Bits & Pieces - July 15th, 2012

Given the level of activity within the body politic during the Madison Conservatives’ minor summer sojourn, a quick assessment of several more notable events is in order before we return next week to our platform construction and analysis.

First and foremost was the Supreme Courts’ ruling on the Affordable care Act (ACA). It is the belief of the Madison Conservative that while the Supreme Court is the final and decisive voice in all such issues, on this particular ruling the court was in egregious error.

To wit:

It is not the courts’ responsibility to alter legislation. This is in effect what Chief Roberts did by deeming the legislation constitutional within the framework of Congress’ ability to tax. The ACA does not include within its funding mechanisms any accommodation for new legislation taxing the American people; the mandate was deemed to be just that – a requirement based upon a person being alive. The proponents of the ACA repeatedly asserted that the funding was not and would never be a ‘tax’. While the court held by a majority that the attempt to justify the ACA within the Commerce Clause was unconstitutional, the Madison Conservative believes that this decision was the extent of the courts jurisdiction on the matter. Chief Justice John Roberts created the constitutionality under the taxing authority out of essentially whole cloth. It has now established a dangerous precedent that Congress can force an individual to buy anything – or forbid the purchase thereof – by using their power to create taxes as they arbitrarily may choose.

In a strange twist, the current debate on voter ID laws is almost comically tied to the ACA.

To wit:

The political class that believes that any and all Voter ID laws are discriminatory, racist and are part of a much greater nefarious plan to subjugate portions of the electorate seem to be equally vocal in their support for the Affordable Care Act.

The arguments made against the ID laws is that it is unfair and too great a burden to require an individual to attain a valid state issued photo ID; the apparent applied  intent is to create a de facto poll tax.

The twist is that these voices seem to feel no encumbrance on requiring individuals to acquire valid ID to gain access to health care under the ACA. The hypocrisy seems to be lost on those who decry the voter ID laws. The question needs to be asked – why is it acceptable to require a valid ID for health care but not required in order to provide a voice in the direction of the nation?  To follow the logic, there should be no ID required to either vote or receive medical attention.

Both topics come with a myriad of substantial tangential issues that the Madison Conservative will address in greater detail as the weeks progress, but it was felt a brief commentary on them was needed.

The last subject that must be addressed is Mitt Romney’s speech to the NAACP.

It was reprehensible the way the speech was covered by self professed liberal leaning media outlets. The true nature of intolerance was brought out into the open and yet went amazingly silent by those media outlets that tend to a more politically rightward slant.

Consider this: the common denominator in the media that while Mr. Romney was received politely and respectfully and even garnered a standing ovation at the conclusion of his remarks, the only sound bite presented were the boos when Mr. Romney announced he would work to repeal the ACA.  The commentators were of one voice questioning why Mr. Romney would even dare to show up – he obviously had no real right to address the NAACP convention.

No quarter asked the most pertinent question; why not? Mr. Romney did not pander to his audience – he presented his view of how he perceived the nature of the upcoming election. He treated his audience as fellow Americans; he told them his truth as he saw it.

The theory that he had no right to address the NAACP is disgusting on its face – a president SHOULD be the president of ALL Americans, not merely those who share his political beliefs. Imagine the hue and cry from the liberal media had Mr. Romney opted to ignore the invitation issued by the NAACP to address their convention. There seemed to be little note that the sitting president did NOT attend the convention – addressing it as he did by video is disrespectful at least.

As the campaign season winds through the nation, the Madison Conservative will continue to present a platform that speaks to the American people in a way that addresses fundamental issues for the health of the body politic.