roles assigned at the federal, state, and local levels? The Constitution is not that long of a document.
The reason candidates leave the role of strict constructionist to judicial nominees is because judicial appointments are for life. In order to stay in an elected office, career politicians feel they need to pander to the electorate with entitlement programs rather than taking the common sense approach of explaining that the federal government should not have been empowered to create a social security program or that the federal government should not impose its will on local school boards. Are there any candidates courageous enough to confront the special interest groups?
Why not let the States be individual laboratories of democracy? 50 different forms of social security programs could be tried at the state level. Successful state programs would be mimicked and unsuccessful programs would be scrapped. Is competition for people and businesses between the States wrong? Are we more likely to find solutions to social issues with a blanket fix at the federal level or with focused solutions at the state and local level?
To the candidates for President, remember what your oath will be should you be elected:
"I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."
To all politicians at every level, read the US Constitution and your State Constitution and use it in your campaign. If you are at the local level, it is time to promote the sovereignty of local governments to provide local solutions without federal interference. If you are at the federal level, concentrate on national defense, foreign relations, and interstate and foreign commerce. You may be surprised what straight talk and a balanced budget will get you.