The Tea Party came to Arnold last weekend and attracted a crowd of polite, freedom-loving Americans with a common theme, “We can no longer trust government.”
 
     This so-called “non-partisan” event hosted many Republican speakers but did allow one Democrat and one Constitution Party speaker.  I had hoped to see a more balanced agenda.  The organizer even publicly endorsed a Republican candidate, which surprised many who were there to be educated.  TPers weren’t prepared to commit to any candidate or Party this early in the season. TP organizers claim to be non-partisan.  Perhaps they should practice what they preach.  The message was clear: if you’re not ready to vote Republican, well, we’ll convert you.
 
     TP and Republican speakers referenced the last 15 months of Democrat controlled government, but it’s the last 15 YEARS that has many concerned. When the Democrat speaker took the stage, he apologized for his party affiliation.  It’s probably safe to say there will be even fewer Democrats at the next Tea Party.
 
     In examining the record of the 2-party system, much legislation has passed with bipartisan effort for decades.  Both Republicans and Democrats have passed every job-killing free trade deal that has come down the pike. While Republicans point fingers at Obama’s policies, they fail to mention they are complicit in facilitating the relocation of our factories, technology and jobs to communist China.  Everything in our stores is now “Made in China.” Republicans led a bipartisan effort to give us the unconstitutional Patriot Act, which both Parties recently extended.  Both keep our borders open, invite Mexican trucks to travel our roads, and Republican presidential candidate, Senator John McCain, authored legislation to grant amnesty to millions of illegals.  By fall 2008, the global policies of both parties brought the American economy to its knees, which is why they gave billions of our taxpayer dollars to Wall Street banks hoping to clean up the mess they had created.  And, while Republicans repeatedly cite the word, ‘Constitution,’ in their speeches, there is little evidence of it in their policies. 
 
     Both parties respond to the same forces, which is why they are so alike and why a third party is so necessary. 
 
     Constitutionalists differ from 'conservatives’.  We affirm the integrity of our borders and oppose amnesty; we support 2nd amendment rights and the States’ efforts to reclaim their sovereignty, we support repealing job-destroying trade agreements that encourage outsourcing.   Constitutionalists are neither left-wing nor right-wing. We are family-oriented centrists, who love liberty.  We understand government is necessary to keep things running, but the Founders warned that too much government is a threat to freedom. 
 
     Tea Partiers, who hope to restore our lost freedoms as a result of the 2-party stranglehold, should understand that candidates from the Constitution Party stand ready to work with them.
 
Donna Ivanovich
State Chair
Constitution Party of Missouri

www.ConstitutionPartyMO.org