National GOP takes over Maine's Republican Party

Based on the platform approved over the weekend at the state's Republican convention, believers in the national GOP principles - including many of those espoused by the Tea Party - are thick on the ground here in Maine. Which is weird, because Maine has always been a state where Republicans have been less beholden to the national diatribe dialogue and more able to think for themselves.

Herewith, the Maine GOP's official 2010 platform, followed by the early draft, for contrast.

Official platform, as adopted

Preamble:

In the course of a nation's history, it is natural that political philosophies will evolve which run contrary to the original principles evident at the time of that nation's founding. A nation founded in tyranny will by its nature spawn sentiment in direct opposition to that tyranny. Conversely, a nation which is dedicated to protecting the rights of its people, and seeks to bind the excesses of power which naturally accrue to governments, is subject to the evolution of factions which strive to throw off those shackles of restraint and gather power and influence over the people. Freedom is not a pre-existing condition into which everyone is delivered. Freedom and personal liberty are conditions of existence which are hard fought for and once won, must be maintained. Each generation must be taught anew the importance of eternal vigilance against those who would disregard the limits imposed on government, and usurp powers not granted to them by the people.

Today this state and the nation are in crisis precisely because we as a people have failed to maintain that vigilance. We have failed to pass down from one generation to another the critical knowledge and lessons that history provides. We have let rot from within, the foundation upon which freedom and prosperity must be built for it to survive.

This election cycle is unique in the history of both this state and our nation. We are presented with a situation in which WE THE PEOPLE, must re-educate ourselves and our neighbors, and put the knowledge of liberty to work in the elections this November. Years of neglect have allowed factions detrimental to the core principles of this nation, to entrench themselves in both political parties, and undermine the education of Constitutional principles vital to the survival of the republic. 

The Tea Party movement is reminiscent of the principled revolt that led to the birth of the Republican Party in 1854.  In June of that year, Horace Greeley referred to the newly formed Republicans as "...united to restore the Union to its true mission of champion and promulgator of Liberty...".  This year it is incumbent upon those Republicans who strive to protect and defend our Constitution, to reclaim that heritage.

It is within this context that We, the citizens of Maine united by free association as Republicans, dedicated to seeing the principles which brought forth the birth and ascendance of this State and these United States once again made dominant and pledge our unwavering allegiance, not to a political party, but to the Constitution of the State of Maine and the Constitution of the United States of America. The Republican Party is the vehicle through which we seek to better unify and promote those in pursuit of these goals.

The principles upon which the Republican Party was founded, to which we as Citizens seek return, and to which we demand our elected representatives abide, are summarized as follows:

1.       The Constitutions, both State and Federal, are the framework to which any and all legislation must adhere.

2.       State sovereignty must be regained and retained on all issues specifically relegated to the States by the constitution.

3.       National sovereignty shall be preserved and retained as dominant over any attempted unconstitutional usurpations of such by international treaty.

4.       It is the responsibility and duty, of "We the People",  to educate both ourselves and others; to demand honest elections free of corruption, and to hold our elected officials to the highest standards of honesty, integrity and loyalty to the constitution.

_______________________________________________________________________________________

In pursuit of these principles we endorse and shall promote the following initiatives.

I.     To Form a More perfect Union

a.    All legislation must adhere to the restrictions outlined in the Constitution to protect the individual from intrusive government.

b.   Direct the State of Maine to join with other states in asserting our 10^th amendment sovereignty rights which protect us from unconstitutional federal government intrusions.

c.    Insist on strict adherence to our 2^nd amendment right to keep and bear arms.

d.   Pass a "Read the Bill" act, to insure clarity, and eliminate the corruption associated with side issues, earmarks, pork or riders.

e.   Oppose "Localism and Diversity", the Fairness Doctrine or whatever else such attempted restrictions are labeled. Any restriction on speech is by definition NOT free speech.

f.     Reject the Employee free -choice Elimination- act, as an unconscionable affront to the right to a secret vote.

g.    Restore integrity to the electoral process:

i.  Prohibit any public funding of advocacy groups such as ACORN, no matter what it or its affiliate organizations rename themselves; New York Communities for Change, New England United for Justice etc.; Conduct thorough investigation of their activities and voter fraud and prosecute violations.

ii.                     Eliminate motor voter and other voter fraud mechanisms; institute secure voter registration and identification systems.

iii.                   Reject any effort to give foreign citizens the right to vote in the US in any situation or capacity.

h.   Oppose any and all treaties with the UN or any other organization or country which surrenders US sovereignty. Specifically:

i.  Reject the UN Treaty on Rights of the Child.

ii.                     Reject "LOST" the Law Of The Sea Treaty.

iii.                   Reject any agreement which seeks to confiscate our firearms.

i.     Restore the process of assimilation of immigrants to preserve the benefits of an advanced educated and prosperous society.  Rescind Maine's sanctuary State status. No amnesty, no benefits, no citizenship -ever- for anyone in the country illegally. Arrest and detain, for a specified period of time, anyone here illegally, and then deport, period.

j.     Pass a Congressional reform act which includes the following provisions:

i.  Term Limits: 12 years only, in any capacity.

1.    Two Six year Senate terms

2.    Six Two year House terms

3.    One Six year Senate term and three Two Year House terms

ii.                      No Pension  

iii.                   Congress participates in Social Security under the same rules as the general public.

iv.                    Congress can no longer vote themselves a pay raise.

v. Congress participates in the same health care plan as the general public. No preferential plans or treatment.

vi.                    Congress is subject to and must abide by all the laws they impose on the general public.

II.   To Establish Justice:

a.    Restore "Constitutional law" as the basis for the Judiciary.

b.   Reassert the principle that "Freedom of Religion" does not mean "freedom from religion".

III. To Insure Domestic tranquility:

a.    Promote family values.

i.  Marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.

ii.                     Parents, not government, are responsible for making decisions in the best interest of their children, whether disciplinary, educational, or medical.

iii.                   We recognize the sanctity of life, which includes the unborn.

IV. To Provide for the Common Defense:

a.    Discard political correctness, make public the declaration of war (Jihad), made against the US on  23 Feb 1998, and fight the war against the United States by radical Islam to win.

b.   Seal the border and protect US citizens along the border and everywhere, as is the prime directive of the Federal Government.

V.   To Promote the General Welfare:

a.    Return to the principles of Austrian Economics, and redirect the economy back to one of incentives to save and invest.

b.   Cut spending, balance the budget, and institute a plan for paying down debt. Proclaim that generational debt shifting is immoral and unconscionable and will not be tolerated!

c.    Pass and implement Fed bill #1207 (Introduced by Ron Paul), to Audit the Federal Reserve, as the first step in Ending the Fed.

d.   Return to transparent and honest reporting of economic statistics free of gimmicks and distortions.

e.   Require the government and all its agencies adhere to the same GAAP accounting rules that businesses must follow.

f.     Restore the provisions of welfare reform removed with the stimulus bill.

g.    Defeat Cap and Trade, investigate collusion between government and industry in the global warming myth, and prosecute any illegal collusion.

h.   Freeze current stimulus funds, prohibit any further stimulus bills, and apply all unspent funds towards the debt they created.

i.     Promote energy independence aggressively by removing the obstacles created by government to allow private development of our resources; natural gas, oil, coal, and nuclear power.

j.     Institute Zero based budgeting on all programs.

k.    Espouse and follow the principle: It is immoral to steal the property rightfully earned by one person, and give it to another who has no claim or right to its benefits. 

l.     Clarify that healthcare is not a right. It is a service.  As a compassionate society we will aid those in need. However, the government takeover of healthcare is not only unconstitutional, but detrimental to the entire healthcare system.  Only market based solutions will solve the problems.

i.  In the state of Maine:

1.    Remove the restrictions on health providers, (as was done in New Hampshire), to increase competition, drive down the costs, and increase the options available.

a.    Bring Maine standards in line with national average.

b.   Allow purchase of insurance across state lines. LD 290

c.    Enact tort reform as exemplified by Texas.

d.   Eliminate Dirigo

VI. To Secure the Blessings of Liberty:

a.    Restore a vigorous grounding in the history and precepts of liberty, freedom, and the constitution to the educational process. As Thomas Jefferson said, "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free, in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be."

i.  Eliminate the Department of Education and restore schools to local control as specified in the constitution.

b.   Repeal and prohibit any participation in efforts to create a one world government.

Original Draft Platform:

Draft of the 2010 Maine Republican Platform

To Be Considered By The Maine Republican State Convention, May 7 & 8, 2010

We believe the defense of our safety and sovereignty is the primary responsibility of the national government.

 ·         We believe we must protect our country and fellow citizens by supporting our military and the men and women who proudly serve our country in the defense of our nation against all enemies;

• We believe in the individual's right to keep and bear arms as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Maine Constitution.

We believe that the strength of Maine and the United States lies with the individual and that every person's dignity, freedom, liberty, ability and responsibility must be honored and protected.

• We believe Maine's college and university classrooms should be a marketplace of ideas where all individuals' political and religious beliefs are respected;
• We believe that the expression of religious faith must not be excluded from the public forum. Individual and corporate expression of faith while conducting public and government business is not an expression of governmental establishment.

We believe in free enterprise and encouraging individual initiative.

• We believe in gaining economic prosperity and freedom for all Maine people by adopting responsible pro-business laws that will encourage investment and create higher paying quality jobs;
• We believe all Maine people deserve access to affordable health care insurance that can be achieved through legislative reforms that allow free market solutions;
• We believe private ownership of Maine lands is consistent with our economic system, limited government, good land stewardship and our Constitution, as such, we support the right of property owners to develop the Maine Woods in a responsible and lawful manner;
• We support the preservation of the Maine Woods and open spaces through public and private initiatives;
• We support a comprehensive energy policy that will increase supply, decrease demand and encourage alternative sources and conservation in order to reduce our dependence on foreign sources of fuel while ensuring the cost of energy is affordable for all Maine residents;
• We recognize the importance of the Internet to our economy. We, therefore, support an internet free from government taxation and unreasonable regulation in order to promote innovation, economic growth, investment, job creation and opportunity.

We believe that the best government is that which governs least.  However, we believe that the proper role of government is to help provide for those who can not help themselves.

• We believe in the power of the individual over the power of the government to make personal decisions affecting their lives and their well-being and that the role of government is to serve the people, not for the people to serve government.

We believe that the most effective, responsive and responsible government is that which is closest to the people.

• We believe in ensuring that our children have access to the best educational opportunities possible through fiscal and academic accountability and educational choice;
• We believe that it is an affront to every Maine citizen when illegal and unmitigated incursion of our state border by aliens is allowed without repercussion: citizenship and the rights of citizenship become devalued.

We believe in fiscal restraint and accountability for all levels of government.

• We believe it is imperative that spending at all levels of government, state, county and local, be controlled to ensure fiscal stability for future generations;
• We believe the Maine tax burden is too high, and that reducing tax rates, including fees, will increase personal income and stimulate the business climate.

We believe the family is the foundation of a stable society.

• We believe in the sanctity of life;
• Parents, -- not government - are most capable and responsible to make decisions in the best interest of their minor children, including medical, disciplinary and educational;
• We define marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Based on these principles, we support the following initiatives:

• We urge all Republican candidates for state and national office to sign the Taxpayer Protection Pledge and to vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes and fees;
• A constitutional amendment that requires a balanced budget and no spending increases without a two-thirds majority vote of the state legislature;
• Reform the regulations and the regulatory process that have a negative impact on private enterprise;
• Ensure that regulations recognize the value of Maine's outdoor heritage and promote responsible stewardship of the environment which is based on sound science;
• Conform the state tax code to the federal tax code to achieve fairness and equity without continually increasing the tax burden on our citizens;
• Promote competition in the health care system to lower costs for all Maine citizens by reducing regulations, thereby allowing Maine people to have the same health insurance choices as people in other states;
• Create a statewide economic environment that helps Maine businesses grow new jobs to increase Maine's competitiveness, and encourages new businesses to locate and stay in Maine;
• We appreciate the service of active duty military and veterans, fire fighters, police officers and EMTs, and all those who serve for the sake of others;
• We support meaningful mandatory minimum sentences to protect the innocent and the victims of crime;
• We support OPEGA, Maine's governmental oversight agency, and its mission to achieve effective and efficient state government;
• We believe that English should be the official language of the State of Maine; and
• We support legislation that would require a photo identification to be eligible to vote in the State of Maine.