Author: Simeo

This comment is without regard to party. About a week ago I watched on television Sen. Robert Byrd, WV chair the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Sad. Watching a 91 year old Senator struggle with text obviously written for him by staff. I am old myself, 78. I enjoy the fact that I have been blessed with a keen mind to this date. Yet, I am mindful that my present state will erode over more years.

The Catholic Church has a rule that clerics in leadership must submit their resignations at age 75. Beyond that, they serve at the pleasure of the Pope.

There should be some mechanism that would require the Chairpersons of any congressional committee be subject to a four year limitation of serving as chairman or chairwoman, and be less than 71 years of age at the time of election to head any committee.

What is evident to me over time is that the State of West Virginia is represented in congress by staff. That’s not representative government.

I believe that we may now have the opportunity to achieve by change the notion that political representation should be a fluid process and not impeded by self-serving personal and political interests. I’m starting to back away from the “term limit” idea as the method to correct the representation injustice. Not because the “term limit” result is bad, but because I believe the desired result can be made elsewhere with less effort, but requiring patience. As Glen Beck, conservative commentator, says on TV each evening, “Here’s how I got there.”

My thought is that in about 8 years, two national election cycles, the Republican and Democrat party will now longer dominate politics. For decades, NBC, CBS, and ABC were the primary source of television news and content. Enter the Cable Network, and each “over the air” network is fighting for survival. People, now given a choice to select TV channels for themselves, no longer walk in TV lockstep. For decades, the print media was the primary source of print news and content. Enter the Internet, and the print media is fighting for survival. People, now given a choice on what to view about news and opinion on the Internet, no longer walk in “print” lockstep.

Today, now that news, content, and opinion, is no longer “filtered” by the national and local media because it can be obtained “where, what, and when” by personal choice, the divergent political views of our voters will become segmented along the same lines as the way the public chooses media has become segmented. And because the voters will be segmented, they now longer can be controlled through media “filtration.” Example. When cable started, one channel was the Food Network. Generally, media was indifferent to this channel because in the Media mind the amount of content they were providing about food in bits and pieces was enough. That’s filtration. Trouble was, the public wanted 24/7 food content.

Here is how, in my opinion, it is going to impact politics soon. Voters are becoming strongly politically segmented because the voter is adhering to the same knowledge pattern “unfiltered.” Means this. Political third parties will no longer assemble prior to national elections, then fall apart after the election. They will no longer be protest parties, but political parties representing the advocacy of the segmented group from which they rose. And like the Food Network, the new parties are not going to fade away.

So, Gallo, “What does all of this have to do with term limits?”

Envision a Congress ten years into the future. I believe you will see a Congress made up of many parties, none of which dominate the legislative landscape. I believe that all the “bad” which we believe can be corrected by term limits, can be corrected by simple legislative action. Not constitutional amendments, but Acts of Congress. So, what should a new political party like the Conservative Party USA of which I am a member advocate at this time? I believe we should advocate new legislative law, because new laws can be passed given the complexion of the future Congress.

My suggestions for new acts of law;

1. Shifting the “pay” of Congress to the district level. Article I, Sect 6., of the U.S. Constitution says, “The senators and representatives shall receive a compensation for their services, to be ascertained by law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States.” Consequently, this “pay” change is a change of law, not a constitutional amendment.

2. No retention of campaign funds. Elections should be level playing fields. Therefore, residual campaign funds of both the successful and unsuccessful candidates should be transmitted to the United States Treasury for deposit in the “pay” account for the respective election district. A law, not a constitutional amendment.

3. Rotation Of Committee Chairpersons. Article I, Sect. 5., of the U.S. Constitution says, “Each house may determine the rules of its proceedings, … The American Conservative Party should move to effect change of the rules of the respective body to provide that the chairmanship of committees is term limited to 4 years.

4. Bills must be germane. We must stop the ability of a legislator to introduce a pet project into a non-germane act in exchange for a vote.

These 4 items, and others that may and should be added, will begin to halt the sense of political superiority of Congress. I believe, with what is my vision of the future Congress, legislators will act to serve the will of the people. What is exciting to me is that it all can be achieved “drop by drop” by a Congress truly made up in membership that mirrors the “real” United States.

This comment is without regard to party. At this moment I am watching Sen. Robert Byrd, WV chair the Senate Committee on Appropriations. Sad. Watching a 91 year old Senator struggle with text obviously written for him by staff. I am old myself, 78. I enjoy the fact that I have been blessed with a keen mind to this date. Yet, I am mindful that my present state will erode over more years.

The Catholic Church has a rule that clerics in leadership must submit their resignations at age 75. Beyond that, they serve at the pleasure of the Pope.

There should be some mechanism that would require the Chairpersons of any congressional committee be subject to an age limitation of 75 years of age. Beyond that, they must pass a vote of 2/3rds of the entire body on the issue of mental capacity.

What is evident to me over time is that the State of West Virginia is represented in congress by staff. That’s not representative government.

I feel somewhat like the founding fathers must have felt after the last day of the constitutional convention in Philadelphia, satisfied, yet a bit apprehensive. Today, I filed the Articles of Incorporation of the Louisiana Conservative Party, Inc. with the Secretary of State and the Parish Clerk of Court. So, Louisiana is now legally in business.

As my state party moves forward, it moves, not as a protest political party, but a party to be built upon the principled law created by our nation’s founding fathers. The unfortunate part is that most citizens today lack the knowledge about our nation’s creation. So, a great deal of the time consumed by the conservative movement will by necessity be in re-educating our fellow citizens about America’s constitutional history. We will not succeed moving our party forward through protest, and we will not move our conservative values forward until minds are educated.

Quite often the remark is made about the success of the American “revolution.” “How could it have happened?” is asked. John Adams is quoted as having addressed the answer, when he said that the revolution was already in the hearts and mind of the colonists. I believe, as I know most of you do, that down deep, America’s people know what is right. It is in their hearts and minds, but they have not had an outlet for expression during the past several decades. It is so evident today with the presidential campaigns. The Republican party moves to the center, hoping to entice the “Conservative Republicans.” On the other hand, the Democratic party moves to the center, hoping to entice the “Blue Dog” conservatives. Everyone wants “middle America.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, our party is the center! It’s easy. America is made of citizens, most all to the center. It is in their hearts and minds. Our job is to get them to have the courage to act through their hearts and minds.

How did “it” all get in our hearts and minds, both now, and in 1776? It was because the intellectual foundation was based on the biblical view of man’s inalienable rights. A natural order “created” by a supreme being, call it what you wish. I call it God.

Mark me delusional…I’m not! But, the conservative movement, and our party, is guaranteed ultimate success because our success already exists in our hearts and minds. We see it being revealed each day as America rebels against the “disorder” in our present political system. It is in disorder because the present system offends the values of America’s “middle.” So, in conclusion, let us not identify our party in juxtaposition to the others. Let us claim the “middle” as ours! We own it!