The Conservative Manifesto
      Bill of Rights:

Amendment 1
Freedom of speech, religion, press and
Assembly

Amendment 2
Right to bear arms

Amendment 3
Quartering of soldiers

Amendment 4
Warrants and searches

Amendment 5
Prosecution, Double Jeopardy,
Self-Incrimination, and  Imminent Domain.

Amendment 6
Right to speedy trial and right to counsel

Amendment 7
Right to trial by jury

Amendment 8
Excessive bail, fines, and cruel and unusual        
punishment.

Amendment 9
Existence of other rights for the people

Amendment 10
State sovereignty


 End of Bill of Rights  

Read Bill of Rights on single page

Read Constitution on Single Page
The U.S. Constitution was approved by delegates to the Philadelphia
Convention on September 27, 1787 and submitted to the Governors of the
thirteen states.  New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the
Constitution on June 21,1788.  A resolution was approved by Congress on July
2, 1788 to form the new government which began operations on March 4, 1789.

The Constitution is the Supreme Law of the Land and serves as the governing
contract between the Federal Government, State Governments and citizens of
the United States. The Constitution and The Declaration of Independence
make up the true Conservative Manifesto.
Illinois
Conservative Beacon
“Any act of the legislature repugnant to the Constitution is void.”
U.S. Supreme Court - 1803
Amendment 11 - Lawsuits against the states

Amendment 12 - Election of the Executive Branch

Amendment 13 - Prohibition of Slavery

Amendment 14 - Post-Civil War Amendment

    Section 1:  Citizenship Granted to Former Slaves
    Section 2:  Reapportionment of Representation and voting privileges
    Section 3:  Restrictions on former Confederate Officials
    Section 4:  Invalidation of Confederate States' debts
    Section 5:  Congressional enforcement Powers

Amendment 15 - Voting rights for former slaves

Amendment 16 - Income Tax Authorized

Amendment 17 - Direct Election of Senators

Amendment 18 - Prohibition of Alcohol Sales

Amendment 19 - Voting rights for women

Amendment 20 - "Lame Duck" session of Congress eliminated.  Provision for inability to serve
by President-Elect and Vice President  Elect

Amendment 21 - Repeal of Amendment 18

Amendment 22 - Limitation on Presidential terms

Amendment 23 - Voting rules for District of Columbia in  national elections

Amendment 24 - Prohibition of Poll Taxes

Amendment 25 - Presidential Succession

Amendment 26 - Minimum voting age

Amendment 27 - Congressional compensation

Read Amendments 11 through 27 on single page
U.S. Constitution: Table of
Contents

Preamble:  "We the People..."

Article I:  Legislative Branch
Section 1:  Congressional Power
Section 2:  House of Representatives
Section 3:  Senate
Section 4:  Election of Representatives and
Senators
Section 5:  Congressional Policy
Section 6:  Compensation, Privileges and
Restrictions
Section 7:  Bills, Voting, Vetoes
Section 8:  Enumerated Powers of Congress
Section 9:  Congressional Restrictions
Section 10: Limits on State Powers

Article II:   Executive Branch
Section 1:  Executive Powers, Electoral
College,  Election of President and Vice
President
Section 2:  Presidential Powers
Section 3:  Presidential Duties
Section 4:  Removal from Office

Article III:  Judicial Branch
Section 1:  Judicial Power, Judicial Tenure
Section 2:  Extent of Judicial Power
Section 3:  Definition and Penalty for Treason

Article IV:  Equality of States
Section 1:  Full Faith and Credit
Section 2:  Privileges, Immunities, Extradition
Section 3:  New States, Territories
Section 4:  Guarantee of Republicanism

Article V:  Procedure for Amending
Constitution

Article VI:  Supremacy of the
Constitution

Article VII:  Ratification

Renewing The Conservative Movement

During the 2008 Presidential campaigns, John McCain traveled
the country declaring himself to be a “proud conservative”.  In fact,
all the candidates presented themselves to the voters as
conservatives.  Yet they all differed from each other in certain
major issues, operating from different underlying principles.
None consistently and convincingly advocated adherence to the
founding principles of our nation, namely those found in the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Conventional wisdom counsels conservatives and Republicans
to modify their positions to appeal more to various sub-groups
and special interest.  This advice comes not only from the media
and non-conservative and non-Republican sources, but often
from self-labeled conservatives and Republicans as well.  The
result is that many conservatives have become discouraged and
confused concerning the conservative message.

The outpouring of support for Sarah Palin when she entered the
race as McCain’s running mate gives credence to the argument
that many Americans are hungering for true conservative
leadership.  Single issue conservatives such as social-
conservatives, fiscal-conservatives, and so-on, no longer provide
the leadership sought by the true conservative patriot. Neither are
leaders who mouth “bumper sticker slogans” and conservative
sounding platitudes, while at the same time supporting big
government programs like education, healthcare, open borders,
and government interference with the free-market economy.

The conservative movement has gotten off track, and there is a
growing group of patriots who are looking for ways to get it
moving again in the right direction.  The problem is that the
average person does not know where to start or what to do.  They
are looking for someone to take the lead and tell them what to do
before they do anything.  A political movement is more than a few
people following a charismatic leader.  A political movement is
millions of people cooperating in a common cause arising from
shared principles and mutual goals.

In recent history the conservative movement has been likened to
a three-legged stool, with one leg representing small
government, the second representing national defense and the
third low taxes.  That’s good, so far as it goes.  However, it
provides little real guidance for the average person and does not
give them a base for formulating their political opinions.  It fails to
inform as to what the principles are that underlie the desirability of
small government or low taxes, for example.

To me there are two basic principles underlying true
conservatism, the unalienable “natural” rights of man given by
God to all, and that the sole purpose of government is to protect
those rights.  These two principles led our forefathers to fight the
Revolutionary War and establish the Constitutional Republic
known as the United States of America.  They are clearly defined
in the Declaration of Independence and are the underlying
principles of every article of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Thomas Jefferson included these rights under the headings of
“life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”.   

Life

This right includes not only the right to be born, but the right to live,
by the grace of God, until we die from natural causes.  It is the
basic right underlying the Second Amendment, the right to bear
arms for self-defense. It is to protect this right that Congress was
given the constitutional power to make war and provide for the
national defense.

Liberty

The right to liberty is the second unalienable right common to all
mankind.  This is the right to use the facilities of our mind, body
and spirit freely without interference, to decide for one‘s self what
is in our own best interest, to believe whatever we wish to believe,
and to express our thoughts freely.  This right is embodied in the
First Amendment as the right to express our religious views freely
without the interference or direction of government---freedom of
religion; the right to express our thoughts without sanction or
fear---freedom of the press; the right to join with others to secure
our rights---freedom of assembly and association.

Amendments Five, Six, Seven and Eight are all designed to
protect our right to liberty, guaranteeing us that our liberty cannot
be taken from us without a fair and thorough review by the judicial
system.

Pursuit of Happiness

Happiness is an individual thing.  No person or government can
give us happiness.  It is a condition of being that each of us must
pursue and find for ourselves.  That’s why it is described in
Jefferson’s list as a “pursuit” not as an end in itself.  Most
scholars refer to “pursuit of happiness” as property rights.  
Thomas Jefferson referred to it as “enjoyment of the fruits of our
labor” which would include wealth, property, wages, other
income, or the general pursuit of prosperity.

Each of us has the unalienable right to pursue our prosperity or
“happiness” in our own way making our own decisions as to the
routes to follow. Amendments Three, Four, Five, Thirteen,
Fourteen 1:3, Article One 7:1, 8:1, 5, 9, and 9:4 are all intended to
protect the right to “enjoy the fruits of one’s labor”. Unalienable
means they cannot be transferred to another or taken away by
law.  Government has no legitimate power to infringe on or
otherwise interfere with the legitimate exercise of the unalienable
rights of their citizens.

You will notice that all of these “rights groups” are self-sufficient
within themselves.  They are dependent on outside agencies only
in a passive way.  In other words, they can be interfered with by
outside forces such as government or fellow citizens, but they
cannot be granted by them.  

It is important to distinguish between “rights” which are natural
and independent, and “privileges” which are dependent on the
actions of others or the granting by government.  Most if not all
social programs commonly claimed as “rights” are in reality
privileges and not rights at all.  For example, healthcare, financial
or economic security, civil marriage, etc., are all privileges
because they must be actively supplied by someone else,
individually or collectively through government or other groups.

Government attempts at wealth or income redistribution or
“leveling” are unconstitutional infringements on our property
rights or the right to enjoy the fruits of our labor.  Taxes
confiscated from a few in order to provide social programs for
select individuals or groups are likewise unconstitutional
infringements on our right to the “pursuit of happiness” insofar as
it diminishes our own prosperity.

Any effort to renew the conservative movement and get it “back on
track” must be anchored in these principles and directed toward
the defense and promotion of our founding documents, the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.  These
documents are the sum total of the true Conservative Manifesto.

Restoring The Constitution
First in a series

2008 has been a year of crises.  Crises in energy, housing, and credit have all made for a very dramatic year, with the
antics of Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich thrown in at the end for comic relief.  2009 promises to usher in the most
serious crisis of all, a crisis in government.  The forces of socialism and capitalism threaten to clash head on with the
American people caught in the middle.


In Defense of Gov. Blagojevich

If you live in Illinois you are probably hoping the Governor, Rod Blagojevich will just go away.  If you are also a politician, you
are probably hoping he can be eased out of office without being forced to allow the people of Illinois to elect a replacement
for Obama's open Senate seat.  I, on the other hand, am hoping that he hangs on for another two years.  


The Obama Presidency Continues to Take Shape

President-Elect Barack Obama continues to round out his White House and Cabinet positions with appointees drawn from
the Illinois political mafia.  This week he named two more cabinet level appointees from Illinois, Congressman Ray La
Hood (R-Peoria), Secretary of Transportation, and Arne Duncan, CEO Chicago Public Schools as Secretary of Education.
More...

The Coming Revolution

As the world anxiously awaits the outcome of the balloting of the Electoral College to see who the next President of the
United States will be, we are reminded once more of how far we have strayed from the Constitution model of government
set up by the Founders.   Even before the Electoral College vote was announced, Barack Obama held a press conference
announcing his selection for key offices dealing with energy and the environment in his coming administration.  During the
event, he peered out at the assembled reporters over a sign emblazoned with the legend “Office of the President Elect”.  
Read Rest of Article

Taking Back Our Government

2008 and 2009 will mark the most cataclysmic changes in American society since the revolution of 1776.  Our government
will have been taken over in a bloodless coup.  Barack Obama will step into the White House on January 20th to take the
helm of “The Socialist States of America”, the way having been prepared for him by President Bush, Henry Paulson and
Ben Bernanke.  Read Rest of Article


Save the Electoral College

The end of 2008 finds America in one of the most precarious situations since its founding, its Constitution in tatters and its
free market economy under assault as never before.  All thanks to unscrupulous politician’s lust for power and an
uninformed public bent on raiding the pocketbooks of their fellow citizens to satisfy their own wishes.  Read Rest of Article

The Bush Legacy

If President Bush had stayed at least partially faithful to his oath of office, historians may have listed him along with Reagan
and Truman for his stand against Islamic terrorism.  Instead, he will be listed with Roosevelt and Johnson as the
President who finally brought socialism to America.

On Thursday, Republicans in the Senate stopped the ill-advised bailout of the United Auto Workers union.  Unfortunately,
their reasons were not because of its violation of free market capitalism or the Constitution.  Their reasons were more
pragmatic than principled.  The Senators did not believe the proposed loan would be effective without major revisions in
the industry’s cost structure, particularly its labor costs.        Read Rest of Article

Welcome To Politics, Chicago Style

After reading all seventy-six pages of the Blagojevich indictment, I am shocked—shocked that anyone would be shocked
that politicians engage in politics.  Welcome to politics, Illinois and Chicago style.
Read Rest of  Article


The Continuing Attack on the Electoral College

On Monday (4/8/08) Illinois became the third state to attempt to dump the Electoral College by state law rather than by
Constitutional amendment.  The elimination of the Electoral College has long been a goal of progressives, socialists and
the Democratic Party.  Attempts to get it abolished in the past by amending the Constitution have all failed.
Read full post

The Obama Gamble

Was the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States a bridge too far for the socialist movement?  Since the
beginning of our Republic, the political struggle has been between a liberal big government and a conservative limited
government.  The early contests were between the federalists led by Alexander Hamilton and John Adams and the
republicans led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Read full post

Can't We Just Jail Them All?

If Hank Paulson, Ben Bernanke, Nancy Pelosi, George Bush and the other principals in the government’s attempted
bailouts of our struggling economy were employed in the private sector they would be in danger of criminal indictment.  The
charges would be conspiracy to commit fraud and embezzlement.
Read full post

Common Myths About Constitution

At some time in our education experience, we were all required to read the Constitution, and probably tested on our
understanding of it as well.  As time passed and our memories faded into history, we forgot much of what we had learned;
to be replaced with myths and beliefs about the Constitution that have crept into our political mythology over the years.  
Three of these myths in particular, have proven to be destructive to the republican principles on which our nation was
founded.
Read full Post

Interpreting the Constitution

One of the ongoing controversies that have plagued us for the past two hundred or so years is how we should interpret the
Constitution.  Should it be interpreted literally or in some esoteric fashion?  I suppose we should not be too upset that we
have not solved the problem in over two hundred years.  The same controversy also surrounds the Bible and it is
thousands of years old.
Read full post

A Guide For Conservatives

There seems to be a widespread belief that the conservative movement in America is passé, that traditional conservatives
are no longer relevant.  We are told that in order to have any influence within our political system we must moderate our
views and become more liberal in our thinking.  Times have changed and conservatives must change or be left behind, we
are advised.
Read full post

A Litmus Test For Conservative Leadership

For almost two years, conservatives have been torn between their principles and the pragmatic desire to elect a
Republican President for the good of the country.  Now that the election is over and the Democratic Party has won, the
political urgency for conservatives is no longer as intense.  We have a little time to rethink just what the conservative
movement’s role is in American politics, including our relationship with the Republican Party.[...]  Read full post
Creative Commons License
"A wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men
from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise
free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and
improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor
the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good
government."      Thomas Jefferson
It is impossible to rightly govern a nation
without God and the Bible.
 ~George Washington