Who Is Conservative?

Mark Belling filled in for Rush today. Now I can't quote him verbatim, but basically he shot down every Republican candidate in the field as being problematic. Newt Gingrich is simply hated. Romney is an insider with no back-bone. Perry has performed poorly. And Ron Paul, well, Ron Paul is conservative only economically. In everything else, he is not conservative (whatever that means).

So between Rush and Mark, both are not liking that Ron Paul describes himself as a Conservative. Now I guess that is true...in a sense. Ron Paul is a Libertarian, but as many become confused, so are Rush and Mark. Simply because one is Libertarian does not mean one is a Left-Wing, morally liberal, relativist.

For instance, this weekend I was accused of saying that homosexuality is legitimate because of my more libertarian viewpoint. Now those of you that may read my more theologically driven blog know I am anything but Liberal when it comes to homosexuality. Simply because I differentiate the authority of the state to be able to kill people we don't like from what is morally permissible by God hardly makes me a Lib.

Rush likes to argue that Ron Paul doesn't have the right to redefine conservatism. Well, in this article, Ron Paul argues quite successfully that he holds the high ground by arguing historically to defend his position. This is why you will not see real debates between candidates.

Is breaking into your homes with guns and killing people in violation of the Fourth Amendment a conservative constitutional principle? Is waging a perpetual War on Drugs a killing countless lives (think Prohibition) and spending Billions of dollars a conservative constitutional principle? Is rewriting the National Defense Authorization Act so that the President can kill anyone he wants including Americans on American soil simply by labeling them a Terrorist a conservative constitutional principle? Is the President's ability to wage war with any nation without a Declaration of War by Congress as required in the Constitution a conservative constitutional principle? Is printing Trillions of dollars as done by both Bush and Obama a conservative constitutional principle? Is the government's right to steal your private property a conservative constitutional principle as seen done by both Republicans and Democrats? What about bureaucracies established by both Republicans and Democrats such as the FDA, IRS, EPA, on and on and on? Are they conservative constitutional principles?

We need real debates. If there were, thinking people would have to rethink their positions, and that is something the Republican establishment can't have. On with the Show Ponies they must continue.