Our government has failed us miserably. The debt is out of this world due to phony accounting gimmicks that should send many Congressmen the way of Bernie Madoff or Bernie Ebbers*, special interest deals both internally and externally within the Executive Branch and Congress, and a multitude of other acts of malfeasance that must keep our founding fathers turning like a rotisserie chicken in their graves.

The federal government has trampled the most thoughtful and meaningful document ever written, our Constitution, of which it’s main purpose is to preserve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness of a free people. And our government has been eroding our God given rights, bit by bit, ever since it was signed but most profoundly in the last several decades. Sure the most extreme serial Constitution haters include Wilson, FDR, LBJ and now Obama, but others have succeeded in usurping our freedoms through Executive Orders, legislation, regulation and turning a blind eye to the rule of law.

And yet we the people let the erosion happen, ever so slowly like the formation of a stalactite, barely discernible, until now, with eyes wide open, we finally see the destruction upon us as a real threat to our way of life in America.  We the people allowed this to happen to us by enabling our politicians to act without real representation from us and not holding them to account when they don’t. Of course, it’s hard to have a real say when every Congressman and woman represents about 40,000 eligible voters but we can’t whine about that fact. This task should be easier now when most states via gerry-mandering, have insured a district is reliably Democratic or Republican. Inevitably we tend to trust that our Representatives and Senators act and vote with our best interest in mind. The reality is most of the time neither voter nor politician has all the facts to know if or when they do, given the abundance of chicanery they pull in Washington, D.C., specifically stuffing pork and favors into massive omnibus bills that no one reads before or after voting on it!

Being at the edge of an abyss is truly terrifying (I’ve only seen one in movies and on TV shows like NatGeo and Discovery and the recent Red Bull sponsored jumper from space- wow, talk about guts, but personally I’m very afraid of heights).  Our only recourse is to step away from the ledge of the abyss of the national debt. We must insist our elected officials heed the warnings of the people regardless of the megaphone from the imperial president in office, the D’s that don’t want to cut a dime and the MSM that will insist R’s are horrible uncaring people for wanting to reduce the insatiable blob, aka the national debt, by reducing automatic increases.

But that’s only half the story that many here on RedState pursue vigorously and valiantly each and everyday. The real goal we should pursue is to get politicians to step away from their narcissistic viewpoint that they know what’s best for us. Because they don’t. But don’t we have an ounce of fault that feeds their lust for power and holding office for life?  Have we the people allowed them too much significance in our lives which has led to their possessive attitude of this is my elected seat for life?

If we keep looking for the next Reagan, the next great statesman that can beautifully orate our conservative values, we will always be disappointed. We delude ourselves every election that a person of that stature will magically appear or be elevated from the Party ranks to lead this nation. The 2012 election magnified our perfection microscope more than I remember in past elections to the point of many Republican’s sitting out the race since the candidate wasn’t up to their par for whatever valid reasons they had.

The real place to look for answers is within ourselves and our States but definitely not the ruling class we elect as politicians in D.C. The only way to slay the beast of the federal government is return decisions and power to the States where they belong and which are closest to the electorate. Until that happens, here are my top 10 suggestions to politicians:

1. Remind yourself daily that you were elected to serve the people, not yourself.

2. Deliberate every vote and find out if you have the power per the Constitution. Carry a pocket-sized copy with you at all times.

3. Insist that bills contain only one major issue/topic or else you won’t vote on it. Enough “present” votes will send the message.

4. Engage in real debates on the floor between members and step away from your committee cubbie holes. Know who, what, when, where and why you are voting on a bill! (i.e. fire most of your staff and do the homework yourself; that’s what we pay you to do.)

5. Demand an increase in the length of time after a bill has reached the floor and the time to actually vote on it. (Thomas Jefferson suggested a full year for public viewing before passing a bill so I don’t think 30 days is unreasonable unless it pertains to threats of national security.)

6. Hold a town hall on all bills you are about to vote on, either in-person or virtually. Listen and heed their advice.

7. Poll your constituents on major legislation, especially on matters of the Bill of Rights.  Use your website and ensure only one vote per constituent.

8. Put aside your Party affiliation and do what’s right for the future of America.

9. Get to work! The 2013 House calendar has just 126 working days when most American’s work about double that and don’t get paid nearly as well. Work from home if need be but don’t take a third of the year off when we are clinging to onto the ledge of economic disaster by our fingernails. Chop, chop, time’s a wasting!

10. Know that you are replaceable and your goal as an elected representative of the people and for the people is not a life-time achievement award. Retire with grace after a few terms and let the next generation of aspiring problem-solvers have a chance to make a difference.

Accountability is best played on an open field where players can’t dodge their opponents, be it politicians or the voters. Just once, I’d like to hear the next presidential or any national political candidate wannabe say, “The federal government has failed you the people. We have twisted the Constitution beyond recognition of the founders intent of a representative and limited government. It is morally wrong for our children to climb out of the abyss of debt we have accumulated. Hold me accountable as your public servant and tell me how to fix this mess so future generations may prosper as those did in past generations, equally both in economic terms and personal freedom. We the government have proved that we are incompetent and clearly don’t have the answers to correct the errors of our ways, nor have we earned the right to pass legislation that continually masks the real threats to our great nation.”  If need be, quote Lincoln in his First Inaugural Address:

“In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow-countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The Government will not assail you. You can have no conflict without being yourselves the aggressors. You have no oath registered in heaven to destroy the Government, while I shall have the most solemn one to “preserve, protect, and defend it.”

While we obviously don’t face the facsimile of our civil war literally, we do face a huge divide on the future of this country: liberty or tyranny to quote the great Mark Levin.

Per Wikipedia, “Dodgeball is any of a variety of games in which players try to hit other players on the opposing team with their own balls while avoiding being hit themselves. The main objective of each team is to eliminate all members of the opposing team by hitting them with thrown balls”. The real two teams fighting for survival in this game of dodgeball we call life are the **federal government and we the people. Because if they win, we lose.

We can’t let that happen. Everyday the erosion is happening so time is of the essence. Now is the time to make a stand. This is our civic duty as citizens to hold our public servants accountable to their duties. This is where we draw the line in the sand and make our battle cry for freedom from an oppressive government be heard loudly and clearly from across this great land. And this is where we can win over moderate voters by reminding them that whatever the government gives is also what they can and will take away when the country is literally broke with nary the funds for ink to print more Monopoly money. This should be voiced by every Republican as I don’t expect to any Democratic politician to espouse this position but it’s only a start, since we know a politician’s talk is cheap, regardless of the letter next to their name.

The solution to our massive problems are not defined by Party affiliation but by a united voice of Americans that want to save their beloved country from the ruins of our political class.  This is how we gain the hearts and minds of those that cherish freedom, regardless of race, party, gender, religion or ethnic origin, for those don’t matter at all in our battle for survival of liberty. Americans for Saving America is my new mantra and I can only hope others take up the cause of the Federal Government versus We the People.

*Please let the next president not be named Bernie (no offense intended for other law abiding Bernies out there.)

**To be clear, I have absolutely NO desire to eliminate the federal government but simply limit its omni-presence in our daily lives and its ever-tightening grip on our individual freedoms through overbearing laws and regulations. On the contrary, the U.S. government is superbly qualified to hire and train amazing military personnel that have excelled like no other nation on Earth at keeping us safe at home and abroad. When provoked, we can win any war if minds are set on that goal. We still are that shining city on the hill; we just collectively need to work harder to keep it that way. God Bless America and all of her people.