Dan Liljenquist

Today, a member of my meetup group said she didn’t feel I had done my homework on Orrin Hatch, and wondered why I felt he wasn’t standing up for our Constitution. I respect her right to disagree, and wrote this quick email back. Then I decided to just make it public. I know he has many votes and he believes we are “cherry-picking” but these few votes, put in context of our current situation show a lack of understanding for the free-market, self-government, Federalism, and our Constitution.

I’ve included a few photos to corroborate my story.

_________________________________________________________________________

For the benefit of the group, I will be happy to share my personal and political experiences with Orrin Hatch. I have met with Orrin personally now on 4 or 5 occasions over lunch or breakfast. As you know, he came to Coalville a year ago and did a town hall that I set up for him. He has called me personally from his cell phone in DC as well, to talk “about things,” and I have flown to DC and met him there as well. I have expressed to him my frustration, only to be told, “I didn’t understand.” This is nothing more than DC arrogance, and I’m done with it. These guys work for us. This is not second-hand information but direct votes and my personal experience.

If you don’t know much about me, I am a very self-educated individual and consider myself an avid student of government, history, and human nature.

I was frustrated over TARP in 2008. HATCH VOTED YES! I believed that vote under Bush (and I am a Republican) could eventually create the downfall of our economic system. I was trading the stock market that day and AIG was getting the $80 Billion bailout. I knew this was a direct violation of free-market principles, and I also understood history. Anytime a government tries to artificially manipulate the free-market system it either creates a deeper recession or depression, or complete collapse of an economy. It rarely if ever turns out good. That was a Pandora’s Box.
I began looking into Hatch’s record. There is a website where you can see many of his votes that have been in direct violation with smaller government, or the constitution in and of itself. www.hatchrecord.com This is a page with accurate information.
Medicare Part D was THE BIGGEST entitlement before Obamacare occurred in this country.
NDAA 2012 is another huge violation of our civil liberties. (See post)
SCHIP — bad legislation
In May he voted against an amendment put forward by Senator Rand Paul that would STOP allowing the FDA to do armed raids against people who drink raw milk, and sell goat cheese without a warrant. Mike Lee, Rand Paul, and Mike Crapo (the guy who will be the finance chair from Idaho if Hatch does not return.) all voted in favor of this amendment. This amendment would have put back in place our 4th amendment rights that we are not to be improperly searched or seized without a written warrant from a judge.
He has voted to raise the debt ceiling $7.6 Trillion dollars (almost 1/2 of our current national debt)
He has been in office longer than a dictator.
He is using the same tactics that got us into the mess to try to get us out. It won’t work.
His son works as a lobbyist for a pharmaceutical company and much of his donation money comes from that industry.
I’ve heard him publicly say the FDA deserves more money and more power.
He approved Cass Sunstein as regulatory czar.
He approved Ruth Bader Ginsberg to the supreme court.
The Senate Finance Chair should not be someone who has been fiscally irresponsible over the last 36 years.
Dan Liljenquist worked at Bain Capitol (Mitt Romney‘s company) and I’m sure he’ll get along just fine if he is the president.
Hill AFB is not in danger. BRAC determines which bases close and which don’t. Hill is getting tons of money dumped into it right now, and we are building the NSA right here in Utah, so it will need close defense of that BILLION dollar building.
Voted for the Federal Department of Education (and took away the ability for states to have control over education)

I hope all of you will do your own homework. This is just a short list of my reasons.

(I haven’t blogged in a long time … sorry)

It has been a long time since I have posted anything. However, today is the first day of a New Year. We have so much to be grateful for in this country, but we also have much to be wary of as well. Today, a bill (HR 1540) goes into effect. This is the NDAA or National Defense Authorization Act. This one bill is over 500 pages, and quietly passed into law. Click here for a link to the bill.

This is anything but an exhaustive article, but I want to hit a few points, so take the time to read this briefly and then dig deep and find your own answers.

Today, I would dare say, our Constitution hangs by a thread. I am reminded of the phrase attributed to Martin Niemöller,

“First they came for the communists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a Jew. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”

This statement was first published in 1955 in a book called, They Thought They Were Free. How many Americans watched the ball drop, celebrated with friends, played games and got drunk last night, and thought they were free? I know that I enjoyed the night with family and friends alike. However, I have no illusion that I am as free today as I was yesterday. I still live in the greatest country on earth. I still have more freedoms than most people have ever had, but they are dwindling quickly, and I am watching.

: Image via Wikipedia

I belong to many different “groups” on Facebook. There are many disccusions…usually trivial and meaningless, but sometimes the debates are very interesting. I am saddened by the educational dead zone that exists. Yes, many know some facts, and many know the rhetoric on the left and on the right, but many are blind to the duplication of history that is being performed right before their eyes. At least, some of them. They trust their government. They trust that human nature “could never” do something like happened to the Jews during WWII. But it has begun, in the same manner as it did then, and many other times in history. You remember the saying, those that do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. One of our Utah Representatives, Rob Bishop, was a history teacher. Has he forgotten the lessons he taught? Because it appears he saw no problem with this bill.

Let’s not repeat history, let’s make history. Let’s be the first nation in the history of the world to not fall into tyranny, but liberate ourselves once again the individuals in America from a tyrannical Federal Government, that believe our rights as American citizens can be tossed aside for a little safety. We do this not by violent measures, but by a strong state government that is unwilling to allow the Federal government to overreach its jurisdiction within our state.

I am not a Rachel Maddow fan, but this clip illustrates that this is not a left / right issue, but an issue of civil liberties that should alarm all of us. It is not R’s vs. D’s. It is us (the people) against the tyranny of a much-too-large Federal government and it’s overreaching powers and authority. The blame I place is not on the Democrats, because the Republicans control the House. It does not sit entirely on Obama’s shoulders, however, he signed it without a veto as he should have.

You can see how your House representatives voted click HERE. Three of Utah’s representatives (Jim Mattheson –D , Rob Bishop –R , and Orrin Hatch of the Senate – R) decided your rights as an American citizen no longer deserved the protection granted in the Bill of Rights. What does the Oath of Office mean to people? Does it mean anything? Do they understand they are not there to protect us from would-be crimes, but to protect our rights and liberties? How long will the people of Utah allow their representatives to disregard their oath? We have many Republicans running against Jim Mattheson in the 4th district including two of my favorites, Carl Wimmer and Mia Love. We have a few candidates considering Orrin Hatch be “called home” namely Dan Liljenquist and Chris Herrod. Also, Tim Aalders has talked about running, but is not official as of late. But who is challenging Rob Bishop? No one! Really? He goes unchallenged, and that causes me to believe Utah is fast asleep at the wheel, or they think Rob unbeatable.

Montana is doing something about this, and I hope Utah will join in the fight with them. It’s time to re-call these men for violating their oath. See the Montana article HERE. But in order to be like Montana, we will need a very strong governor that will push hard against the Federal government. So far, Gary Herbert hasn’t been that guy. Our individual liberty demands that our state sovereignty be strengthened. We have a few candidates that have stepped up to run against Utah’s governor, namely Morgan Philpot and Ken Sumsion.

I’ve had people say to me, “Come on this will never affect YOU.” Well, this bill, hasn’t had time yet, but it’s predecessor, The Patriot Act already has. Rachel Maddow brings up the movie “The Minority Report.” Please read my post on that subject here called Guilty until Proven Innocent. For I have felt the sting of The Patriot Act myself, and wonder what would possess my Federal Government to suddenly see me, a mother of five, as a terrorist? And yet, I was questioned because of the Patriot Act as if I was one. If I have no right to trial, no right to a lawyer, no right to even know my charges, then what hope would I ever have of liberty or freedom in this once great country?

Do you see how slippery the slope is when we trade essential liberty for a little temporary safety? In the words of Benjamin Franklin, “we will have neither, and deserve neither.”