Constitution Party

In this post I want to throw out something I have been struggling with for quite some time. The Republican Party has clearly abandoned not only rational thought, but for the most part, the U.S. Constitution has been shredded. With men like McCain overthrowing the First Amendment and Bush signing the bailout into law, it is also obvious that the Republican Party has given up the fight.

For the last few years I have been wondering if a Conservative could align himself with another party, in particular, the Constitution Party. I have been troubled by some of the stances the Constitution Party takes and have written about that here. Nevertheless, has the Republican Party gone so far as to warrant the proverbial abandon ship?

The more I think about this, the more I see that perhaps this is also a party that is able to embrace both Conservative ideas and liberal ones but do so Constitutionally. For instance, the Constitution Party's platform concerning marriage states,

The law of our Creator defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman. The marriage covenant is the foundation of the family, and the family is fundamental in the maintenance of a stable, healthy and prosperous social order. No government may legitimately authorize or define marriage or family relations contrary to what God has instituted.

And the end of the paragraph is the kicker.

We are opposed to amending the U.S. Constitution for the purpose of defining marriage.

I would think this would be welcomed by both Conservatives and Liberals. I take this position to be one of restricting the Federal government. To which I say a heartily "AMEN!"

The party also speaks to the issue of trade.

We favor the abolition of the Office of Special Trade Representative, and insist on the withdrawal of these United States from the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the World Trade Organization (WTO), and all other agreements wherein agencies other than the Congress of these United States improperly assume responsibility for establishing American trade policies.

Instead of Congress abdicating its responsibility, the platform calls for a return to the Constitutional requirements. One of the biggest problems I have with the current situation is that Congress has instituted many bureaucracies that are not subject to the people. A return to the Constitution certainly outweighs the silliness that Republicans claim they stand for. Perhaps instead of wasting time with meaningless Senate hearings on global warming, Congress will actually do its duty.

There are many aspects that I think many from different perspectives could come together on. The one thing that is impressive is that this party actually cites the U.S. Constitution and attempts to follow what it says. That is most refreshing.