Republicans’ “A Pledge To America”–A Good Start Or A Missed Opportunity–Videos
“History does not long entrust the care of freedom to the weak or the timid.”
~ President Dwight D. Eisenhower
Republicans Outline ‘Pledge to America’
A Pledge To America
Paul Ryan on House Republicans’ Pledge To America
Paul Ryan: Stop all tax hikes
Fox News interview: A Pledge to America
GOP’s “Pledge to America”
Mike Pence discusses “A Pledge to America” on FOX
Roskam Talks Pledge For America on CNBC
GOP Pledge to America
GOP’s new ‘Pledge to America’
Laura Ingraham Interviews Paul Ryan On A Pledge To America
Full Text of Republican
A Pledge to America
a new governing agenda build on
The Priorities of Our Nation
The Principles We Stand For
&
America’s Founding Values
Preamble
America is more than a country.
America is an idea – an idea that free people can govern themselves, that government’s powers
are derived from the consent of the governed, that each of us is endowed by their Creator with
the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. America is the belief that any
man or woman can – given economic, political, and religious liberty – advance themselves, their
families, and the common good.
America is an inspiration to those who yearn to be free and have the ability and the dignity to
determine their own destiny.
Whenever the agenda of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the
people to institute a new governing agenda and set a different course.
These first principles were proclaimed in the Declaration of Independence, enshrined in the
Constitution, and have endured through hard sacrifice and commitment by generations of
Americans.
In a self-governing society, the only bulwark against the power of the state is the consent of the
governed, and regarding the policies of the current government, the governed do not consent.
An unchecked executive, a compliant legislature, and an overreaching judiciary have combined
to thwart the will of the people and overturn their votes and their values, striking down longstanding
laws and institutions and scorning the deepest beliefs of the American people.
An arrogant and out-of-touch government of self-appointed elites makes decisions, issues
mandates, and enacts laws without accepting or requesting the input of the many.
2
Rising joblessness, crushing debt, and a polarizing political environment are fraying the bonds
among our people and blurring our sense of national purpose.
Like free peoples of the past, our citizens refuse to accommodate a government that believes it
can replace the will of the people with its own. The American people are speaking out,
demanding that we realign our country’s compass with its founding principles and apply those
principles to solve our common problems for the common good.
The need for urgent action to repair our economy and reclaim our government for the people
cannot be overstated.
With this document, we pledge to dedicate ourselves to the task of reconnecting our highest
aspirations to the permanent truths of our founding by keeping faith with the values our nation
was founded on, the principles we stand for, and the priorities of our people. This is our Pledge
to America.
We pledge to honor the Constitution as constructed by its framers and honor the original intent
of those precepts that have been consistently ignored – particularly the Tenth Amendment,
which grants that all 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 pledge to advance policies that promote greater liberty, wider opportunity, a robust defense,
and national economic prAmerica is more than a country.
We make this pledge bearing true faith and allegiance to the people we represent, and we invite
fellow citizens and patriots to join us in forming a new governing agenda for America. …”
http://www.gop.gov/resources/library/documents/solutions/a-pledge-to-america.pdf
The biggest problem with “A Pledge To American” is its failure to address in a bold and creative way the economic problems facing the United States and its people.
Does the Republican Pledge permanently close one or more Federal Departments?
No.
Milton Friedman on Libertarianism (Part 4 of 4)
Debt bomb 12 How to cut federal spending
Ronald Reagan – “We the People”
Does the Republican Pledge offer comprehensive tax reform such as the national sales consumption tax to replace the Federal Income Tax, payroll, estate and gift taxes?
No.
The FairTax: It’s Time
Does the Republican Pledge produce annual surplus budgets by limiting Federal Government spending to 80% of FairTax revenue?
No.
Deficits, Debts and Unfunded Liabilities: The Consequences of Excessive Government Spending
Does the Republican Pledge transform Social Security and Medicare to an individually controlled and owned investment retirement account and health insurance plan.
No.
Social Security Ponzi Scheme
Does the Republican Pledge address illegal immigration by demanding immigration law enforcement and the removal and deportation of illegal aliens?
No.
Lou Dobbs – E-Verify & Border Fence may be canceled – Feb 16, 2009
Bilbray on the Cost of Illegal Immigration and Amnesty
Why not?
The Republican Pledge was vetted by political consultants and lobbyists on K street who oppose all of the above as do the Republican establishment.
The Republican Pledge is simply timid or more precisely the anti-Obama agenda.
The Republican Pledge is neither bold nor inspiring with the exception of the preamble.
Going back to 2008 in Federal spending levels and freezing Federal Government employee hiring is too little too late.
Why would we want to go back to where we were just two years ago?
Now if you want to go back to 1928 Federal spending levels under President Calvin Coolidge that would be ambitious.
A return to the Republican establishment status quo in 2008 is playing defense.
Both the economic policies and government intervention of Bush and Obama are responsible for the Great Recession.
This reminds me of the economic policies and government intervention of Hoover and Roosevelt in the 1930s that led to the Great Depression.
Time to go on the offense.
Independents and tea party patriots will not be impressed.
Yes, the Pledge is better than the agenda of progressive radical socialists Democratic Party led by Barack Obama.
This is a a very low bar or standard to exceed.
Time for a new third political party with the tea party patriots as its core base with independents and the young as its growth opportunity.
Glenn Beck nailed it, the Pledge tells you what you want to hear, but does not tell you the truth and what you need to hear.
Glenn Beck-09/23/10-A
Glenn Beck-09/23/10-B
Glenn Beck-09/23/10-C
Ron Paul is also right, a GOP victory in 2010 would bring no change.
It would take several election cycles before the mess in Washington is cleaned up and the economy on the road to recovery a growth.
American Morning: Ron Paul on the state of the GOP
Ron Paul: GOP 2010 Victory Would Bring No Change
our pledge
As government expands, liberty contracts.
~President Ronald Reagan
Background Articles and Videos
Ronald Reagan TV Ad: “Its morning in America again”
Milton Friedman – The Great Depression Myth
Unpacking the “Pledge to America”
By Daniel Foster
“…The Pledge places job creation front and center, promising to stop all tax hikes scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2011 — not just those singled out by the Obama administration. The plan would also give small businesses the ability to deduct 20 percent of income from tax returns and, in an effort to tame productivity-stifling overregulation, would require congressional approval for any new administration rules that would impact the economy by $100 million or more.
Turning its attention to spending and the size of government, the Pledge proposes to immediately end TARP, cancel unspent stimulus dollars, and “roll back government spending to pre-stimulus, pre-bailout levels,” a move estimated to save $116 billion in the first year alone. It promises to end the government’s involvement in the revenue-sapping GSEs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac while shrinking their portfolios and establishing new capital standards.
To rein in the size of government, the document proposes a hiring freeze on non-security personnel, and calls for any new federal program to come with a “sunset” clause that would place the onus on legislators to routinely reassess its merits and justify new funding.
But the plan does not set specific spending targets, promising only to “significantly” reduce Congress’s next budget and place a “hard cap” on the growth of future discretionary spending.
And it is decidedly vague on entitlement reform, laying out in broad terms a commitment to “regularly review” and “fully account” for Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid growth, but stopping well short of embracing specific entitlement reforms like those proposed in Wisconsin GOP congressman Paul Ryan’s “Roadmap.” …”
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/247471/unpacking-pledge-america-daniel-foster
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