CONSTITUTION PARTY OF WASHINGTON CHAIRMAN DECRIES THE "PLEDGE TO AMERICA"
Dateline: Kent, Washington...Constitution Party of Washington Chairman, Robert W. Peck, has published an article entitled, "It's Here! It's Here! The New Republican Pledge to America is Here!" on All Right Magazine (www.allrightmagazine.com) 
. In it he is less than optimistic about the pledge's effectiveness to restore constitutionally correct government. Peck says, "The Republicans would do better to actually demonstrate adherence to the U.S. Constitution and discipline to sound fiscal policy before asking the public to vote for their candidates. Then they wouldn't need a "pledge" promising to start doing now what they haven't done in the past."
He offers an analysis of three points of the Pledge: Healthcare and the Constitution, Tax Relief, and Spending Reduction.
Under Healthcare and the Constitution he lists several items offered by the pledge with the comment that "given that they [the Republican Party] pledge to require every bill in Congress to cite 'specific constitutional authority,' then I have to ask exactly where in the U.S. Constitution do they find authorization for their pledges to [do any of these things]...I'm sorry, but none of this stuff is in my copy of the U.S. Constitution."
After a brief discussion of the so-called Tax Relief pledge, Mr. Peck says, " When you consider that Americans pay more in taxes than we pay for food, clothing and shelter combined, the Republican attempt to buy our vote with a savings of $700 billion over ten years becomes downright insulting. As for the 20% deduction for small businesses, the founders of our republic never intended for the federal government to be taxing my neighbor's plumbing business in the first place."
Finally on Spending Reduction, Mr. Peck had this to say, " That's a grand total savings of $130 billion, plus possibly "tens of billions?" To put it in perspective, if we were to be generous and assume a $150 billion decrease in annual spending based on these promises (though some of this would likely be a one time savings or be spread over a number of years), it would be a savings equal to 4.2% of the federal government's $3.55 trillion budget for 2010, or a 13% decrease in deficit spending, meaning that in the future we would only be racking up about $1 trillion a year in new debt compared to the current $1.17 trillion – now that's fiscal conservatism."
In summary, he concludes with this thought, "Look, I'm not saying that "the Republicans are all evil, so run out and vote for Democrats." What I am saying is, that as for me, I cannot let myself be moved by every new public relations ploy of the political establishment. I can not, and will not, give the precious virtue of my vote to any candidate for public office who does not demonstrate to me an understanding of, and commitment to, the God given role of civil government and the strict limits placed on it by the clear and simple text of the U.S. Constitution."
Click here to read the article in its entirety.
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