If you’re not listening to the people, you are not representing them

Lee’s Summit, October 6, 2010 –  In Texas Chet Edwards (http://chetedwards.com/2010/09/edwards-campaign-releases-new-ad-stand/) is running away from the liberal leadership, in Pennsylvania, Jason Altmire (http://jasonaltmire.com/) is touting his stand against the President and Nancy Pelosi, Mike McIntyre (http://www.mikeworksforme.com/media/commercials/) tells voters he doesn’t work for Obama, Reid nor Pelosi, and in Tennessee Bret Carter wrote a letter to Pelosi asking her to resign as Speaker of the house.  Where is Emanuel Cleaver (Missouri’s 5th Congressional District Representative and candidate for re-election)? He is steadfast in his support for Obama’s and Pelosi’s principles?
At times it seems simple.  At times it seems like we should all just pitch in and send our earnings to Washington so that they can wipe out the debt.  What is it to us to only live on say, 50% of our current wages so that Washington could pay off the debt?  Come on, it’s the kind thing to do; isn’t it?
Government revenues have grown steadily for the last 40 years.  Yet it seems that no matter how much more money the government receives from the taxpayers, the more money it feels it needs to spend.  Government has found ways to grow and to intrude in our daily lives in ways the framers of the constitution never envisioned.
In my interview with Jacob Turk one thing came through very clearly: Jacob Turk believes in small government constitutionally limited and that the Free Enterprise system with whatever flaws is still the best economic engine in the world.  If you understand the deep roots of his belief then the rest of his philosophy and campaign make sense.
It is time for Americans to rise up and take government back to the Constitution.  A great movement has risen to prominence in the last twenty months: The Tea Party.  They, unlike the Democrats I mentioned, are not running away from their core beliefs.  The stand steadfast for fiscally responsible conservative values that limit what Washington can and cannot do to the Constitution. 
It is important to note that only twenty months ago most of the conservative media spent their time writing a eulogy for the Republicans.  In a way they were correct; this is no longer the Republican Party that lost its way and spent money hand over fist. 
Turk in the interview said, “…the tea party people are regular Americans with a legitimate grievance against their government.” The initial grievance was the lack of fiscal responsibility. So, the revitalization of Conservative principles started with a simple idea: Get our financial house in order.
The options before all of us on November 2nd is condensed very simply to what do you believe is best for America: Large Government deeply entrenched in the business cycle and everyone’s personal life, or do you believe in small government allowing the free enterprise system to power our economy and deliver the American dream.
Democrats, at least four, are running away from the big Government idea of President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi.  A total of 31 of them sided with the Republican minority in trying to extend the current tax rates.  If the people in their own party are walking away from leadership to do battle with their conservative opponents don’t you think that is a show of where they think the country is headed?
Politicians, like Representative Ike Skelton (D-MO-4th district) Chairman of the Arm Services Committee with 19 years in government is facing a very tough challenge this time around.  Vicky Hartzler is truly taking him to task on his votes, his support of President Obama’s agenda and Speaker Pelosi.
Representative Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO-5th district) and Ike Skelton have one thing in common: They ignore the will of the people in Missouri.  Both voted for TARP when Missouri voters were against it.  They both also voted for the Bailout bill, those votes too were against the will of the Missouri voters.   Turk put it best when he said “…my opponent even admitted that 80% of the people who contacted him were against it.  When our elected officials ignore the will of the people that’s not governing, that’s tyranny.”
The United States of America is a REPRESENTATIVE Democracy.  It means we hire (vote in) people to represent us.  When they stop representing the will of the people that’s when you know they have lost touch with their electorate; and that’s the time usually when they get replaced.
It is time to send Ike Skelton and Emanuel Cleaver back home to celebrate their illustrious careers as representatives of the people; but their retirement should come with a footnote: They stopped listening to us.
Abraham Lincoln can be quoted to write the epitaph to these two Representatives from the State of Missouri.  He clearly defined what the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights were getting to: “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Ike Skelton and Emanuel Cleaver forgot the last part, “of the people, by the people, for the people”
Let us remind them on November 2nd, 2010.
Respectfully Submitted,
The Lee’s Summit Conservative.