“But you must remember, my fellow-citizens, that eternal vigilance by the people is the price of liberty, and that you must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing. It behooves you, therefore, to be watchful in your states as well as in the federal government.” Andrew Jackson, Farewell Address, March 4, 1837
Tea Party Thursday, August 5 at Sheldon’s Iowa state Bank 7:00 pm.
Republican Summer Gala August 27 at Hartley Community Center. Social hour begins at 5:30, catered supper at 6:30. Tickets required.
He intentionally fired into the air, but his political rival, Aaron
Burr, took deadly aim and fatally shot him in a duel JULY 11, 1804.
Born in the West Indies, he fought in the Revolution and was
aide-de-camp to General Washington.
He helped write the Constitution and convinced States to ratify it by
writing The Federalist Papers.
His name was Alexander Hamilton.
The first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton had written
in “The Farmer Refuted,” February 23, 1775:
“The sacred rights of mankind are not to be rummaged for among old
parchments or musty records. They are written, as with a sunbeam, in
the whole volume of human nature, by the Hand of the Divinity itself,
and can never be erased or obscured by mortal power.”
Alexander Hamilton continued:
“Good and wise men, in all ages…have supposed that the Deity, from
the relations we stand in to Himself, and to each other, has
constituted an eternal and immutable law, which is indispensably
obligatory upon all mankind.”
On April 16, 1802, Alexander Hamilton wrote to James Bayard:
“Let an association be formed to be denominated ‘The Christian
Constitutional Society,’ its object to be first: The support of
Christian religion; second: The support of the United States.”
American Minute with Bill Federer
“Every thinking man, when he thinks, realizes that the teachings of the Bible are so interwoven and intertwined with our whole civic and social life that it would be literally impossible for us to figure for ourselves what life would be like if these standards were removed. We would lose almost all of the standards by which we now judge both public and private morals; all of the standards towards which we, with more or less resolution, strive to raise ourselves.” - President Theodore Roosevelt, 1910 message on The New Nationalism.
“Above all, I know there is a Supreme Being who rules the affairs of men and whose goodness and mercy have always followed the American people, and I know he will not turn from us now if we humbly and reverently seek his powerful aid.” - From the Second Inaugural Address
Grover Cleveland (1837 – 1908), 22nd and 24th President of the United States
My reading of history convinces me
that most bad government results from too much
government.
I predict future happiness forAmericans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.
“NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!” Winston Churchill.
James Garfield
Now more than ever the people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless, and corrupt, it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness, and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave, and pure, it is because the people demand these high qualities to represent them in the national legislature. . . . [I]f the next centennial does not find us a great nation . . . it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture, and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces.
[James A. Garfield, The Works of James Abram Garfield, Burke Hinsdale, editor (Boston: James R. Osgood and Company, 1883), Vol. II, pp. 486, 489, "A Century of Congress," July, 1877.]
“Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him, who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our present difficulty.” – Abraham Lincoln
This season’s snow falls and Snowpocalypse presents a great opportunity to remember our president who also suffered through the cold to save the Republic.
The third Monday in February has come to be known—wrongly—as President’s Day. But, this is not a day to celebrate every president in our Nation’s history: like one who served only a month in office. This is the day that we celebrate the man who led America to victory in the War for Independence, who was instrumental in the creation of our Constitution, and whose character forever shaped the executive branch. We celebrate George Washington. That’s why it’s Washington’s Birthday; not President’s day.
What makes George Washington a great president, worthy of such celebration, and example to all other presidents? In short, he was committed to the principles of the American Founding. Liberty, Natural Rights, Equality, Religious Liberty, Economic Opportunity, the Rule of Law, Constitutionalism, Self-government, National Independence: these are the truths that George Washington held.
Matthew Spalding, in his latest book We Still Hold These Truths, explains each of these first principles in depth and often points to Washington as an exemplar practitioner. For instance, Spalding points to an important series of letters to different religious congregations as an example Washington’s commitment to the principle of religious liberty. In a letter to a congregation of Jewish people, one of the most persecuted religious minorities in all history, Washington explains:
The citizens of the United States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind examples of an enlarged and liberal policy—a policy worthy of imitation. All possess alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that toleration is spoken of as if it were the indulgence of one class of people that another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights, for, happily, the Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean themselves as good citizens in giving it on all occasions their effectual support.
Washington understood that citizenship did not require professing particular religious doctrines. Nor does the possession of rights depend upon one’s membership in a certain race or social class.
Not all presidents are George Washington. But all presidents—and all Americans—can and should dedicate themselves to preserving American’s First Principles.
(from Heritage Foundation Morning Bell 2/15/2010)
In spite of what some lawmakers would have us believe, the failure of the IMA to get out of committee this week is not the end of our hopes for action for this legislative session. It can still be brought to the floor of the Senate during this term – if we can get 26 members to sign on. We have 23 Senators, and we should have had Senator Kibbie’s signature on this resolution as well. He did, in fact, promise he would vote in support of the IMA if it came to a vote.
Newspaper quote from Senator Jack Kibbie:
Kibbie said he would vote to place an amendment before the people during a referendum.
”If it comes up in my presence and the roll call is called for Jack Kibbie’s vote it will be in favor of letting you vote,’‘ he said.
- The Messenger, Nov. 22, 2009
It did come to a vote. He did not support it.
It seems that Senator Kibbie is not a man of his word. It seems that Senator Kibbie refuses to faithfully represent his constituents.
The IFPC folks put it this way:
either Senator Kibbie should sign the pledge to support the IMA with all the power of his office,
or he should resign from his position.
That’s it – either SIGN or RESIGN.
Do the job he was hired to do, or get out of the way.