US Constitution – Page 3

Why Read The Federalist Papers?

Description: Everybody in America should exercise their duty of citizenship. One of the best ways to do so is to read The Federalist Papers. If you take the time to do so you will benefit from it. You will come away with a different perspective of our constitution. In turn, that new understanding will benefit … Read more

Democrat Rosemarie Rung Wants Residents to Know ‘Folks Like This Live in Town’ (Meaning Me)

by Steve MacDonald

Merrimack New Hampshire House Democrat Rosemarie Rung has a warning to share. She wants residents to know that ‘Folks like this‘ live in town. Who does she mean? Me, of course. Why? Because I believe that constitutions exist to restrain government, or in this case Rosemarie Rung.

Will a ‘no guns’ sticker protect State House?

by Dan Itse

“If the Democrats in the State House don’t trust their fellow legislators, do you think they trust you?… Why do they expect to be in fear of violence from their constituents? WARNING! The new Democrat majority in Concord is planning to assault your Constitution. They are planning to ban firearms from Representatives Hall and possibly … Read more

Of Militia

by Dan Itse

Americans suffer from a political disability. They no longer understand the intent of the most fundamental organs of our government. If you as the typical American ask what a militia is, they will tell likely you that it is a group of people playing army in the woods. Or even worse, they will tell that it is people organizing to fight the government. If you ask them how a militia is formed, they will reply that someone just gets a bunch of friends to follow them. Appoints himself as leader and others as subordinate officers. All of this seems to proceed out of a mythology surrounding the American War for Independence.

There is an idea that local leaders simply decided to form militia companies, and other local people fell in behind them. Then they all just marched off to fight the British. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Sales Tax in NH – A Constitutional & NH House take on S. Dakota vs Wayfair SCOTUS decision

by Dan Itse

Recently, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) handed down an opinion in the South Dakota versus Wayfair (SD v Wayfair). The South Dakota Legislature had passed a law that enabled South Dakota to go after taxes on purchases citizens had made from Wayfair. The S. D. Supreme Court held that the law was unconstitutional, and it was appealed to SCOTUS. Previously, SCOTUS had held the opinion that no taxes could be collected if the retailer had no substantial physical presence in the State seeking the tax revenue.

Parallel to this an organization has grown up.

Jose’ Eduardo Cambrils – candidate for NH State House, Merrimack County 9 (Cantebury/Loudon)

by Op-Ed

“I am seeking a seat in the NH House of Representatives because of my love for this great State of NH and more specifically the towns of Canterbury and Loudon. I lived in Canterbury for 13 years and still own a beautiful piece of land there. My wife and I have now lived in Loudon for the past 2 years. There is no other place on earth that we would rather be.

My entire life I have had a “Servant Leader” style of leadership. I humbly request your vote, and if I get the Honor and Privilege to represent these two wonderful towns, you have my word that your voices and concerns will be heard.”

-Jose’ Eduardo Cambrils

Born in Tunas, Cuba in 1960. Jose’ and his family immigrated (legally)…

New Hampshire Governors fail in the Oath of Office

by Dan Itse

Note: we welcome Dan Itse to our ranks as a Grokster! A long time member of the NH House of Representatives, he was acknowledged to be one of the foremost experts on both the US and NH Constitutions here in the State of NH and with his first post, he does not disappoint by bringing to light some responsibilities that many of us didn’t know we had – including our elected officials!

Welcome, Dan!

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New Hampshire Governors, like every elected officer of the State and many appointed officers take an oath to uphold The Constitution of the State of New Hampshire, and the Constitution for the United States of America. However, I would wager most do not know these documents to well enough to know the full scope of or limitations upon the office they hold. Part 1, Article 24 of the Constitution of the State of New Hampshire proclaims:

“A well regulated militia is the proper, natural, and sure defense, of a State.”

This sentiment is echoed in the Second Amendment to the Constitution for the United States:

THANK YOU, Senators Lee, Paul, and Cruz!

by Skip

It’s about freaking time SOMEBODY forced other Republicans, you know, to have to rely on Principles! Once again, the political symptom is gun control and the filibuster but the Republican disease is Heh!:

Texas senator Ted Cruz on Friday indicated that the battle among GOP Senators over gun control was so fierce that, at several points throughout the debate, some of his Republican colleagues yelled at him “at the top of their lungs.”

“I don’t know that there is an issue that has generated more heat internally in the Republican conference,” Cruz said at a Texas tea party rally. “We’ve had probably five or six lunches with a bunch of Republican senators standing up and looking at Rand [Paul] and Mike [Lee] and me and yelling at us at the top of their lungs, I mean, really upset. And they said ‘Look, why did you do this? As a result of what you did, when I go home, my constituents are yelling at me that I have to stand on principle.’ I’m really not making that up.

(H/T: The Corner) Take away from that snippet – I betcha more of these Republican morons are more concerned with keeping their R-butts seats rather than defending the R-values they campaigned on. Got that? It comes down to saying one thing but doing another – and a lot of Rs don’t like hearing that and they don’t like the bony finger pointed at them or their friends. Too bad – and with the rest New Media, we get the word out.

Oh you bet that I’ll hear about posting this – “there he goes again, bashing other Republicans” (just like when I “visited” the Merrimack County Republicans a coupla weeks ago and Mark Sanborn (according to someone sitting across from him who came up to me afterwards) yelled out “HE HELPS TO ELECT DEMOCRATS!”). In response to that assflappery, I say this:

Some thoughts on the Pindell / Cline / Douglas criticisms of the Honor Your Oath Rally – Part 1

by Skip

I’m not even sure that James Pindell, Chuck Douglas, and Drew Cline were even at the same rally I was from reading their criticism (one at the WMUR site, two Union Leader Op-Eds) – or even bothered to watched the videos that were up at several sites. Each of them decided to tear the folks apart that stood up for their beliefs without seeing what was, to me, the obvious. In fact, I’m not even sure they even saw the obvious reason why 600 folks turned out to participate, volunteers doing the grunt work necessary to put on such an event, and the dozen or so speakers up at the podium. Yes, when you put yourself out in public, this is what happens – others will take pot shots at you, at the rally, or the issue for a variety of reasons: their sense of “professionalism”, their overarching specialized knowledge has been “violated”, their standing within their own specialized communities “demands” they take a stand, or they decided to reject the perceived issue out of hand as “being without merit”. None of them seem to have caught the intense sense of importance of the actual subject to the speakers and the attendees.

Or, to put it simply, wielding a hatchet just because they have an audience to impress or a thinly veiled purpose that may be getting set for the future. Or both.

Honor Your Oath. It wasn’t about journalists worried about column inches, punctuation, and delicately chosen words and sentence structure; it is about keeping a promise. It wasn’t about case law, or legal briefs, or court battles (even if from a former Supreme Court Justice); it is about a man and the importance of his word. It was not about bright lights, teleprompters, self-absorption, politics, or even the crowd; it is about judging a man and his bond. It wasn’t about guns or self-defense or “Stand Your Ground” (although that’s all these three seemingly heard), it wasn’t about Right or Left; it is about answering the question “Do we trust this person when their actions do not match that Oath”?

So, why did WMUR have its parent, the Hearst Corp., have a First Amendment Fellow send me a letter?

by Skip

Dear Ms. Dietrick,

I am in receipt of your email and, as of yesterday, your snail mail letter. In order to show good faith in this matter, I have a question for you. From your hard copy letter (I took the liberty of scanning it in as the quality of the PDF attachment to your email was of such low quality, I scarcely took it seriously; given the size of the Hearst Corporation, it must simply have been an off day for the poor IT tech you called in for rectification), I would ask that you would turn your attention to this snippet:

I am but a simple man (you may ask my critics for confirmation of this fact) so I wish to address one thing from your letter at a time. If you would, Ms. Dietrick, please forward to me one or more examples of the flyers you have singled out for infringement for my inspection. I have no problem in reworking them so as to remove any WMUR logo (presented here for illustration only to ensure we are both communicating and being precise concerning the artwork of your letter) that may be present; I only wish to careful and accurate:

US Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) votes the UN Small Arms Treaty over the Constitution?

by Skip

“”To uphold Second Amendment rights and prevent the United States from entering into the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty.“”

Guess how our Senior Senator from NH, Jeanne Shaheen voted?

The UN just passed their Small Arms Treaty that may well run into our Constitution – specifically the Second Amendment (here, here). It also is a snare’s nest that may well be able to trump the US’s ability to set and sign trade treaties with other countries. Like Obamacare when it passed, we may well not know all of the ramifications of this treaty that seems to tilt towards despots than legit democracies. And being the hated US, coupled with the fact that we are only one of three countries that have gun ownership rights in their Constitutions, makes us the target. In response, Senator Inhofe sponsored Amendment 139 (the above text) to the current budget bill now going through the Senate – it passed 53-46. ‘Grok friend Warner Todd Huston reports:

Senator Jim Inhofe (R-OK) offered Amendment 139 that was passed with a 53 to 46 vote. His Amendment contained language to affirm that foreign treaties would not trump the U.S. Constitution. “Mr. President,” Inhofe said on the floor of the Senate, “I want to make sure that everyone understands what the United Nations trade treaty is. The trade treaty is a treaty that cedes our authority to have trade agreements with our allies in terms of trading arms.”

Is Ann Kuster Happy We Violated the US Constitution?

by Steve MacDonald

Ann Kuster is excited that the House Republicans decided not to change the Senate version of the Violence Against Women’s act. I’m not sure what the House had in mind but Tax dodger Ann Kuster is happy to assume it’s because they hate women.

What a difference a day makes! On Wednesday, Speaker Boehner had big plans to limit the protections for women who are victims of domestic and sexual violence. Apparently, House Republicans believe that some women – namely lesbians, immigrants and Native Americans – do not deserve equal protection under the law.

Problem. This bill violates the US constitution in it’s effort to protect women from domestic and sexual violence.

“Come and Take them” – a “Line in the Granite” rally to tell NH Legislators just that

by Skip

Tom’s post has the link to what the Greek actually means, when first spoken at Thermopylae when the Spartan 300 held off the Persian (English comes close with Molon Labe) armies that outnumbered them hundreds to one. On January 31 (Thursday, 12 noon) there will be another assemblage of those willing to stand up … Read more

Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA): “The Rights of the few…”

by Skip

Every Sunday, I DVR the talking head shows. This week was more arduous than most because we already knew what the topic du show were going to be: Newtown and the horrific event that happened there. Knowing, too, who was going to be on the shows, I heard exactly what I thought I would – call for increased gun control under the stereotypical Progressive rubrics of “Nobody needs that” and “I don’t know anyone that…” as if on their worldview, only their “acceptable” items should be purchased under some strange definition of “Freedom”. But that wasn’t the worst of it – my eyes nearly popped when I hear Senator Diane Feinstein (D-CA, San Francisco) say the following on “Meet the Press” (emphasis mine):

Is this the way we want America to go? In other words, the Rights of the few overcome the safety of the Majority? I don’t think so! I think America is ready (on her intent to submit a gun control bill on the first day of the next session).

The “Rights of the few” – funny, I always thought that Rights were an innate part of the ALL simply because they are US Citizens. Perhaps I am just too old school for these fascist Progressives – I do believe in what the Founders wrote that our Rights are given to us by our Creator and Nature’s God and not just a bunch of legislators yammering away. Sadly, she is from the philosophical Left that only believes that when it is conducive to their argument of the day.

No, Ms. Feinstein, it is NOT the “Rights of the few” –

GrokTV Special Event: GSPLPAC TEA Party – The Speakers Part II: Rep. Dan Itse, Irena Goddard, Karen Testerman

by Skip

In addition to Nat Healy and Dr. Joe Tarta, there were three more speakers:

NH House Representative Dan Itse on the NH and US Constitutions
Irena Goddard, Freedom activist, speaking about life growing up in a Communist nation and why she is scared for America
Karen Testerman, founder of Cornerstone, speaking on traditional values.

Dan Itse (he of the tri-corner hat!):

Has Obama lost touch with reality?

by Don

Has President Obama lost touch with reality? Even for a consummate liar, President Obama’s statement that Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) was “passed by a strong majority of a democratically elected Congress” is stunning.

Obamacare was so unpopular that deals (the Louisiana Purchase, the Cornhusker Kickback, etc) were required to get enough Democrat senator support for passage.

WORTH READING: A rumination on government and the sociopathic personality.

by Tim Condon

This from Doug Casey at Casey Research: “The Ascendance of Sociopaths in U.S. Governance,” wherein Mr. Casey makes a number of trenchant observations. You need not agree with all of them to gain insight into a different way of thinking about the problems facing America. Here are some quotes from the article…food for thought:

All the institutions that made America exceptional – including a belief in capitalism, individualism, self-reliance and the restraints of the Constitution – are now only historical artifacts.
Have you ever wondered where the 50,000 people employed by the TSA to inspect and degrade you came from? Most of them are middle-aged. Did they have jobs before they started doing something that any normal person would consider demeaning? Most did, but they were attracted to – not repelled by – a job where they wear a costume and abuse their fellow citizens all day.
Read more

Food For Thought

by Steve MacDonald

Over here, you’ll find Senator Shaheen crowing about how great the new food safety bill is, and how she, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, helped pass it. (It’s crap like all the other dem bills but that’s not why she’s an ass.)
She is an ass because (and if it makes you feel better Judd Gregg is an ass for being both a co-sponsor and a yeah vote) there are provisions in this Senate bill (S510) that….raise taxes.