Billy Long makes final fourth quarter push

Midnight tonight is the deadline for political contributions to be counted in fourth quarter results, so naturally, candidates are making last minute appeals, such as this one from Seventh District Congressional candidate Billy Long:

As the election draws closer and the Career Politicians in Washington spin further out of control your support is now more vital than ever.

It takes a lot of money to be successful in getting our message out of sending real Statesmen to Washington and not more career politicians who have never signed the front of a check.

The most current and glaring example of Congress’ dereliction of duty is the unconstitutional health care bill that has now passed in some form in both houses of Congress. This bill is completely outside the authority of our national government to enact.

It violates the principle of enumerated powers. Our government was supposed to be one of limited and well defined powers, rather than plenary powers, in order to prevent the government from acting arbitrarily to usurp the liberty of the people. Congress’ powers are given to it in Article I Section 8 of the Constitution and dictating health care to the citizenry is not one of those powers granted.

No other part of the Constitution can justify the health care bill either. Some have argued that providing health care surely falls into the “general welfare” clause of the Constitution, but as James Madison explained in Federalist Papers No. 41, such an interpretation of that clause would give the Congress unlimited, rather than limited powers, and defeat the entire purpose of the Constitution, which is to constrain government. Likewise, the “necessary and proper” clause of the Constitution serves to limit the Congress’ power to legislate on its Article I Section 8 authority to only those acts which are actually needed for it to carry out its defined duties.

Finally, many in Congress will point to the “commerce” clause as a grant of general power to regulate all matters which touch commerce. This definition also explodes the purpose of the Constitution to limit government and it is not what the Founding Fathers intended. The Founders recognized the benefit of having commerce move freely between the states and so they wrote the commerce clause to empower the national government to keep states from interfering with commerce across their borders. They did not want, for example, Kansas placing a tariff on goods coming in from Missouri. Too many in today’s Congress, unfortunately, would have us believe that the same Founders who carefully separated and limited federal power wrote a clause that would allow Congress to regulate every aspect of a person’s life; because virtually all human activity impacts commerce in some way.

As long as we continue to persist in ignoring the Constitution we will never be safe from huge power grabs by our elected officials. Health care is just one particularly appalling example, but Congress is contemplating many more similar unconstitutional power grabs.

I want to help put an end to this kind of self-destructive behavior. America is great because individual people have been free to pursue their own lives and in so doing make America great. The protector of that liberty is the Constitution and as it protects us, we must also protect it. I want to protect the Constitution and I know that you do to.

One way you can help me today is by visiting my website at www.billylongforcongress.com and donating to my campaign. You can also donate by sending a personal check to Billy Long for Congress, 1675-F E. Seminole St., Springfield, MO 65804. Please date checks and make contributions before midnight tonight, December 31, 2009 so that they can appear on this crucial 4th quarter.

In addition to making a last minute push for donations we too are making a push to get as many bumper stickers as possible on the back windows of vehicles in the 7th District. If you need bumper stickers please contact us today and we will send them to you. According to the professionals every bumper sticker has the impact of 200 yard signs – please consider supporting us in this way.

If you would like to further help out in my campaign effort please consider volunteering activities like walking in parades or hosting yard signs. It will take the individual effort of all of us to educate our neighbors about the Constitution, inform ourselves of the activities in Congress, and participate in this, the greatest system of government ever created, embodied in our Constitution. As Ronald Reagan once said, “…we are a nation that has a government, not the other way around.” It is time we reminded Washington of this truth.

PLEASE NOTE: Midnight tonight is the deadline for your donation to be counted in this crucial 4th quarter. Please donate online today or make sure your check is dated today, Dec. 31, 2009.


May you and yours have a prosperous and healthy New Year and, in the words of Tiny Tim, “may God Bless us, Everyone!”