Chuch Baldwin -- It Is Time To Abolish Congress!

I have seen the light. I am now willing to admit that President Bush is right: we are living in a "different world." Those ideals and laws dealing with the "old world" simply do not meet the needs for this avant-garde society of ours. Therefore, it is time to concede that the U.S. Constitution is passé and that our form of government is out-of-date, ineffective, and even problematic. We must move forward to Bush's "brave new world."

The first thing we should do is abolish Congress, especially the House of Representatives. (The Senate might still be needed to ratify treaties and such, although this responsibility could easily be given to the executive branch, also.) Think of the trillions of dollars that could be saved. This is money that is desperately needed for Bush's Department of Homeland Security. Instead of stealing from the Social Security Pension Fund, the President would have virtually all the money he needs to protect America.

Face it friends: the House of Representatives is not needed. The President does not need their consent to wage war. The President has been granted the authority to spend tax dollars without the consent of Congress. He has the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations, a power formerly held by the House of Representatives.

Furthermore, America's monetary polices are no longer managed by Congress but by a presidential-appointed Federal Reserve Chairman. Post Offices and the Transportation Department have a political life of their own. About the only power that the House has chosen to keep is the power to levy taxes. However, taxes could easily be levied by way of executive orders, so this congressional responsibility is also unnecessary.

For all practical purposes, the executive branch has already assumed most of the constitutional powers delegated to the House of Representatives, and those powers not assumed by the President could be easily assimilated into its jurisdiction. It would seem, therefore, that in the interest of fiscal responsibility and practical expediency, the House of Representatives has outlived its usefulness and should be abolished.

In addition to saving trillions of dollars, it would allow President Bush the latitude to fight terrorism without the encumbrances of constitutional restrictions and congressional objections, which rarely take place, anyway. After all, this is what President Bush expects and recently demanded. He said, "For the sake of the security of the American people, Congress needs to give up some of its turf and recognize turf is not nearly as important as security for the people. We're in new times, folks, we're in a different world." Recognizing that "turf" means constitutional authority and responsibility, it would seem that President Bush is more than willing and able to assume the powers delegated to Congress - for the security of the country, of course.

Therefore, I would think that Bush's supporters in the Republican Party and conservative Christian denominations would be thrilled at the prospect of granting to this "savior of America" these new powers. After all, Bush is a "Christian" and was elected "miraculously." He would never misuse or abuse any of these powers. We can and should trust him.

I recognize that there are a few narrow-minded dinosaurs out there who would say that abolishing the House of Representatives and transferring its power to the White House is unconstitutional and un-American. First, there are not enough such people to worry about. Second, neither Congress nor the White House has paid much attention to the Constitution in at least 50 years, anyway. Third, Bush is right; we must put security above everything, including constitutional government and even personal freedom. Therefore, it's time to move quickly and decisively. Abolish Congress now!

Chuck Baldwin is Founder-Pastor of Crossroads Baptist Church in Pensacola, Florida. In 1985 the church was recognized by President Ronald Reagan for its unusual growth and influence.

Dr. Baldwin is the host of a lively, hard-hitting syndicated radio talk show on the Genesis Communications Network called, "Chuck Baldwin Live" This is a daily, one hour long call-in show in which Dr. Baldwin addresses current event topics from a conservative Christian point of view. Pastor Baldwin writes weekly articles on the internet http://www.ChuckBaldwinLive.com and newspapers.

To learn more about his radio talk show please visit his web site at: http://www.chuckbaldwinlive.com. When responding, please include your name, city and state E-mail: chuck@chuckbaldwinlive.com

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