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- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Maryland Independent Party - Platform proposed by Steve Schulin of Rockville, May 7, 2008 Maryland Independent Party has as its goal the return of our nation to the set of foundational principles clearly defined in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. We call them "the American Principles." We believe that the American Principles are the "first things" that our country should consider -- in domestic policy, foreign policy, the internal functioning of government, and in using the "bully pulpit" of public office and the political arena to promote certain societal virtues and behaviors. The protection of the life, liberty, and private property of the people is the primary reason for the existence of human government, and more particularly, of our precious American republican form of self-government. This is why we willingly accept no breach of the rights of the free exercise of religion, free speech, free press, free assembly, free association, and the right to petition government for the redress of grievances. We defend all of the enumerated rights listed in our Bill of Rights, and, in addition, all natural rights which are not enumerated, as per the Ninth Amendment. We seek to restore the intended balance between the three separate branches of our government, and to strictly limit government to the enumerated powers granted and expressed by the will of the people of the United States in our Constitution. All existing functions of the executive branch that are outside of those enumerated powers must be eliminated. All spending and regulation by the legislative branch that lies outside the enumerated powers must cease. Judges who attempt to legislate from the bench, or who abandon the clear principles of our Constitution, must be checked if liberty and justice are to prevail in our society once again. We call for the restoration of adherence to the provisions of the Tenth 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." We believe in a supremely strong, prepared, and well-equipped civilian-controlled United States military, and a bold, visionary and intelligent program of principled constructive engagement with the rest of the world. For us, "peace through strength" is not a mere slogan. It is the means of survival for our country in a very dangerous and often hostile world. Our friendship should be a sought-after possession of all men and women of good will everywhere in the world. Our enmity should be something that all rightfully fear. As Ronald Reagan opposed and defeated the designs and desire of the Soviet Union to dominate the world and place it under the tyranny of their Evil Empire, we oppose the Islamic extremists. This opposition is not based in opposition to their religion, but in a complete rejection of their political ideology and actions. Since the first principle of America is the protection of innocent human life, an ongoing state of war exists between us and any who would use acts of terrorism targeted at innocent civilians to forward their political aims. We completely oppose any action that surrenders the political and economic sovereignty of the United States and its people, and support the immediate restoration of that sovereignty wherever it has been eroded. We support the immediate securing and continuous vigilant maintenance of our sovereign territory and borders. We oppose any private or governmental action that rewards illegal entry into the United States in any way, and demand speedy and full enforcement of our laws concerning all such activities. To stop the so-called "anchor baby" practice, we urge that the citizenship clause of the Fourteenth Amendment be changed: instead of "born in the United States" it should read "born of a citizen of the United States." We consider the federal income tax to be destructive of our liberty, privacy, and prosperity. Therefore, we are working toward its complete elimination and the repeal of the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. We recommend that the current system be quickly replaced by a fair, simple, noninvasive, visible, efficient, consumption-based retail tax similar to the proposal popularly known as the FairTax. However, there are other constitutional tax reform proposals that are worthy of the people's consideration. Because the stated ultimate purpose of our Constitution is "to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity," we recognize the personhood of all unborn children and their protection by the Fifth and the Fourteenth Amendments. The right to life of all innocent persons, from conception to natural death, is God-given and unalienable. For the principled man or woman, no compromise is possible concerning such a critical matter of life and death. We believe that violators of this supreme right, in their words and actions, are unfit for any office of public trust, since this constitutes the breaking of the oath of office and the destruction of the very basis of our liberty. The right of self-preservation and self-protection is inherent in all persons, communities and societies, which is why we fiercely defend the indispensable provisions of our Second Amendment. Liberty cannot be defended if the people have been stripped of the physical means of doing so. We also call for the repeal of the Seventeenth Amendment. Its enactment greatly reduced the power of our state legislatures and state governments -- which are much closer to the people -- and damaged our system of federalism. While we do not acknowledge that our Constitution limits Congress in any way from protecting traditional marriage between one man and one woman, we support passage of a federal marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of removing any confusion or misunderstanding in the minds of judges. Though in civic terms we call ourselves "independent," we fully acknowledge our utter dependence, as individuals and as a nation, on Almighty God and His divine Providence and Protection. We also recognize, and seek to actively fulfill, our obligations as individual citizens to the whole body of the people, as well as our responsibility to maintain standards of high moral character, both personally and in our public life. Maryland Independent Party seeks a return to an approach to government that facilitates respectful and necessary debate, thereby drawing on the collective wisdom and knowledge of the entire body of the sovereign people. We truly do believe in government of, by and for the people, and our intent is to foster it by every means at our disposal. We believe that the American Principles work whenever they are practiced diligently. And so, we ask that you join with us in restoring and defending America and thereby securing the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our posterity. - - - - - Volunteer Today to help principles prevail! County and City contact info and goals Allegany County - * Allegany County Election Office * Email Allegany-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Allegany County goal for petition signatures: 129 * Cumberland goal: 37 signatures - - - - - Anne Arundel County - * Anne Arundel County Board of Elections * Email Anne_Arundel-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Anne Arundel County goal for petition signatures: 911 * Annapolis goal: 65 signatures - - - - - Baltimore (city) - * City of Baltimore - Board of Elections * Email Baltimore_city-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Baltimore city goal for petition signatures: 1,134 - - - - - Baltimore County - * Baltimore County Board of Elections * Email Baltimore_County-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Baltimore County goal for petition signatures: 1,404 - - - - - Calvert County - * Calvert County Board of Elections * Email Calvert-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Calvert County goal for petition signatures: 157 - - - - - Caroline County - * Caroline County Board of Elections * Email Caroline-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Caroline County goal for petition signatures: 59 - - - - - Carroll County - * Carroll County Board of Elections * Email Carroll-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Carroll County goal for petition signatures: 301 * Westminster goal: 32 signatures - - - - - Cecil County - * Cecil County Board of Elections * Email Cecil-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Cecil County goal for petition signatures: 177 * Elkton goal: 26 signatures - - - - - Charles County - * Charles County Board Of Elections * Email Charles-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Charles County goal for petition signatures: 250 - - - - - Dorchester County - * Dorchester County Government * Email Dorchester-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Dorchester County goal for petition signatures: 57 * Cambridge goal: 20 signatures - - - - - Frederick County - * Frederick County Board of Elections * Email Frederick-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Frederick County goal for petition signatures: 400 * City of Frederick goal: 105 signatures - - - - - Garrett County - * Garrett County Board Of Elections * Email Garrett-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Garrett County goal for petition signatures: 53 - - - - - Harford County - * Harford County Board Of Elections * Email Harford-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Harford County goal for petition signatures: 427 * Aberdeen goal: 25 signatures * Harve de Grace goal: 22 signatures * Bel Air goal: 18 signatures - - - - - Howard County - * Howard County Board of Elections * Email Howard-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Howard County goal for petition signatures: 487 - - - - - Kent County - * Kent County Board of Elections * Email Kent-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Kent County goal for petition signatures: 36 - - - - - Montgomery County - * Montgomery County Board of Elections * Email Montgomery-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Montgomery County goal for petition signatures: 1,657 * Rockville goal: 105 signatures * Gaithersburg goal: 103 signatures * Tacoma Park goal: 33 signatures - - - - - Prince Georges County - * Prince Georges County Board of Elections * Email Prince_Georges-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Prince Georges County goal for petition signatures: 1,476 * Bowie goal: 95 signatures * College Park goal: 49 signatures * Greenbelt goal: 39 signatures * Laurel goal: 39 signatures * Hyattsville goal: 27 signatures * New Carrollton goal: 23 signatures - - - - - Queen Anne's County - * Queen Anne's County Board of Elections * Email Queen_Annes-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Queen Anne's County goal for petition signatures: 83 - - - - - St. Mary's County - * St. Mary's County Board of Elections * Email St_Marys-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * St. Mary's County goal for petition signatures: 179 - - - - - Somerset County - * Email Somerset-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Somerset County goal for petition signatures: 46 - - - - - Talbot County - * Talbot County Election Board * Email Talbot-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Talbot County goal for petition signatures: 64 * Easton goal: 25 signatures - - - - - Washington County - * Washington County Board of Elections * Email Washington-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Washington County goal for petition signatures: 258 * Hagerstown goal: 70 signatures - - - - - Wicomico County - * Wicomico County Board of Elections * Email Wicomico-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Wicomico County goal for petition signatures: 167 * Salisbury goal: 48 signatures - - - - - Worcester County - * Worcester County Board of Elections * Email Worcester-volunteer@marylandindependentparty.org * Worcester County goal for petition signatures: 88
Your humble host
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* The Aegis (Bel Air, Harford County) - - - - - broadcast
* Weekend News with Chris Core (DC50-TV) - - - - - blogs
* Loyal to Liberty
* Montgomery County Government - YouTube video channel Other links of interest
* The Newseum's daily compendium of front pages from around the world
* Google News, Maryland election items, updated continuously throughout the day.
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- - - ONGOING - - - Please join our town-hall-style conference calls on Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings One of the things that the Alan Keyes for President campaign used to allow folks to ask questions, share comments and concerns was a regularly scheduled telephone conference call. These calls were so informative and uplifting in so many ways that we're doing the same thing to help build our party here in Maryland. The calls are scheduled to take advantage of free night and weekend minutes on folks' cell phone plans. The Maryland calls are Wednesday nights starting at 10:05 pm
The dial-in number is 712-421-7885
May 20, 2009 Low turnout in special election for Montgomery County Council seat; Democrat won by about 2-to-1 margin Nancy Navarro will be sworn in as early as May 29, to serve as County Council member representing Montgomery County's 4th District. Turnout at the polls for yesterday's special election was reported as 8.8% of the registered voters. The last absentee ballots will be counted, and the election results certified, on May 29. Republican candidate Robin Ficker reportedly told the Gazette that he was "disappointed that more homeowners didn't vote". He contrasted the low turnout (total 10,475 votes cast yesterday) with the more than 40,000 votes cast in the district last November. April 14, 2009 Maryland - voluntary contribution fund for public financing of gubernatorial elections proves too tempting a cookie jar for the thieves we've elected Every year, a multitude of Maryland taxpayers check the voluntary contribution box on their tax forms to add to a public financing fund for Maryland gubernatorial candidates. Last week the fund had $5.2-million. The Senate voted to treat $2.2-million of that fund as general revenue. They voted to steal these contributions. But they are the folks who write the laws, so this particular stealing is not, as a matter of law, grand larceny. What we can do is offer a better candidate for as many of these legislative seats as possible in 2010. Please consider participating in Maryland Independent Party's precinct caucuses. These are a great way to help preserve the blessings of liberty for us and our posterity. For more information, join in on our statewide conference calls -- we have one every Wednesday night and Saturday morning. [Ref: C. Benjamin Ford (Gazette staff writer), "State budget debate takes partisan turn | Anger over use of public financing fund", Gazette.net website, April 13, 2009] April 14, 2009 Maryland legislature grandfathers drivers licenses for those who have flouted our immigration laws With thirty minutes to go in this year's legislative session, the final vote was cast on a bill which legislators hope will allow Maryland drivers licenses to be accepted for such purposes as boarding an airplane or entering an ID-required federal building. Under the new law (O'Malley has already said he'll sign it), Maryland continues to be the only state east of the Rockies which issues drivers licenses without requiring proof of legal presence. The Senate originally wanted all new and renewing driver's license applicants to show proof of lawful presence, while the House wanted a more generous plan that would permanently grandfather in illegal immigrants who already have a Maryland license. A series of frantic meetings Saturday, followed by intense vote-finagling on the House floor, resulted in a compromise that allows people who already hold licenses to renew them without showing proof they are in the United States legally. Those licenses would be marked "not federally compliant" and would expire July 1, 2015, at the latest. All new license applicants would need documentation of lawful presence by June 1. Sen. Andy Harris, a Baltimore County Republican, said the compromise was nothing more than amnesty for illegal immigrants and promised, "you ain't seen lines like you'll see in the next two months" at the Motor Vehicle Administration. The plan narrowly passed the House of Delegates, where many members had sought greater protection for immigrants, after intense pleas by House Speaker Michael E. Busch and under the threat of a special session or the possibility that Maryland licenses would soon be rejected at airports. Moments before the House vote, Del. Kathleen M. Dumais, a Montgomery County Democrat, cried as she implored her colleagues to pass the hard-fought compromise, which she said looked as if it would fail. Busch huddled with delegates, telling them to accept the reality that this was the best that immigrants' rights proponents could hope for. The legislation passed in the House by five votes. All Maryland Independent Party affiliates were asked to call several Senators and Del. Dumais on the final day, urging that the lawful presence standard be adopted as requirement for all Maryland drivers licenses. [Source: Julie Bykowicz, "Legislature passes immigrant driver's license bill", Baltimore Sun website, April 14, 2009 updated 12:10 am] April 8, 2009 Congratulations, Bethesda, on being recognized by Forbes as such a nice town In January, Forbes.com named Bethesda as the "Most Educated Small Town" in the country. Today, Forbes has Bethesda ranked #2 on its list of "America's Most Livable Cities", behind only Portland, Maine. The rankings reflect five quality-of-life factors: five-year income growth per household, cost of living, crime data, the leisure index and unemployment. The top five cities also included Des Moines, Iowa, Bridgeport/Stamford, Connecticut, and Tulsa, Oklahoma. [Source: http://www.forbes.com/2009/04/01/cities-city-ten-lifestyle-real-estate-livable-cities.html] March 31, 2009
February 10, 2009 Maryland is still called 'The Free State', but our elected officials are systematically destroying our precious experiment in self-government by Steve Schulin, Rockville My wife and I had to provide more birth documentation to enable our sons to be included on local Little League roster than the Democratic and Republican parties had to provide to get their party nominees for President on the ballot this year. I saw CNN's ticker refer to Pres. Obama the other day. Abbreviating like that seems appropriate, because there's no ID involved (Pres. vs PresIDent). I don't claim to know where Obama was born, but I do know that the documentation released so far is inadequate to make even a prima facie case that he meets the natural born requirement. If his grandmother is telling the truth about being present when he was born in Mombasa, well, why was her claim so thoroughly ignored by so many? It seems to me that there was more press investigation about whether Joe the Plumber was qualified to be called a plumber than whether Barack Obama is a citizen of the United States. I and other Maryland Independent Party Electors were amongst the plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit requesting that Electors be provided evidence that the candidates for President met the constitutional requirements for the job. Where were the Republicans? Well, their own candidate this year, John McCain, had a personal stake in NOT making birth particulars an issue, so the Republicans were largely silent. I wrote to the entire slate of Democratic party-designated Electors here in Maryland. One even emailed me back. As was the case in all the states, not one of the Electors honored their oath to support the Constitution. Then Congress counted the votes. This was widely portrayed as ceremonial. It need not have been. The 20th amendment to the Constitution explicitly refers to situations where the President elect "failed to qualify". Not one of the Members of Congress honored their oath either. It's time for these old corrupt parties to be rebuked, in favor of a party that holds America's Principles dear. There are many tasks to be done in order to turn our ship of state in a direction worthy of "The Free State". I urge you to do three things today: * Sign the personal affiliation agreement with America's Independent Party. This is your key to fully participating in our new party. * Print out a copy of our petition to be recognized as a political party here in Maryland. Sign it yourself, and ask your neighbors to sign, too. Signing the petition doesn't mean you agree with us, it just means you want us to have a voice in Maryland. * Participate by joining in on our town hall conference calls, or attending our next caucus night, or by sending donation. It's been a real pleasure to meet and discuss ideas with Delegate Don Dwyer of Glen Burnie over the past couple of months. Please keep an eye on MDpersonhood.com for the progress of his excellent initiative. I see the cover of the latest issue of Newsweek has the headline "WE ARE ALL SOCIALISTS NOW", with a graphic reminiscent of a Soviet-era propaganda poster.
If you're not ready to hand over your unalienable rights as readily as Newsweek suggests, I urge you to check out our new party -- we are already the third largest national party, behind only the Democrats and Republicans, as measured by number of registered voters. And we're not satisfied with staying in third place for long. January 26, 2009 Maryland Independent Party helps bring personhood to the fore About two months ago, a reporter followed up on Maryland Independent Party's stated goal to change the state Constitution to explicitly acknowledge the personhood of all human beings, from the moment they become human and for the rest of their lives. One of the things the reporter did was call some current state legislators. One told her that he would support and might even sponsor such a measure. The story ran atop page 2 of the November 28, 2008 issue of The Gazette of Politics and Business. In the weeks since then, the personhood amendment idea has progressed to the point that the legislator -- Delegate Don Dwyer of Glen Burnie -- is expected to introduce the necessary legislation this week. Del. Dwyer has asked for volunteers to come to Annapolis to help get other legislators to co-sponsor the bill. Please join our Wednesday night town-hall-style conference call to learn more, including how you can help, and please feel welcome to join in the discussion. Del. Dwyer plans to join in the call, and Cal Zastrow does too. Cal brings a lot of experience in personhood issues and politics to the call. He has led efforts in his home state of Michigan and was a big help in Colorado. He's now helping efforts in states across the country, and he's been a big inspiration already to us here in Maryland. Maryland Independent Party participated in the March for Life that started on the Mall in DC Thursday. Steve Schulin of Rockville distributed flyers informing other pro-lifers that America's Independent Party is the 'personhood party'. Steve also attended American Life League's personhood conference on Friday. Our fellow Marylander and party nominee for president, Dr. Alan Keyes, was one of the presenters at the conference, and he expressed desire to help our Maryland party efforts any way he can. Steve reported on the March and the conference in stories posted at AIPnews.com. January 4, 2009 Maryland - preparing for precinct 04-19's first caucus night I'll write more later - please see the brochure for details about the Tuesday, January 6, 2009 precinct caucus to be held at the Council Building Auditorium in Rockville. Doors open at 7:30 pm, the caucus starts at 8:00. We'll conclude local business before 9:00, at which time we'll listen in to a special live version of the regular Tuesday night national AIP conference call. October 22, 2008 In Good Conscience: A Call for Moral Independents in the 2008 Election Alan Keyes wrote an essay this summer which describes some of the reasons why Barack Obama and John McCain are unworthy of your vote. When Towson University invited Maryland Independent Party to send a representative to their mock election, to give a 10-15 minute speech about our nominee, we accepted. One of the things on our to-do list was to have some printed materials available for students. Check out the pamphlet version of the essay, here. It's a pdf file ready for double-sided printing on 8-1/2 x 11 paper. Take all 18 pages, fold once, and viola -- a nice 36-page pamphlet version. Also available for download are the unpamphletized 36-page pdf file, the Mac Pages source document, and an untested copy saved in MS Word format. The mock election event will be held at the Student Center, Friday, October 24, from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. August 21, 2008 Alan Keyes nominated by America's Independent Party last night The first national convention of this new party adjourned after electing officers, adopting the party platform, and nominating Alan Keyes of Maryland as the party's candidate for President. Delegates will meet again next week for remaining business, including nominating a Vice Presidential candidate. Here are the officers elected: * Chairman - Tom Hoefling of Iowa * Vice-Chairman - Markham Robinson of California * Secretary - Bob Zabik of Michigan * Treasurer - Judy Zabik of Michigan * Legal Counsel - Dewey Crepeau of Missouri * Chaplain - Gordon James Klingenschmitt of Virginia The platform discussion included much on how best to express our pro-life plank and our plank on abolishing the federal income tax system. Dave Racer of Minnesota gave the nominating speech for Dr. Keyes. Steve Schulin of Maryland gave the seconding speech. No other candidates were nominated for President, and nary a nay was heard in the vote or the cheers after. Dr. Keyes had participated in the platform discussions, and gave a home run of an acceptance speech. An audio recording should be available soon. August 20, 2008 Russia is saying nyet to the very notion that international law applies to them "The view from Russia is that international law and international organizations such as NATO are transient phenomena of the late 20th century," said Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European Studies at Oxford University. "What really counts, as far as Moscow is concerned, is big, powerful states using their muscle with gas and tanks."
August 19, 2008 Wednesday night call cancelled this week Maryland Independent Party will be participating in the first national convention of America's Independent Party Wednesday night. The regularly scheduled statewide conference call will not be officially held, although the line will be available for folks to share news and otherwise discuss. Any last minute input on platform or other matters, please call Steve Schulin at 240-751-7286. Meanwhile, Marylanders are welcome to join in on the Tuesday and Thursday night national Keyes campaign conference calls, starting at 10 pm eastern.
August 13, 2008 Tonight's Maryland Independent Party conference call was a humdinger We had some guests from out-of-state tonight, including Markham Robinson of California. I invited Markham to join us and discuss the lawsuit announced today which contends that John McCain is ineligible to serve as president, and thus should not be allowed to be placed on the ballot in California. Callers had many questions and comments, and Markham answered all comers with scholarship and good humor. Listen to the mp3 recording of the call by clicking here. It's a tad over an hour in length. August 11, 2008 'The lesser of two evils' is not nearly good enough by Steve Schulin, Maryland Independent Party In October, Dr. James Dobson described why he could not in good conscience vote for John McCain. His reasoning was sound. A few weeks ago, he announced that he was reconsidering. I urge all Americans to read a thoughtful essay about this 'Dobson's choice', published today by WorldNetDaily, written by the candidate I enthusiasticly favor -- Alan Keyes. The expression 'Hobson's choice' refers to the practice of a horse dealer hundreds of years ago in England who, in order to rotate his stock, offered customers the choice of either taking the horse in the stall nearest the door or taking none at all. WorldNetDaily has recently been urging voters to write-in "None of the above" this year, because both Obama and McCain are, as Dr. Dobson had concluded last fall, unfit to serve as President. The Democrat and Republican are not the only choice. Please read Dr. Keyes' essay -- available here -- and talk with your family and neighbors about why a vote for Dr. Keyes is much better choice than supporting 'the lesser of two evils'. August 9, 2008 Write-in campaign success stories - first installment "Only four write-in candidates have been elected to Congress", according to The Associated Press [Source: David Hammer (Associated Press Writer), "Parties, election officials to scrutinize primary write-in effort", The Associated Press State & Local Wire, April 25, 2006] Maryland Independent Party is gathering petition signatures to become recognized by the state as a political party. The deadline for new party petitions in order to get on the November ballot was Monday. Our all-volunteer effort is continuing, and all the signatures collected so far will count towards getting on the 2010 ballot. But 2008 continues to be an extraordinary presidential election, and if none of the candidates on the ballot come close to representing your views, there's plenty of time to wage an effective write-in campaign. For example: 2006 - Ohio Democratic primary for Congressional seat won by write-in candidate The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee helped State Sen. Charlie Wilson's write-in campaign to win OH-06 primary after Wilson bungled his petition signatures and didn't make it on the primary ballot. A Colmbus Dispatch reporter put it like this: Wilson "unimaginably botched the simple task of collecting 50 signatures for his primary nominating petition." Two-thirds of Democratic voters wrote in Wilson's name in the primary -- he received more than 43,000 write-in votes. "Before the primary," Wilson said, "my name ID was in the 30s. After the write-in campaign, it doubled." Here's what they did: --found more than 900 volunteers
The AFL-CIO alone had 300 volunteers in the district for the last two weeks of the campaign, promoting Wilson and explaining the write-in process with 120,000 phone calls, letters to the members of 201 local unions and about 35,000 work site leaflets, national union spokesman Steve Smith said. OH-06 is a rambling 300-mile-long Appalachian district which snakes through 12 counties along the Ohio River. The national parties spent more than $1 million for and against him. The Republicans even tried to highlight Wilson's unknown primary opponents in some of their many television ads, but it didn't work. Wilson's success is especially impressive in that he could not count on advertising to fully explain how to vote for him because the counties use different voting machines. Mahoning, for example, used touch-screen ballots which required voters to type in a write-in's name using an on-screen keypad. Columbiana had an optical scan system that required voters to fill in an oval and write in a name. If they only write the name, it won't count, according to John Payne, deputy director of the Columbiana County elections board in northeast Ohio. To protect their investment, both parties sent observers and lawyers from Columbus and Washington to polling places to monitor voting and counting. "This is a very unique situation that merits close attention by us as a party as well as by the bipartisan boards of election throughout the district," said Jason Mauk, political director for the Ohio Republican Party. "We just want to make sure we have the professionals and tools in place to make sure that every single vote for Charlie Wilson counts," said Adrienne Elrod, spokeswoman for the House Democrats' national campaign committee. Both sides were bracing for legal challenges, and so was Columbiana's Payne, who told poll workers not to talk about write-in candidates and keep the list of write-in candidates from public view unless voters ask. Wilson was the only certified write-in candidate in the 6th District race. [Refs: Marc Ambinder, "How Wilson Won His Write-In Campaign", The Hotline, May 2, 2006; David Hammer (Associated Press Writer), "Write-in victory keeps alive Democrats' hopes for Ohio", May 3, 2006; Alan Johnson, "Democrat now cruising in race to replace Strickland; Blasdel says race not over despite polls", The Columbus Dispatch, October 27, 2006, p. 14A; David Hammer, "Parties, election officials to scrutinize primary write-in effort", The Associated Press State & Local Wire, April 25, 2006] August 9, 2008 Democrat switches to unaffiliated, calling party "the circus of frauds that couldn't care less about our own nation as it's crumbling" by Steve Schulin, Maryland Independent Party, candidate for Congress Army veteran Robert Healy had a column in Friday's The High Point Enterprise titled " Democrats show they aren't worthy of leadership, too". His excoriation of his former party includes some humdingers: * "The idea of being somehow associated with Harry Reid or Nancy Pelosi or anyone from the various Democratic committees-to-elect yet more do-nothings, and the worthless posturing of the circus of frauds that couldn't care less about our own nation as it's crumbling has been too much." * "As for the political landscape, well, not to overstate the obvious, but things couldn't be any worse. Thus far there is not one single candidate worthy of being elected." * "...I have returned to my original status as an unaffiliated voter. No longer able to accept the status quo, it's time for a different tack. Now, all of you wide-eyed Democratic candidates who continue to send me your solicitations for funds take note: I'm not giving you a dime. You have neither earned it, nor do you deserve it. You might, however, still get something in the mail from me, but this newspaper won't allow me to mention here what that is." How many Democrats like Healy are out there? Could there be enough to depress Democrat vote totals this year for President or other offices? Back in April, I too decided that the candidates who emerged from Republican and Democrat primaries were unworthy to be President. And I too have switched my voter registration. My reasons for disgust are different than Healy's, although we do have some common ground, as I agree with his concern about undermining civil liberties. August 8, 2008 GOP is Hillary's biggest helper The Republicans know that conservatives recognize McCain as a poser. The GOP website talks much more about Obama than about McCain. And many days in recent months, McCain's name isn't even mentioned on the GOP main page. But Obama is highlighted every day. Fundraising letters from the GOP leaders track much the same. I got a 4-pager from a group headed by Sen. Santorum that rightfully identified what a poor choice Obama would be. But it didn't mention McCain at all. Personally, I liked Santorum a lot better when he spoke out about McCain. If he really believed the stuff he said early in the primaries -- and I think he was right back then -- there is no way he could vote for McCain for President, much less urge others to help get McCain elected. The big tent religious leaders appear willing to follow the same course as Santorum. I heard Rev. James Dobson say that he is reconsidering his prior conclusion that he could not in good conscience vote for McCain. I hope Dr. Dobson finds a better alternative than voting for "the lesser of two evils". Jesus never chose evil. I'm no political genius, but I've seen enough of the Clintons to understand that she has not given up the fight for her election as President this year. Yes, I know that she gave what has been called a concession speech. But you may have noticed that she didn't release or otherwise urge her delegates to vote for Obama. I suspect that she knew that continued battling over the Superdelegates and over the Florida/Michigan delegates would have destroyed the party's chances in the general election. So the Hillary folks are quietly preparing for whatever it will take to win. Heck, the Republicans have been focusing on Obama so much that there will probably be a lot of Republicans who will breathe a deep sigh of relief that Hillary is the Democrat nominee. Then the Clintons, who are used to eating corrupt politicians like McCain for breakfast, will have a clear path to the Presidency. Ideally, Hillary would like her party to come running to her to save the party. I don't presume to have the kind of imagination that can predict the specific weapon the Clintons are eyeing. But here's an example. You remember that hubbub some months ago about whether Obama is a natural born citizen. Well, there's some new twists to that controversy. Check out WorldNetDaily's article today -- "2 campaigns seek 'truth' about Obama's birth | Eligibility for presidency hinges on American citizenship". And also keep an eye on WorldNetDaily for a new essay by Alan Keyes demonstrating why no Christian should embrace the "lesser of two evils". Hopefully, WorldNetDaily will drop its "None of the above" recommendation and endorse Dr. Keyes. August 4, 2008 It's write-in status for Maryland Independent Party this year, but the same petition will get us slots on the ballot for 2010 Please keep your eye on the America's Independent Party website. We will have tools for outreach and organizing down to the county level very soon, and down to the precinct and block level soon after. If you don't see leaders that represent your views, I hope you'll consider being a leader yourself. America's Independent Party is already the third largest national party in terms of number of registered voters. But we are not satified with being the largest third party. We want to be the largest party, and there are many tens of millions of voters who will feel right at home in this new party. Each of you has skills and knowlege that can help preserve the blessings of liberty for our children and grandchildren and beyond. July 25, 2008 Steve Schulin helps tell FreeRepublic about Alan Keyes Hi all - I've been a FReeper for many years, although I haven't posted much during Bush presidency. I was amongst those cheering Alan Keyes and Jim Robinson on the same stage at FreeRepublic's first national event -- the March for Justice on the Mall in Washington DC during Clinton impeachment days. I was delighted when I read last October that Dr. Keyes had joined the field of primary candidates. I didn't imagine at the time that my already high regard for Alan Keyes could increase. But that's what has happened as I've participated in the Keyes campaign's twice-weekly public "town hall"-style conference calls and other activities. I can not imagine voting for John McCain. I completely support Dr. Keyes' decision to leave the Republican Party and continue to be a candidate. I think he'll be a great President, and am happy to do what I can to help him get elected this year. I've switched my own voter registration here in Maryland to a new party called Maryland Independent Party. If this party is successful in obtaining 10,000 signatures on a petition currently being circulated, I expect Dr. Keyes will be our nominee and his name will be on the ballot for President here, too, in November. And if no better candidate for Congress steps forward in my District, I will run. It's been a real pleasure to get to know many fine folks across the country who are helping get America's Independent Party started up. I agree with Alan Keyes that these are extraordinary times, and that folks who understand this ought to ask themselves whether personal extraordinary action is warranted. I encourage all of good will to check out the platform at www.selfgovernment.us and to help get Alan Keyes on the ballot in as many states as possible. The ballot access petition for Maryland is due August 4 -- and we could sure use your help on this. Everybody has skills and knowledge that can be applied to good effect in this effort. In these days of instant mass communication, it's as easy to persuade tens of millions as it is tens. There's plenty of time for Alan Keyes to win this election. Best wishes, Steve Schulin,
[This was post 112 to FreeRepublic thread titled "AIP welcomes the AIP! - The American Independent Party joins America's Independent Party"] July 22, 2008 Alan Keyes of Maryland on the ballot in California Folks across the nation are working to get Alan Keyes' name on the ballot in their states as a choice for President. In some states, he will be listed as an independent candidate. In California, Dr. Keyes will be on the ballot as the candidate of the American Independent Party. This is great news for Keyes supporters, because ballot access in California is tough to obtain for an independent presidential candidate. Here in Maryland, we have a deadline of August 4 for submitting 10,000-signature petition, and we aren't even close. This should be an easy state. If a thousand folks take an hour to get ten neighbors to sign, we can be done today. Please print out the petition form, write your county name in the blank, and ask your neighbors to sign. You can assure them that their signature merely says let these folks have a spot on the ballot. My experience here in Rockville has been that most people are happy to sign their neighbor's petition. In addition to the petition signatures, we need 25 people to volunteer to be on the new party's central governing body. It would be great to get each of our 24 counties represented. Please call me (Steve Schulin of Rockville 240-751-7286) to volunteer for this. July 21, 2008 The Democratic Party nominee will be ... Hillary? by Steve Schulin, Maryland Independent Party, Candidate for Congress Lanny Davis has been a "ClintonSpinner" for many years. His new weekly "Purple Nation" column for The Washington Times is a vehicle for plowing the road for Hillary's nomination. In today's column, Lanny steadfastly maintains that he's an antiwar Democrat. He never mentions Hillary. Yet, he essentially says that Hillary was right and Obama and Lanny were wrong about Iraq. Lanny is a proficient propagandist. His column might more accurately be titled "black-and-blue (bruise) Party" instead of "Purple Nation". There is a way to ensure that a black candidate for President is on the ballot this year -- and that's to help get independent Alan Keyes on the ballot in your state. If you're here in Maryland, download and print the petition file. We need about 10,000 signatures in a little more than a week. Please prayerfully consider getting as many signatures as you can and mailing the completed petitions to the address shown on the form. I want to vote for Dr. Keyes because he has long represented my God-fearin', liberty-lovin', sovereignty-conservin' values better than any other candidate. July 8, 2008 Great play, Rick
Rick Monday saw something happening and he ran to stop it. Do you see something happening in our nation today that prompts you to do something beyond the ordinary? Many folks across the country have recognized that our nation is not well-served by the leaders who have emerged from our major parties. The last independent elected as President was George Washington. It's time to do it again. Dear fellow Marylanders, please help get Maryland Independent Party on the ballot. We need to submit 10,000 signatures by August 4. That's not much time, but it can be done. Download and print the petition, get as many registered voters to sign as you can, then fill out the circulator's information at the bottom and mail it in to the address on the form. Wednesday night statewide conference call Our new party is holding twice-weekly public conference calls. All of good will are most welcome to participate. Wednesday nights: 10:05 pm ET
Dial-in number: 712-421-7885
The dial-in number is long-distance. The days and times of the calls allow folks to use the free night and weekend minutes on many cell phone calling plans. July 4, 2008 Celebrate, and resolve: an Independence Day to remember
There's one person running for President who seems so different than the others, in his degree of understanding of the challenges facing our nation, that I hope his voice will be heard during the months leading up to the election. This candidate has long represented my views on a wide range of issues better, by far, than any other candidate I can recall. But the thing I like best about about this man -- Alan Keyes -- is his understanding of how these issues fit together. I saw a press release issued today by the Conservative Leadership Conference, announcing that Dr. Keyes will be speaking at their annual conference, to be held in September. Their website has a videoclip of him in a conversation at last year's conference that provides a succinct introduction to how the issues fit together: "We try to treat moral issues, economic issues, border issues [and others] as if they're separate. No. They're all the same issue. They're the issue of what's happening to our sovereignty because we have abandoned our commitment as a People to the right idea of citizenship and to the basic moral principles that make it possible to claim our freedom -- ... the American Creed right there in the Declaration of Independence ..." Best wishes to all of good will on this special day of celebration. And we in Maryland are now exactly one month away from the deadline to obtain and submit the signatures of 10,000 registered voters who support putting our new Party -- Maryland Independent Party -- on the ballot in November. This is how to get Alan Keyes on the ballot. If four hundred folks will quickly step up and obtain 25 signatures, we'll meet that deadline. Please be one of these folks. Download and print the petition form available at http://www.MarylandIndependentParty.org -- and mail the completed forms to the address on the form. Very truly, MARYLAND INDEPENDENT PARTY Steve Schulin
June 27, 2008 Three Supreme Court opinions this week will probably be discussed, amongst other things, on our coming calls. Here are the PDF versions of the Supreme Court opinions: * DC v Heller - city handgun ban struck down as violating rights of individuals to keep and bear arms June 25, 2008 Abortion industry targets blacks. Democrat candidates praise 'em. Republican candidates are silent. How about you? by Steve Schulin, Maryland Independent Party, candidate for Congress Donna Edwards' campaign website prominently displays a list of groups she calls "Champions of Change". "Planned Parenthood Federal PAC" is high on the list. I urge all of good will to contrast Rep. Edwards praise of Planned Parenthood with the comments made yesterday by Judie Brown, founder of American Life League: "The African American community continues to be targeted and, as LEARN points out on their web site, the Planned Parenthood professionals continue to assure that nearly 35% of all abortions are performed on mothers who are black, even though only 12% of the population is African American. The leadership of LEARN points out, 'If the current trend continues, by 2038 the black vote will be insignificant. Did you know that the founder of Planned Parenthood, Margaret Sanger, was a devout racist who created the Negro Project designed to sterilize unknowing black women and others she deemed as undesirables of society? The founder of Planned Parenthood said, 'Colored people are like human weeds and are to be exterminated.' Is her vision being fulfilled today? Without hesitation they tell us the answer is yes, indeed. ..." After we get finished petitioning for ballot access for the new Maryland Independent Party (please help -- complete and mail the petition form available here), I want to get started on a petition to amend the Maryland Constitution to explicitly guarantee the rights of personhood to the unborn. This effort is inspired by the recent success of similar petition drive in Colorado, where the personhood amendment will be on the ballot in November. For more info, see Colorado Right to Life website. I notice that the only presidential candidate they feature on their home page is Alan Keyes. I think there's good reason for that! I'm working to ensure that voters in Maryland have a God-fearin', liberty-lovin', sovereignty-conservin' choice on the ballot in November for President and for Congress. Alan Keyes is that Presidential candidate. I'm registered as a candidate for 4th District. If you don't see a leader in your your district, I hope you'll consider running on the ballot line of the new Maryland Independent Party. I invite all of good will to join in on our twice-weekly statewide conference calls, Wednesday nights and Saturday mornings. Here's the call-in details. The times were chosen to allow folks to take advantage of their free night and weekend cell phone minutes: Dial-in number: 712-421-7885
June 21, 2008 Citizens protest the accomodation of illegal aliens by Montgomery County, Maryland by Steve Schulin of Maryland Independent Party, and candidate for Congress - Maryland's 4th District The platform I've proposed for Maryland Independent Party includes plank on illegal immigration as follows: We support the immediate securing and continuous vigilant maintenance of our sovereign territory and borders. We oppose any private or governmental action that rewards illegal entry into the United States in any way, and demand speedy and full enforcement of our laws concerning all such activities. To stop the so-called "anchor baby" practice, we urge that the citizenship clause of the Fourteenth Amendment be changed: instead of "born in the United States" it should read "born of a citizen of the United States." One of the first things our new County Executive did here in Montgomery County was to ensure that aspiring day laborers wouldn't continue to congregate at the various locations which have in recent years become favorite spots. The County Executive's approach to this problem is to provide alternate location for the laborers to gather. We now have two taxpayer-financed day worker centers in the County. Here's some photos of Saturday morning rally held near the "Temporary Worker Site" located near the Shady Grove metro station at the end of the Red Line.
Folks driving down Crabbs Branch Way Saturday morning saw a group of approximately fifteen folks gathered to call attention to our government's encouragement of illegal immigration:
The rally-goers really enjoyed seeing the signs one participant made for her delightful canine companion:
When I arrived shortly after 9 am, there were several policemen present and many dozens of folks in what looked like a counter-protest at the day labor center. The Fox news piece noted that there was a class being held by CASA de Maryland to inform its clients of their rights. It was very cool to see many of the folks at the center start to clean up the grounds around the day labor center as the day went on. They even planted some flowers. I don't know if our protest prompted the beautification, but I'm pretty sure it started after the TV truck showed up.
A reporter and cameraman from FOX-5 TV came and spoke with several of the folks at the protest, and also with some of the CASA de Maryland folks at the center. The edited news video is available on the web here The local ABC TV affiliate also covered the simultaneous rally held at the County's other temporary worker site, in Silver Spring. Personally, I think the coverage of WJLA seemed much better than the FOX story. See it here. Update Help Save Maryland has posted some photos that tell more of the story. Here's how the folks assembled at the day worker center looked when I first arrived:
And here's a better shot of how in need the grounds were for some attention:
Do you think this fellow had seen our "We love legal immigrants" sign?
And here's a shot of the sign on the other side of the dog:
And this one really captures the spirit of the citizens who just want to pass the blessings of liberty on to our children and grandchildren:
And finally, here's a sign that focuses on an issue that's very important. The one point that I disagree with Help Save Maryland on is the Real ID Act. I do agree, however, that voter fraud is already at unacceptable levels. I sadly recall when the Republicans failed to come to the aid of the legitimate voters in Rep. Bob Dornan's district whose collective will was denied by vote fraud.
June 20, 2008 Democrats and Republicans have failed, miserably 76% of Americans told pollsters that the USA is on the wrong track. Maryland Independent Party invites all Americans who value principle over party to join in reclaiming control of our government, unleashing the productivity of We The People, and restoring the prospect of passing the blessings of liberty on to our children.
- - - - The Democrats will spend millions to sway voters - if you won't help beat them, who will?
Every one of you has skills and knowledge that might make a difference in this election. If the current Democrats or Republicans continue their dominance, our prospects for preserving the blessings of liberty for our children and grandchildren seem pretty much nil. The adage about the price of liberty being eternal vigilence is good to keep in mind. By your very presence here, you demonstrate a level of civic participation greater than most of our fellow citizens. Now you have to ask yourself if you're satisfied with that, or if you think, as do I, that these extraordinary times require the extraordinary action of those who value the American experiment in self-government. To have candidates on the ballot in November, we need 10,000 petition signatures to submit by August 4. You personally could probably get ten of these today by downloading the form, printing a copy, visiting your closest neighbors, and mailing the completed form to the address shown on the form. If a thousand folks get ten signatures each, we're done with this step in a day. Please help. Alan Keyes has agreed to run for President on our ballot line. And I, Steve Schulin, pledge to support the strongest congressional candidate we can field here in the 4th District, whether that's me or another God-fearin', liberty-lovin', sovereignty-conserving Marylander. It's going to take cash to compete, too. Please send check, little or large as best you see fit, payable to Maryland Independent Party, P.O. Box 5650, Rockville MD 20855. If you contribute $200 or more to a political committee in a single year, federal election law requires us to report your name, mailing address, occupation, and the name of your employer. Please provide us with your correct information. May 28, 2008 Marriage - recent government actions threaten the very basis of our claim to the right of self-government by Steve Schulin, candidate for Congress in June 17 special election, 4th District I've proposed a platform for Maryland Independent Party. It discusses the defense of marriage as follows: "While we do not acknowledge that our Constitution limits Congress in any way from protecting traditional marriage between one man and one woman, we support passage of a federal marriage Amendment to the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of removing any confusion or misunderstanding in the minds of judges." Since then, the Supreme Court of California has issued its opinion that a similar defense
of traditional marriage, adopted by vote of the people of California, is invalid. Whether or
not this opinion is let to stand is a serious matter for many reasons. I'd like to discuss one
that you will likely have heard only if you were participating in the Alan Keyes for President
conference call last night. One of the things that I've long appreciated about Dr. Keyes is
his thorough understanding of the importance of the concept expressed in the Declaration of
Independence, that we are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights. In other
nations, your rights are determined by the government, or by your fellow citizens. But here in
the USA, our founding fathers claimed the right to self-govern because our Natural rights
trumped the sovereignty of the King of England. The King did not take kindly to that claim,
and it took a hard war before our claim prevailed over the might of the crown. How we react to
this California court opinion is a key component in whether we,
as Dr. Keyes put it, "perpetuate or destroy our institutions of self-government". The court's
opinion -- that government officials decide what a family is -- represents a rejection of that
central claim of our founders, that there are self-evident truths which government must
reflect, and which government may not justly countermand. There is no more self-evident
natural institution than the family. The bonds between parents and children are not the
product of government decree. If this court opinion is allowed to have the force of law, then
we are rejecting the idea that government must respect the self-evident natural rights
described in the Declaration.
...[T]his decision in California ... in which the Supreme Court in California expressed its view that the action that had been taken by the people of California to show respect for traditional marriage and make it clear that that was the form of marriage in California, that that was somehow unconstitutional ... [garbled] And as usual, we have seen an ignorance, sadly, from people who profess to be supporters of the traditional family, and opponents of the abuses that take place in our courts. And yet, many of them, oblivious to what was actually written in the decision and what is actually possible ... [garbled] ... are actually acting as if what the Supreme Court of California said has the force of law -- which of course it does not. It was an opinion expressed. And an opinion expressed on a Constitutional question, contrary to the expressed will of the people by Constitutional means, obviously has no more ground than anything that is said by any other individual in this country. Since at the end of the day, though they want us constantly to forget it, it is the people who are the ultimate arbiters of constitutional [garbled], because each constitution, whether it's in California or at the national level, speaks for We the People. And when the People, directly, by vote, or amendment, have expressed their voice, [garbled] the court is subordinate to that voice. It does not have rule over that voice. And that is something that now of course is being totally ignored while our system is being transformed. And it's being transformed from a government of, by, and for the people to a government that is essentially based upon the rule of the few. The few are favored with judicial appointments, with wealth and power. The ultimate decision as to the fundamental issues of justice and right in our society will no longer be taken by the People. And I think it's also instructive that this abuse of power which overturns the Constitutional system of government comes on an issue that exemplifies the assault on the basic understanding of rights -- the basis of which as a People we claim our natural rights, our right to self-government, our right to liberty. Many people, sadly, and I would have to tell you, all of the leaders that I see up there, do not understand the serious connection between this whole issue of homosexual marriage so-called and the question of whether or not we shall remain a self-governing people. ... [garbled] The Declaration of Independence which stated in simple and clear terms the rationale for our system of government, ascribed our claim to self-government to an idea of natural rights, unalienable rights that come from the hand of God. The paradigm of such natural rights is of course the family. And the relations -- and bonds of mutual obligation and respect and authority and caring, concern -- that characterize the relationship between parents and children, children and parents; a relationship that is respected by the law and in various ways the law has to deal with it and reflect it. The authority that [garbled] that relationship that establishes those obligations is not an authority that arises from human law or decision because the family is an institution grounded in our very nature. It is a natural institution. It is an institution that reflects a kind of belonging that does not rise from the creation of property by the state or the law or decisions of government. No. It is a kind of belonging that arises directly from the way that we are made. And from the bonds and relationships that arise [garbled] of a process of procreation that is inherent in our nature, and that reflects of course the will of God for us. In that sense the family is the paradigm of natural right. And the relationship that arises in a family, the sense of obligation and expectation; the fact that a certain kind of care to children is their due, and a certain kind of respect from children to the authority of parents is their obligation -- those things do not depend on humanly-made laws. They are a reflection of the deep decisions of God that inform and instruct our very biological functions and give rise to the first human community which is the family. Once we have, however, gone down the road in which we accept the notion that the object of what constitutes marriage and family life can be arbitrarily determined by the decision of judges or even by the decision of legislatures, then by that fact alone we reject the very idea of natural rights that is the foundation of our claim to self-government, and to be a people respected in our right, therefore, to self-government. That means that issue of homosexual marriage isn't just about individual behavior. It's not even just about how our families will be constituted in some formal and social sense. It is actually about the way in which we understand the universe itself, and whether we accept or reject the concept of God-ordained natural right that is the basis for our claim to liberty. Once we decide that the most self-evident natural institution -- which is what the family is -- is in fact grounded in arbitrary human ... [garbled] That idea represents the rejection of God, the rejection of natural authority, the rejection of natural right, and at the end of the day, the rejection of that which is the very foundation stone of the idea that makes us free. I'm sad to tell you that you probably won't hear that exposition of this issue from anybody but me. It certainly hasn't been reflected in utter indifference -- of people like John McCain and others -- to the terrible enormity of what the court in California is doing. But it's no accident that -- in both the way in which these decisions are being made, and the substance of the decisions themselves -- we see, clearly, the image of the end of our system of government of, by, and for the people. In the fact that the courts arrogate to themselves to overturn that which the people in their sovereign capacity have said and done -- and in the fact that the substance they decide upon -- utterly denies the very concept of natural right, without which we cannot sustain our claim to freedom. In a sense, therefore, this issue of homosexual marriage is the paradigm of the crisis that seems now to be upon us, which is the crisis that will determine once and for all whether we perpetuate or destroy our institutions of self-government. - - - - - END OF EXCERPT FROM ALAN KEYES COMMENTS LAST NIGHT - - - - - One of the callers asked Alan what we can do to help ensure that we elect candidates to Congress who share his views. Well, I'd like to invite every one who can to help do just that in the June 17 special election in Maryland for the 4th Congressional District seat in U.S. House of Representatives. My name is Steve Schulin, and I am registered as a write-in candidate in this election, which means that votes for me will be counted. If five hundred folks will volunteer to spend election day at the various precincts here, informing voters about this unique opportunity to tell the dominant parties not to take their votes for granted, I can win this election. How about it? This one June election, in an overwhelmingly Democrat district, could easily end up affecting the August conventions, and might even help get Alan Keyes into the national televised debates in the fall. Please email me for details on which precinct to cover, and what you should bring. If you can't come, please consider helping out financially. Contributions can be mailed to Steve Schulin for Congress, PO Box 5652, Rockville MD 20855. May 28, 2008 A survey of various candidates' positions on guns, and what those positions mean I've proposed a platform for Maryland Independent Party. It discusses the right to keep and bear arms as follows: "The right of self-preservation and self-protection is inherent in all persons, communities and societies, which is why we fiercely defend the indispensable provisions of our Second Amendment. Liberty cannot be defended if the people have been stripped of the physical means of doing so." I'd like to point out what other candidates have to say on the subject: Start with the Democrats. In preparation for the June 3 primary, a Montana newspaper asked Senators Clinton and Obama the following question: "Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer has said he is skeptical a Democrat can beat John McCain here because of a real or perceived weakness on gun rights. Do you think Gov. Schweitzer is correct and how do you reconcile any need for gun law reforms in urban areas with the anxiety many Westerners may feel that their Second Amendment rights may be trampled?" Here's their answers: Sen. Clinton: "Well, I believe strongly in the Second Amendment and the right for responsible gun ownership. Obviously hunting and fishing are traditions that are especially important to generations of Montanans and I think it's important too that we look to strike the right balance that doesn't in any way infringe on the rights of lawful gun owners but endeavors to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and gang members and people who, unfortunately, have been adjudicated as in some way mentally fragile or disabled. And I don't see any contradiction between those two very important goals. So I'm going to work to preserve and promote responsible gun ownership. I want to make sure we preserve access to public lands for hunting and fishing and I want to see if we can support law enforcement in a constitutional manner to try to make sure that guns don't fall into the wrong hands." Sen. Obama: "Well I think you just identified exactly the argument that has to be made. And that is that we have two realities when it comes to guns in this country. You've got illegal guns landing on the streets in the hands of gang-bangers in places like Chicago where children have been shot on the streets in astonishing numbers, and then you've got law abiding gun owners who are hunting, and sportsmen, and keeping a gun in the house to protect their family, and who have a tradition of lawful gun ownership dating back generations. It's part of a way of life. The key is to reconcile those two realities. The voters of Montana need to understand that I believe in the Second Amendment, I believe it is an individual right and I will not encroach on their right to get firearms and to do everything that they're doing right now. What I do want to see is better enforcement when it comes to handguns that are pouring into the streets of urban centers and that means better background checks, it means being able to trace guns that are used in crimes back to gun dealers that may be violating our laws. It means closing the gun show loophole. Those are, I think, some common sense regulations that in no way will impede on the ability of lawful gun owners in Montana or anywhere else in the country from exercising their Second Amendment rights." Steve Schulin's view of their answers: You'll notice that both these Democrat candidates mention hunting. Obama mentions sportsmen, and families with tradition. Hillary even mentions fishing. It's important to stress that this emphasis on sports as a basis for the second amendment represents a serious misunderstanding; the word "silly" would be a fair way to begin to characterize their views, if it weren't so serious a matter. The second amendment is not about sports. It is about a free people having the means to repel those who would try to trample the unalienable rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. I do appreciate that Sen. Obama states that the second amendment is an individual right. I recall Sen. Clinton saying the same thing in Pennsylvania recently. There are many advocates of gun control who vehemently disagree that second amendment is referring to individuals. I suspect that they will vote for Hillary or Obama despite this diifference, because they reasonably might conclude that the Democrats still in the race will pursue the same gun-grabbing policies regardless of their position on whose rights the second amendment describes. Now, how about Sen. McCain? I urge you to check out the web page put up by the organization Gun Owners of America (GOA). Their McCain page is at http://www.gunowners.org/mccaintb.htm. They give McCain a failing grade in recent years. I especially recommend the GOA Alerts links shown at the bottom of the page, such as "McCain Still Trying To Gag Gun Owner Criticism Of His Anti-gun Record". Alan Keyes is the candidate I enthusiastically support for President this year. His website alankeyes.com includes an archive of dozens of inspiring video and audio recordings of various speeches and interviews over the past twenty years or so, many with transcripts that can be searched for words and phrases online. Here's an excerpt that showed up in a search on "gun control". It's from an interview during the Illinois Senate campaign of 2004, and I agree with every word: ... the argument on gun control is very clear. The Second Amendment is there so that we never lose either the practice or the mentality of defending our liberty. Self-government, government by representative institutions, in human history went hand and hand with the willingness of common people to overcome their fear of weapons and take up those weapons in defense of their own rights. If we lose that mentality in which we are willing to stand fast in defense of our liberties, we will lose those liberties. So, the Second Amendment isn't just about gun bearing. And also, gun control is absurd. If the law-abiding citizens can't carry weapons, and they obey the law, then the only people who will have the weapons are people willing to break the law--that is to say, the crooks. So, you'll have disarmed law-abiding people and armed crooks. That sounds like a real uneven match, and I think it's idiotic to suggest that a society should place itself in that position." May 23, 2008 This video is well worth the five minutes. It captures some stark and important differences between Obama and Keyes, and urges folks to think about how they will cast their vote in November. Alan Keyes is running for President as an independent. Maryland Independent Party is honored that Dr. Keyes will run in his home state of Maryland on our new party's ballot line. If you are over 18, please download the petition, get as many registered voters from our state to sign as you can, and mail it to the address on the form.
The video is entitled "Barack Obama is a Superstar". Thanks to Dr. Keyes for highlighting it last night on his myspace.com blog. I see there's some problem with the standard U-tube embedded link shown above. Here's the plain link to the video -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXKBfhVZUr4. May 14, 2008 Alan Keyes comments on why he will continue to support Israel The following is from a post today on the alankeyes.com discussion board. Here is a statement made by Alan, with respect to support for Israel: - - - - This is the closing of "Israel is today, as Israel has always been, a sign of hope that G-d's children can seek to be pleasing in His sight. Israel is today, as Israel has always been, hateful in the eyes of those whose neck is stiff, and whose heart is filled with hate and falsehood. Until it shall please G-d to make the land of His special favor a pleasing sight to all the nations, may it please Him to continue to give to all Americans the eyes to see in Israel, as is truly the case, a beacon of justice, courage, and truth. My prayers, my heart, are with the brave people of Israel." |
