With the passage of the health care bill now in the rear view mirror and with (so far) no inspiring conservative candidates on the horizon (2008 retreads don’t inspire me), I figure it is time to resurrect my long dormant campaign for President of the United States in 2012.

A little history first. I first announced my plans to run for President in 2012 back in 1999. In fact, it contributed to me meeting my wife, so regardless of what happens I have won! Nevertheless, I will be eligible for the presidency in a couple of years and so it’s time to get to campaigning. Therefore, my fellow Americans, I present to you my fake-real platform. I do not pretend that in four or even eight years the country can completely be turned around, but what follows are, in the spirit of Woodrow Wilson, under whose presidency the federal government’s power dramatically increased (to its detriment), my Fourteen Points for turning the tide toward once again guaranteeing  life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, for all in America.

1. America needs a constitutional amendment to abolish all abortion.

Our founders, when framing the Constitution, never envisioned a day in which millions of its would-be citizens would be murdered before they had the opportunity to breathe American air. As President I would work to guarantee LIFE for all unborn babies, regardless of the circumstances under which they were conceived. I would have to take an oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States. I can’t do that without paying attention to the preamble of that document, which seeks to “secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity” (emphasis mine). Beyond the legal responsibility to protect life, however, all Americans have a responsibility as God’s creation to not murder, but choose life that we might live. There is no more disenfranchised group of people in America than unborn children. My first priority as President would seek to correct that grave injustice.

2. America needs to repeal of the 17th Amendment.

For those of you who aren’t up to speed on your Constitution, the 17th Amendment was ratified in 1913 and mandated the direct election of United States Senators by the people. Before that Senators who chosen via state legislatures. Now I know this might seem like it was an act that gave power to the people, but it only seems that way. What the 17th Amendment did was take away power from the states, and my fellow Americans, whenever power is taken away from the individual states it is taken away from individual citizens. This is much more important an issue than one might originally think. Answer me this: When is the last time you remember hearing about a state issue being debated during a campaign for the United States Senate? I honestly can’t remember one time in my life. It doesn’t mean there hasn’t been one, it just means that absolutely nothing stands out, and that’s the problem. The interests of states are not being served in the United States Congress, and that goes entirely against the intent of the founding fathers. The result of this has been Senate elections determined on national issues, and this nationalizing of the Senate has opened the door to the liberalizing of the Senate and the country at large. Return the power of determining Senators to state legislatures and you see your interests represented more. As your President I will put the weight of the presidency behind this measure.

3. America needs to abolish the Department of Education.

The Constitution provides no warrant for the federal government to involve itself in education. In fact, this intrusion by Washington that was introduced during the Carter administration violates the Tenth Amendment. As if that is not enough, bureaucrats in Washington do not know what is best for the children at Peachland-Polkton Elementary School in Anson County, NC. The influence of the DOE has seen, under presidents both Democratic and Republican, an increase in the amount of indoctrination, as opposed to education, that goes on in schools. Violence has increased. Test scores have plummeted. Children are less equipped now than they were before the DOE existed to meet the demands of the next generation. Washington has no right to make demands of local municipalities and states as it pertains to education, and has no further right to threaten to withhold money it should have in the first place. Give the power back to the people and counties and states by getting rid of the unconstitutional Department of Education. An added benefit of the DOE is that it would decrease the tax burden of the citizens of the nation.

4. America needs to abolish the Federal Reserve.

Since 1913, when the Federal Reserve Act was enacted, Congress has been abdicating its constitutional responsibility to coin money and regulate its value, essentially farming out the duty to what amounts to a public system of private banks. In addition, the Congress in 1980 passed the Monetary Control Act which unconstitutionally gave the Federal Reserve System control over all banking institutions. Over the course of the last 97 years the Federal Reserve has been largely unaccountable, unaudited, and responsible for the boom and bust cycle the nation finds itself in. The current state of the economy can, in large part, be attributed to the actions of the Federal Reserve. It is time for this to end. As President I will call on Congress to take back the responsibility the Constitution gives it, to be accountable to the people with regards to money, and to end illegal governmental ownership and control of banking institutions.

5. America needs its government to get out of the health care business.

Beginning with the repeal of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, as President I would urge Congress to engage in a step-by-step process that would take the government out of the health care business and return the power to the states and citizens. This process would include a step-down end to Medicare and Medicaid on the federal level, and include legalizing the purchase of private health insurance policies across state lines. The Constitution does not empower the federal government to be in the health care business, thus, that power is reserved to the states under the Tenth Amendment. By following the Constitution the taxpayer would be freed of an enormous burden.

6. America needs to repeal the 16th Amendment and abolish the Internal Revenue Service.

Americans today have grown up with the misconception that the federal income tax is absolutely essential to the government continuing to work. That just is not the case. By reducing spending and using other means of revenue such as excise taxes, property taxes, and tariffs, the federal government would function just fine. In fact, that is just how the federal government functioned until 1913. Congress was not given the authority to tax a man’s work by the framers of the Constitution, and it was less than a hundred years ago that the 16th Amendment was ratified (under dubious circumstances, mind you). As President I would make a strong push for the federal government to get off of the citizens’ backs by repealing the 16th Amendment and shutting down the I.R.S.

7. America needs to be energy independent.

I am for sound environmental policy, but for far too long the federal government has worshiped at the altar of special interest environmental groups and restricted the rights of business in the area of oil. As a result, Americans are far too dependent on foreign sources of energy and, as another result, also pay more for energy than they probably need to. As President I would push the Congress to remove all moratoriums on oil drilling and promote fiscally sound alternatives. I would seek to reward corporations, such as the automobile industry, which carry themselves in an environmentally sound manner through tax breaks.

8. America needs to get constitutional when it comes to the use of military force.

The President of the United States is the Commander in Chief of the armed forces, but he does not have unilateral power under the Constitution to engage the military in armed conflict. Congress has the sole authority under the Constitution to declare war. With that in mind, I support a repeal of all previous “war powers” acts and resolutions. Recognizing the world we live in and the need for quick strike or quick defense capabilities, I propose that those acts be replaced by a constitutional amendment which very narrowly defines the emergency war powers of the Executive Branch. For all too long Americans has suspected and lived with suspicion with regards to the motives and powers of those who have used our military. We need to return the power of our armed forces to the people through their elected representatives, the Congress. Furthermore, while I am not an isolationist you could very readily call me a non-interventionist. As President I would never set out to send our best and brightest to fight a battle or a war without Congressional declaration of war. That is what the Constitution calls for and that is what I support.

9. America needs to abolish Social Security and affiliated unconstitutional insurance programs.

If individual states want to be in the business of insuring their citizens through tax dollars, that’s up to them. I’m against it, but states have that right. The federal government does not. Social Security was a government power grab borne out of crisis (The Great Depression), the way most government power grabs are undertaken. It was not constitutional in 1935 when first passed by Congress, and still not constitutional when the Supreme Court rubber-stamped it in order to pacify President Franklin Roosevelt during the court-packing scheme. The Constitution of the United States does not give the federal government the right to collect taxes for the purpose of public insurance, and any attempt to read the “general welfare” clause to say that is a fast and loose interpretation of a plain reading of our founding document. Today, Social Security is going bankrupt as Americans get older. Unemployment benefits and other means of insurance in the name of “assistance” has been added to the SS system. An unconstitutional system is reaping its unwanted fruit. The time is now for Congress to act boldly and enact a step-down approach to getting the government out of this wasteland.

10. America needs to be financially independent.

How much of the U.S. does communist China own? How much does Japan own? Who really knows for sure? Our nation will not be a financially free country as long as other countries are buying up our debts. America needs to eliminate all budget and trade deficits. A large part of this will be done by enacting many of the other points in my platform because it will eliminate unconstitutional government expenditures and increase the ability of American businesses to generate revenue. My plan calls on Congress to make a commitment to the American people. If they will be thoroughly constitutional in all bills and budgets they pass, it will thoroughly change the financial landscape of these United States.

11. America needs to revoke the Patriot Act.

You know the old saying that you should never make important decision when you’re angry? Well, Americans were very angry, and rightly so, after our country was attacked on 9/11. And we didn’t say nearly enough when Congress, behind the urging of President Bush, passed the Patriot Act, when gave the federal government sweeping new powers to monitor its citizens without probable cause or judicial oversight. The Fourth Amendment, which prohibits illegal searches and seizures, was figuratively swept under the rug in the name of national security. I understand that the world we live in is much different from the late-18th century, and I understand that we often face a threat without borders or faces or names. That said, it is unacceptable to tread on the freedoms of the populace in the guise of protecting the populace. If we are to fight back, if we are to protect American citizens, we must do so in ways that do not give the government the right to monitor the everyday activities of Americans without truly just cause.

12. America needs to get real about illegal immigration right now.

Hearing politicians every four years talk of “immigration reform” is as certain as hear Vice President Biden say something nonsensical and embarrassing to the country. That is to say, it just happens and you know it. The problem of illegal immigration, however, isn’t going away because it hasn’t really been dealt with. The fact of the matter is that there are millions of people in this country illegally. They are consuming our resources, being funded by taxpayer dollars in many cases, and working here without paying taxes themselves. Simply forcing them out of the country is not a simple answer to the problem. We have to start here: I propose that we station active U.S. military personnel on our Mexican and Canadian borders to help truly put an end to those who would try to reap the benefits of our country without respecting the laws of our country (and that is exactly what people who are here illegally do). As for those who are here illegally, I propose they be given twelve months from the date legislation is passed to report themselves. If they do so they will be given the opportunity, because Americans do have mercy, to go through all of the proper, legal steps necessary to become legal U.S. citizens. Should they choose not to report themselves or do the necessary things for citizenship they should become subject to immediate deportation. Justice and mercy should work side by side to make sure Americans are safe and that those who want to be Americans have an opportunity to do so.

13. America needs to lose the separation between its citizens and its government.

I can think of nothing that better illustrates the disconnect between the government and the people of this country than the idea of legislation being passed which applies to the citizens but not, for example, the Congress. Take the recent health care reform legislation that was passed. Does it apply to the President himself? No. Does it apply to the Congress? No. Congress didn’t even have to pay into Social Security until 1984! As President I would give full-throated support the following Constitutional amendment or something like it: “Congress shall make no law that applies to the citizens of the several States that does not apply equally to the employees of the federal government, whether they be elected or unelected, regardless of which branch of government; and, Congress shall make no law that applies to the employees of the federal government, whether they be elected or unelected, regardless of which branch of government, that does not apply equally to the citizens of the United States.” The federal government should not give those who serve the American people perks while those American people pay the price.

14. America needs its Congress to do its duty with respect to the judiciary.

Contrary to popular belief, the Constitution does not call for the lifetime appointment of judges, but only for a term of good behavior. As President I would call on our legislative branch to enforce the rule of good behavior and curb the seemingly unrestrained judicial activism that is, at present, common amongst the federal judiciary. Furthermore, Congress must use its power to prevent the courts from hearing cases that are outside of its jurisdiction. In addition, as President I would call on the Congress to pass legislation barring the courts from using foreign court rulings to overturn U.S. precedent or create precedent.

VOTE FOR THE CONSTITUTION! VOTE PRIVETT IN 2012! IT’S WHAT AMERICA NEEDS! 

Paid for by no one.