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In our last conference call, the topic of Convention of States (COS) came up and some believe that George Soros is behind this movement. I don’t believe that. I’ll explain.
WHAT IS COS?
The Constitution of the United States can only be amended per Article V. 3/4’s of the several states (currently 38) are required to ratify proposed amendments. Amendments can only be proposed in two ways: by 2/3’s vote of each house of Congress or through a Convention (of States) called by 2/3’s of the Legislatures of the several states.
WHY A COS?
The Framers decided that the United States would have a Federal Government and that states needed to have certain powers over the Federal Government. This included the 10th Amendment, that state legislatures would select their US Senators (since changed by the 17th Amendment), and the Electoral College. They recognized that a Congress could conceivably act in the best interest of its members and have no desire to reign itself in. So the Framers included a provision whereby the several states could propose amendments to the Constitution.
WHY A COS NOW?
The Amendment Process was designed to be arduous and deliberative. The Framers did not want a Constitution amended easily based on the flavor of the day. But, this is essentially what we have today. The USConstitution has been ‘amended’ in many ways by the Supreme Court (e.g., Same Sex Marriage, Imposition of Obamacare), by Congress (defacto approval of the Iran Nuclear Treaty and the Paris ‘Climate Change’ Accords), by the Executive (DACA, changing the ACA on the fly, selective enforcement of immigration law), and by the Bureaucracy (Waters of the US, HUD Zoning Regulations, Nationalization of Police Departments, Common Core, Interference with State Election Laws). Advocates of COS see a need to term limit Congressmen, Senators, and Judges, apply fiscal restraint to government budgets and taxation, and check Judicial, Executive, Congressional, and Regulatory over-reach which infringes on the 10th Amendment. Congress will not entertain these types of amendments because it tends to like big centralized government.
CAN THE CONVENTION BE A RUNAWAY?
There could be some crazy amendments that come out of COS. But, remember, these have to be ratified by 38 State Legislatures to come into affect. Amendments just cannot be imposed on the country by the COS.
WHY WOULD SOROS BACK THE COS MOVEMENT?
Good question…why would he? The Progressive Left seems to be doing just fine making changes to the Constitution without having to use Article V. Soros seems to be all in favor of busting up the United States of America and the trajectory towards anarchy and eventual tyranny is well established … in fact the speed at which this is happening has accelerated. Just look at how a party out of power seems to be successful in throwing up barriers to what our current President wants to do and they have already have the GOP Congressional Leaders shaking in their boots. There seems to be Left Wing groups who are actively thwarting efforts in a number of states to join COS. There are also those on the other side of the aisle who see COS as a threat to their ability to enrich and empower themselves further.
WHY DO SOME CONSERVATIVE GROUPS OPPOSE OR ARE NOT SUPPORTING COS?
Another good question. These groups include Eagle Forum, the John Birch Society, and the Heritage Foundation. Some argue a concern for a runaway convention. Others argue that we just don’t have smart people like Franklin, Madison, Washington, Mason, and Hamilton around anymore. Well, if they would open their eyes to the people who are already amending the Constitution, they might see that a more transparent, representative process would be welcomed.
TO LEARN MORE
Read ‘The Liberty Amendments’ by Mark R. Levin. He lays out the case for COS and suggests specific amendments for consideration with the reason for the need of the amendment and the historical context regarding how the country got off-course to need such an amendment.
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This subject is certainly controversial. In my reading of the Constitution there is no such thing as the convention of the states. Follow the link and read the comments for some interesting discussion.
https://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/constitution/item/17402-socialists-and-soros-fight-for-article-v-convention
Socialists and Soros Fight for Article V Convention
Written by Joe Wolverton, II, J.D.Socialists and Soros Fight for Article V Convention
Recently, The New American has reported on the efforts by radio talk show host Mark Levin and others to push for a constitutional convention (a convention of the states, in the parlance of the proponents).
In his new book, Levin argues that such a convention is the last hope “to reform the federal government from its degenerate, bloated, imperial structure back to its (smaller) republican roots.”
Unfortunately, many otherwise well-educated and well-meaning conservatives have succumbed to Levin’s siren song and they have gone so far as to deny the constitutionality of nullification and to insist that an Article V convention is the only way to restore the balance of federalism in our Republic.
Fighting for the Constitution as given to us by our Founders is a noble goal and the anxiety of the conservative con-con collaborators is understandable. We at The New American and The John Birch Society welcome the help of all those courageous enough to enlist in the battle to defeat the forces of federal absolutism. We part company with those pushing for an Article V convention, however, and we believe that a constitutional convention is not the right way to stop the federal assault on our Constitution and the freedoms it protects.
The New American and many other liberty-minded organizations promote nullification as the “rightful remedy” for curing the constant federal overreaching. We believe that as the agent of the states, the federal government has exceeded its contractual authority and the states as principals have the right to refuse to ratify any such usurpation.
Since the publication of Levin’s admittedly popular book, the battle between those promoting nullification and those advocating for an Article V constitutional convention is a topic getting plenty of coverage in the alternative media.
There is another uncomfortable aspect of the Article V movement that is not being discussed, however, but needs to be, particularly in light of the good people who have associated themselves with it.
Within the ranks of those clamoring for an Article V convention are found numerous extremely radical, progressive, and socialist organizations that otherwise would have little in common with the conservatives fighting on the same side.
Wolf-Pac is one of the groups that this reporter suspects many Levin listeners would be surprised to know is their compatriot in a call for a con-con.
On its website, Wolf-Pac pushes for an Article V “convention of the states” as the best way to accomplish its “ultimate goal:”
To restore true democracy in the United States by pressuring our State Representatives to pass a much needed 28th Amendment to our Constitution which would end corporate personhood and publicly finance all elections in our country.
In order to persuade Americans to join its cause, Wolf-Pac will:
inform the public by running television commercials, radio ads, social media, internet ads, and using the media platform of the largest online news show in the world, The Young Turks.
The Young Turks? Most constitutionalists (and I imagine most fans of Mark Levin) don’t spend much time during the day watching the Young Turks, the YouTube-based news and entertainment channel that dubs itself the “world’s largest online news network.”
As unfamiliar as they may be with the Young Turks, it seems certain conservatives pushing for a con-con are even more unfamiliar with who pays the bills at this online purveyor of progressive ideology: George Soros (shown). Dan Gainor reports:
In fact, Soros funds nearly every major left-wing media source in the United States. Forty-five of those are financed through his support of the Media Consortium. That organization ‘is a network of the country’s leading, progressive, independent media outlets.’ The list is predictable — everything from Alternet to the Young Turks.
That’s right. George Soros — the financier of global fascism — is pumping millions of dollars into the same Article V campaign that is being promoted by Mark Levin, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, and other popular conservative spokesmen.
What will those in Wolf-Pac do if they are able to get “their amendment” proposed and accepted by an Article V convention?
“Celebrate the fact that we had the courage and persistance [sic] to accomplish something truly amazing and historic together.”
Anything a group with this anti-constitutional agenda would do to our Constitution would certainly be historic — in the worst way.
This should be enough to convince all true conservatives, constitutionalists, and friends of liberty to run headlong away from the ranks of the Article V con-con army, regardless of how popular and persuasive their generals may be.
It will likely surprise these devoted, but deluded, Article V advocates that Wolf-Pac is just the tip of the iceberg. These good people would be wise to take a look at this heavily abbreviated roster of their radical fellow travelers in the con-con movement, each of which is a registered “founding member” of the “Move to Amend” coalition.
Alliance for Democracy
Center for Media and Democracy
Code Pink
Independent Progressive Politics Network
Progressive Democrats of America
Sierra Club
Vermont for Single Payer
Mind you, hundreds more groups “committed to social and economic justice, ending corporate rule, and building a vibrant democracy” are gathered under this umbrella.
This hardly seems to be a corps that most Levin listeners would be happy to stand shoulder to shoulder with in the fight for a “convention of the states.” In fairness, these allies likely don’t share their conservative cohorts’ love and loyalty to the Constitution.
It’s time these right-minded men and women know with whom they are associating.
Its doubtful that Mark Levin’s legion of listeners would be as eager to get behind his Article V con-con agenda if they knew whom they were fighting beside and how radically their new allies want to change our beloved Constitution.
And that’s the problem. Regardless of the soothing words of Levin or others in the con-con camp, they cannot guarantee the outcome of such a convention. In fact, in light of the lists of leftist groups provided above, the results of the convention could be an outright scrapping of the Constitution written by the Founders in favor of one more in line with the progressive ideologies of Wolf-Pac, the Sierra Club, Code Pink, and others.
Remember, according to the history of Article V-style conventions, regardless of any state or congressional legislation requiring them to consider only one amendment (a balanced budget amendment, for example), the delegates elected to the convention would possess unlimited, though not unprecedented, power to propose revisions to the existing Constitution, based on the inherent right of the People in convention to alter or revise their government.
The mind boggles at the potential proposals that could come out of a convention composed of such radical representatives.
Don’t forget, George Soros’s billions are funding these fringe groups and politicians aren’t known for their ability to resist hefty campaign contributions.
Conservatives should shudder at the specter of a convention endowed with power of this magnitude, populated by activists who have a Soros credit card in their pocket and a commitment to “social justice” as their purpose. All the good intentions of the conservatives in the Article V camp would not be enough to force all these devastating changes to the Constitution back inside the progressive Pandora’s Box.
Readers are encouraged to click the links provided in this article and to investigate for themselves the agenda of the various Article V advocates and to determine if it’s worth the risk to our Constitution that would be posed by the presence of these groups in the “convention of the states.”
Finally, the startling information set out in this article is not meant as an attack on Mark Levin or anyone else working to call a “convention of the states.” Rather, it is intended to help the thousands of committed constitutionalists who find themselves believing in the Article V gospel he’s preaching to realize who’s sitting in the pews with them and whose money built the church.
Photo of George Soros: AP Images
Joe A. Wolverton, II, J.D. is a correspondent for The New American and travels frequently nationwide speaking on topics of nullification, the NDAA, the Second Amendment, and the surveillance state. He is the co-founder of Liberty Rising, an educational endeavor aimed at promoting and preserving the Constitution. Follow him on Twitter @TNAJoeWolverton and he can be reached at jwolverton@thenewamerican.com
Related articles:
Article V: Con-Con or Nothing Is the Cry of This Cause Célèbre
Article V Group Ignores States’ Complicity in Federal Power Grab
Article V Convention: Dangerous Precedent, Dangerous Loyalties
Convention of States and Article V: Tearing Up the Talking Points
Compact for America Proposal Could Increase Federal Power
Convention of the States: Wrong on History, Nullification
Convention of the States: Scholars Ignore History
Repair vs. Restore: Why Constitution Doesn’t Need Article V Fix
In Defense of Con-Con, Meckler Chooses Ridicule Over Rebuttal
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Article V of the US Constitution:
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two thirds of the several states, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which, in either case, shall be valid to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the legislatures of three fourths of the several states, or by conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided that no amendment which may be made prior to the year one thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any manner affect the first and fourth clauses in the ninth section of the first article; and that no state, without its consent, shall be deprived of its equal suffrage in the Senate.The words ‘Convention of States’ does not appear as such, but it is a convention for proposing amendments called by the states. The Framers knew Congress may have difficulty reigning itself (and the Federal Government) in, hence this alternative that bypasses the three branches. It is not a Constitutional Convention because it is only for proposing amendments.
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As of a couple of days ago things seem to have changed: “Soros and his ilk have not always opposed the idea of an Article V Convention. In 2014 several left-wing organizations pushed for a Convention of States to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and end corporate personhood. Groups that latched onto the effort included Wolf PAC, Alliance for Democracy, Center for Media and Democracy, Code Pink, Progressive Democrats of America and Sierra Club.”
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http://www.wnd.com/2017/04/george-soros-fixes-eye-on-new-enemy/
WND EXCLUSIVE
George Soros fixes eye on new enemy
Leftists opposing the 1 solution to problem of Washington
Published: 04/30/2017 at 3:40 PMBillionaire George Soros
George Soros appears to have fixed his eye on a new enemy – a proposed Article V Convention.
Operatives from Soros-funded organizations have been caught on camera lobbying state legislators in at least two states to oppose an Article V Convention resolution.
Anthony Gutierrez of Common Cause Texas, a Soros-funded group, testified against Article V Convention legislation before the Texas legislature, and Ted Boettner of the West Virginia Center on Budget & Policy, sponsored by Soros’ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, lobbied against such legislation in the Mountain State.
Common Cause and the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities have also put out policy papers attacking the effort to call an Article V Convention.
In fact, 230 left-wing organizations have organized to oppose an Article V Convention. The groups include the Brennan Center for Justice, the Center for Media and Democracy, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, Democracy 21, People for the American Way and the League of Women Voters. These 230 organizations, many of which are funded by Soros, put out a statement calling an Article V Convention “a threat to every American’s constitutional rights and civil liberties.”
What do you think of George Soros? Sound off in the WND Poll!
David Super, a Georgetown law professor who served as general counsel to Soros’ Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, has also attacked the idea of an Article V Convention through op-eds in multiple major media outlets.
So what exactly are Soros and his underlings fighting against? The Article V Convention, also known as an Amendments Convention, is a provision America’s Founding Fathers included in Article V of the Constitution. It is one of two methods by which the Constitution may be amended. To hold such a convention, two-thirds of the state legislatures must pass an application calling for it. Amendments proposed at the convention would then need to be ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures to become part of the Constitution.
Citizens for Self-Governance, through its Convention of States Project, is currently undertaking an effort to push the necessary 34 state legislatures to call for an Article V Convention to propose amendments that would limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government. So far, 10 states have passed an application to call for such a convention.
Former Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., now serves as a senior adviser to the Convention of States Project. In fact, he lays out the case for an Article V Convention in his new book “Smashing the DC Monopoly: Using Article V to Restore Freedom and Stop America’s Runaway Government.” He told WND that Soros and his organizations are getting worried because the Convention of States movement is gaining traction.
“They’re socialists and Marxists and elitists, and they would like to see the government control everything rather than individuals have liberty and freedom, and they do not want any power devolved from Washington because they can have better control over it there,” Coburn declared.
In their statement opposing an Article V Convention, the 230 left-leaning organizations sounded an alarm.
“An Article V convention is a dangerous threat to the U.S. Constitution, our democracy, and our civil rights and liberties. There is no language in the U.S. Constitution to limit a convention to one issue and there is reason to fear that a convention once called will be able to consider any amendments to the constitution that the delegates want to consider.”
The groups urged state legislatures to oppose any resolution to call for an Article V Convention “in order to protect all Americans’ constitutional rights and privileges from being put at risk and up for grabs.”
But that is simple fearmongering, according to Coburn.
“That’s the inflammatory language that they use based on fear so they can accomplish what they want rather than accomplish what people want,” the former senator said.
Are you tired of D.C. elitists looking out only for their own interests? The federal government will never willingly relinquish the powers it has usurped – it’s up to We the People to wrest control from an overreaching federal leviathan and give it back to our state and local representatives where it belongs. Retired U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn reveals how we can do that in “Smashing the DC Monopoly: Using Article V to Restore Freedom and Stop America’s Runaway Government,” available now at the WND Superstore.
Coburn pointed out an Article V Convention is only allowed to consider amendments related to the topic specified in the 34 applications that trigger the convention. So if any delegates were to propose amendments beyond the scope of the applications, it would be out of order. Even if a majority of delegates did vote for such a rogue amendment, the amendment could be challenged in court for failing to meet the requirements of the application. And even if the courts somehow declared a rogue amendment constitutional, it is unlikely three-fourths of states would ratify the amendment under such circumstances.
Soros and his ilk have not always opposed the idea of an Article V Convention. In 2014 several left-wing organizations pushed for a Convention of States to overturn the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling and end corporate personhood. Groups that latched onto the effort included Wolf PAC, Alliance for Democracy, Center for Media and Democracy, Code Pink, Progressive Democrats of America and Sierra Club.
Coburn noted the hypocrisy of these leftists.
“You ask them the question: ‘Well, if you’re saying all these bad things can happen in a convention, why would you want one for Citizens United?’” the senator said. “The typical elitist argument is that, ‘We can do it, but anybody else other than us in the elite probably couldn’t do this without us losing all our rights.’”
But Coburn considers that a ridiculous argument.
“Remember, this isn’t a constitutional convention,” he reminded. “This is a convention of states making recommendations to the states about things that should be changed in the Constitution. So if you drill down on it, you would have to have 38 states say, ‘We want to do all this bad stuff to the Constitution.’”
Daniel Horowitz, senior editor at Conservative Review and author of “Stolen Sovereignty: How to Stop Unelected Judges From Transforming America,” said no other movement has identified some sort of systemic solution to the real problems in American government better than the Convention of States movement. He said it’s becoming clear that electing Republicans isn’t good enough to fix what’s wrong with the country.
“I think more than ever the rationale for Article V is becoming very clear, because many people have been feeling the sense of desperation for the past few years, noting that the Republican Party has become an even more ineffective tool for combating this constitutional crisis, combating this social transformation, the growth of government,” Horowitz told WND.
Horowitz acknowledged many people voted for Trump believing he could “drain the swamp” and break the D.C. monopoly’s chokehold on the American people, but the president has disappointed in many ways so far. That’s where the Convention of States comes in.
“The best aspect of the Article V movement is the fact that they recognize that what we’re doing is not working, that we’re not one election away from making America great again,” Horowitz declared. “You’re not going to make America great by electing any one individual.
“I think people are noticing just a few months into this presidency that on a lot of very core issues, things really are not fundamentally changing on the growth of government, the growth of spending, Obamacare, even with refugees and immigration, because you have basically a corrupted political system.”
Coburn also sees the system, not President Trump, as the fundamental problem.
“I’m not that critical of what he’s done so far,” the former senator said. “The problem is you’re not ever going to change the politicos. What you have to change is the amount of power they have over our lives, and the way to do that is you devolve that back to the states like our founders intended.
“They never intended this much power to be in Washington in the first place, and the way you do that is limiting the scope of jurisdiction, putting term limits on members of Congress and forcing a balanced budget amendment. So you can do all that, and we’ll get it done, and the reason we’re seeing George Soros and his organizations [oppose us] is they’re starting to get worried about it.”
Are you tired of D.C. elitists looking out only for their own interests? The federal government will never willingly relinquish the powers it has usurped – it’s up to We the People to wrest control from an overreaching federal leviathan and give it back to our state and local representatives where it belongs. Retired U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn reveals how we can do that in “Smashing the DC Monopoly: Using Article V to Restore Freedom and Stop America’s Runaway Government,” available now at the WND Superstore.
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