Politics: Constitution Party reflects Christian Right
Mike Kole is chagrined. He believes that bloggers are picking on the Libertarian Party. I disagree. Folks are merely describing the muddled mess the libertarians are. But, for now, let's give'em a break. It is time to revisit the Constitution Party. I last recall mentioning it in regard to a potential presidential candidacy by the runaway judge of Alabama, Roy Moore. He became very popular with the Christian Right when he placed a large granite sculpture depicting the Ten Commandments in the state's judicial building. After the monument was removed because it violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution, and he lost his judgeship, Moore was seen as a martyr by his fellow travelers. Many of them wanted him to run for president of the United States. Moore chose not to seek the nomination to lead the Constitution Party's ticket.
The nominee is
Michael Peroutka of Maryland. The man is like another Mike, Badnarik, presidential standard bearer for the Libertarians, only more far out. He has made this promise.
“On my first day in office, I will obey my Oath and abolish the Federal income tax, end ‘legal’ abortion, get the U.S. out of the U.N., withdraw from NAFTA, GATT, WTO, IMF, and the World Bank, begin the process of deporting illegal aliens and protecting the borders, refuse to enforce Federal gun control laws that infringe on the right to keep and bear arms, restore the Ten Commandments in the courts, refuse to recognize homosexual marriages, abolish the Department of Education, and end all Federal funding of education.”
At the American Independent Party's website, Peroutka expands on his vision.
~ Taxes. Peroutka says: "The tax code is a nightmare from hell. Taxes are crushing us at the Federal level because those running the national government do not care if what they are doing is constitutional or not." He proposes to "abolish the IRS" and "eliminate the income tax.”
~ Abortion. "As President," Peroutka says, "I would start with a formal acknowledgement of the legal person-hood of every child from the moment of conception. Under my presidency, Roe v. Wade will not be enforced," and funding will be cut off for Planned Parenthood and to other organizations which promote abortion.
~ American Sovereignty. Baldwin says: "The United States is an independent nation and has no authority or commission to 'change the world'. Independent nationhood is the gift and plan of God. Anyone attempting to bring about an international 'New World Order' will meet with the same fate as did the builders of Babel."
The CP differs from the Libertarians mainly in its explicit embrace of religion. The intention to establish a theocracy is stated in the preamble to its platform.
This great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been and are afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.
The goal of the Constitution Party is to restore American jurisprudence to its Biblical foundations and to limit the federal government to its Constitutional boundaries.
The Constitution Party, which boasts more than a million members, consists of the remnants of George Wallace's American Independent Party, members of the Christian Right, disaffected Republicans and/or members of the Southern heritage movement. The CP has been endorsed by the Dixie Daily News, the most prominent neo-Confederate publication on the Internet. The Libertarians were second in the periodical's poll of readers' preference for the presidency. George W. Bush received five percent of the vote.
Chuck Baldwin, a far Right preacher and talk radio host, is running for vice-president on the CP ticket.
There is considerable disagreement among far Right Republicans, Libertarians and members of the Constitution Party. For the religious, the dissension is often about who is holier than his adversary. But, to an observer, far Right Republicans and their third-party peers appear to have much in common.
Reasonably related
•Vote Smart hosts a Michael Peroutka page.
His positions on the issues can be found there.
•Remember George Wallace at the News Hour with Jim Lehrer.
