In Restoring America: The Harder the Conflict, the More Glorious the Triumph

/1 Comment/in , /by

Nothing could be clearer to me based on what we all witnessed in Washington during these last few weeks and these last five years, than Barack Obama and the Democratically controlled Senate have no interest in making anything approaching a “grand bargain.”

The Democrats in Congress have had several opportunities to be the sort of statesmen and stateswomen that the times require, but they would not do it. They are ideologically committed to not only maintaining but growing the entitlement state, regardless of the perilous fiscal consequences to our country.

Although I haven’t given up on my party, I must admit that it is looking more and more like Glenn Beck may be right: we are living under a one-party system.
 
The Washington establishment continues to muddle blithely on as though all is right with the world, seemingly oblivious to the impending train wreck just over the horizon. 

 
Establishment Republicans are so deluded as to think that everything will be all better with a little more technology, better messaging, and milquetoast candidates who are acceptable to Democrats and the press. 
 
I have a word for them: It’s the debt, stupid!
 
Going along to get along in Washington is simply not going to fix the problem. As Senator Ted Cruz recently pointed out, it took a whole lot of bipartisan cooperation to get us $17 trillion into debt.
 
If we stay on our current trajectory, the National Debt will have nearly doubled on President Obama’s watch, to say nothing of the estimated $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities. This Administration will have committed your children and grandchildren to as much debt in eight short years as all the previous presidents combined. 
 
Common sense tells us that we can no longer afford the status quo. Not only does it threaten our children’s future, it is an existential threat to our security here and now.
 
In 2010 the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs declared the National Debt as our number one National Security threat, and the debt has since increased by more than thirty percent.
 
During Mark Begich’s short 5-year tenure in the United States Senate, the deficit nearly quadrupled, and the national debt has risen by more than 60 percent.

Alaskans must never forget that Senator Begich was the 60th and decisive vote for Obamacare: a vote he continues to staunchly defend. He does so despite virtually none of the promises about the new entitlement program proving to be true. Further, the estimated costs of the so-called Affordable Care Act have skyrocketed from $900 billion when the bill was passed in 2010 to a CBO projected $1.6 trillion last year to the most recent projections finding it may cost upwards of $3 trillion.
 
All this has resulted in the downgrading of our credit rating, massive quantitative easing from the Fed, and the consequent devaluing of our currency. 
 
Just this week it was reported that the United States faces the possibility of another credit downgrade if we do not squarely face our massive debt and deficits. 
 
This news comes amidst Democrats most recent bargaining position calling for an end to the Sequester cuts: the only fiscally rational action that has been undertaken during the entire five years of the Obama Administration. 
 
Yet the junior senator continues to march in lock-step with Harry Reid and Barack Obama as they bring us ever closer to fiscal collapse.  
 
Make no mistake about it, Senator Mark Begich is part of the problem. It’s time to send him packing! 
 
We need a senator who can make the hard choices, and confront the challenges facing our nation in these turbulent times. There’s too much at stake to settle for pyrrhic victories.
 
Now is no time milquetoast candidates more interested in holding a position than linking arm-in-arm with those committed to bringing about a restoration of common sense to American politics. We have the words of Thomas Paine to spur us on in the fight:

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly: it is dearness only that gives every thing its value. Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods; and it would be strange indeed if so celestial an article as freedom should not be highly rated.”
 
If you are ready to remedy the crisis of leadership in Washington, I need your help today!
 
This is our moment. Let’s return Washington to fiscal sanity, and save the future of the country we love.

For the Future,

Joe

Joe Miller Offers Mark Begich An Economics Lesson

/7 Comments/in , , /by

Fairbanks, Alaska. October 10, 2013 – Senator Mark Begich is currently running ads in Alaska questioning the intelligence of those who do not see matters as he does regarding the economics of Obamacare and the National Debt. Joe Miller thought it might be helpful to ensure the junior senator is fully apprised of some important facts concerning both.

“Obamacare is not only bad public policy, it is bad economics,” said Miller who received his masters in economics from the University of Alaska, where he also taught as an adjunct professor in political science. “Mr. Begich would do well to exercise a little independence and just do the math.”

When Democrats pushed the so-called Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act through on a straight party-line vote in 2010, they told us that the ten-year projected cost to taxpayers was $900 billion. The CBO has now projected those costs have doubled to $1.8 trillion. And just as Senator Begich is doubling down on his vote for the ill-conceived program, it was reported this week that by some projections it may cost up to $3 trillion.

Not only is the price tag astronomical, virtually every promise made about the program is already proving to be false. Instead of “bending the cost curve” as the President promised, insurance premiums have skyrocketed. Instead of Americans being able to “keep the coverage you have,” a recent survey finds up to 30 percent of employers plan to drop coverage in 2014. Further, instead of having no detrimental economic impact, many employers plan to freeze hiring or cut back on their number of full-time employees to avoid the law’s onerous mandates.

This unneeded stifling of job creation comes as our nation continues to experience unemployment numbers well above historic averages. The current unemployment rate of 7.3 percent does not include millions of Americans who have left the workforce altogether. Four years into the “Obama recovery,” only 63.2 percent of Americans are employed in full-time work, which matches numbers not seen since the severe recession of the early 80s and harkens back to the Great Depression.

And this all comes against the backdrop of the largest and most reckless spending spree in American history. During Mr. Begich’s short 5-year tenure in the United States Senate, the deficit nearly quadrupled, and the national debt has risen by $7 trillion, more than 60 percent.

This unprecedented deficit spending coupled with no will to address it has resulted in exactly what Miller predicted in 2010: the downgrading of our nation’s credit rating. The Federal Reserve, in turn, has engaged in massive quantitative easing, to the tune of over $3 trillion, to buy up treasury notes with money printed out of thin air, which has led to the devaluing of our currency. This insidious, unseen tax on all Americans is felt everywhere from the gasoline pump to the grocery store. Yet the junior senator continues to march in lock-step with Harry Reid and Barack Obama as they bring us ever closer to fiscal collapse. And he has the audacity to call the adults in the room “knuckleheads”?

“If Senator Begich cannot see the dire economic consequences of Obamacare and profligate federal government spending with all the facts in plain view, he never will,” said Miller. “If Mark Begich is more interested in serving the flawed economic policies of Barack Obama and Harry Reid than the people of Alaska, it is time for him to find a new line of work. I believe Alaskans will assist him in that endeavor in 2014.”

End the Tyranny

/6 Comments/in , /by

Over the last week we have witnessed unprecedented steps taken by our imperial President and his allies in the Democratically-controlled Senate to inflict pain on the American people.

Consider the spectacle of the administration spending money and resources in this time of dire fiscal crisis to enforce a shutdown of the World War II and Marine Corps Iwo Jima memorials, going so far as to threaten our elderly veterans with arrest if they dared to visit these monuments built in their honor.

Undoubtedly, these actions have consumed more time, energy and resources than would have been expended by simply leaving them open to the public.

On Saturday, Todd Starnes of Fox News reported that the administration has threatened to arrest contract chaplains for the military should they offer religious rites to our soldiers.

And across the country, national forests, parks and boat landings are closed to public use, including barricades set up to keep tourists from viewing Mount Rushmore. How patriotic is that?

Here in Alaska the federal government is denying hunters access to federal lands, which have remained open during previous shutdowns.

In North Carolina, the Mt. Pisgah Inn, a family-owned business on land leased from the federal government on the scenic Blue Ridge Parkway, was ordered to close despite the fact that the Parkway remained opened.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Saturday that private citizens were forced by federal agents to evacuate their own homes inside the Lake Mead National Recreation area.

Armed Rangers at Yellowstone National Park detained tourists in their hotel, in order to keep them from catching a glimpse of the “closed” Old Faithful. Foreign visitors with the group thought they were being arrested.

Federal agents also prevented their tour bus from stopping to take pictures of buffalo on their way out of the park, and forbade the use of private restroom facilities during their 2.5 hour drive.

It was further reported recently on the Mark Levin radio program that federal employees were expressly told to “make the shutdown as painful as possible.”

Make no mistake about it, we are witnessing the birth-pangs of 21st Century tyranny!

We cannot allow “the last best hope of man on earth” to be subjugated to the whim and will of despotic government action, be it by the Congress, the President, or an overreaching federal bureaucracy.

Our Founders knew that the object of JUST government was the protection of God-given Rights.

Sadly, Alaska’s Senator Mark Begich has joined Barack Obama and Harry Reid’s contemptible campaign to make this government shutdown as painful as possible.

When constituents tried to reach out to his office this past week, they received only a voice mail telling them that there would be no service until the government was funded.

You can listen to the voice message below

One might be able to excuse Mr. Begich if other senators weren’t still serving their constituents, even under the funding shortfall.

Senator Mike Lee’s office informed us that every office was given the choice of whether they would provide constituent services. Senator Lee has made the choice to do exactly that, as has the rest of Alaska’s Congressional delegation.

If Mark Begich is more interested in playing political games than serving the people of Alaska, it is time for him to find a new line of work. With your help, we can send Senator Begich packing.

Senator Begich is now running radio ads calling the patriots who would save us from the devastating consequences of Obamacare “knuckleheads.”

It’s time for new representation in Washington. It’s time to serve the good of all, including our children who will pay the steepest price for Congress’ reckless behavior.

If I am elected to the United States Senate, I will confront the increasingly lawless Obama Administration and work tirelessly to restore the birthright of all Americans: to live in a land where our Constitutional freedoms are secure, and all are free to pursue their God-given dreams to the best of their ability.

I can’t do this without your help; but together, we can accomplish great things for the country we love.

Thank you for your support.

Miller Blasts Begich, Democrats For Holding Americans Hostage To Obamacare

/4 Comments/in /by

Photo Credit: SenateDemocrats

Photo Credit: SenateDemocrats

Fairbanks, Alaska. September 30, 2013 — Joe Miller today blasted President Obama, Harry Reid and the Democrats for refusing to take up consideration of a second US House Resolution to fund the government. The US Senate voted to table the resolution on a straight party-line vote.

“It is unconscionable for Senator Begich to blatantly disregard the will of Alaskans regarding Obamacare,” Miller said. “Our junior senator is making it abundantly clear that when push comes to shove, he’s not going to look out for his constituents. He’s going to work with Barack Obama and Harry Reid to hold America hostage to their failed socialist agenda.”

With the specter of a partial government shutdown just hours away, it is now unlikely that Congress will come to a resolution on funding before the deadline.

Mark Begich was the 60th and deciding vote for Obamacare and continues to support and defend it rather than his constituents and the Constitution he has sworn to uphold. The senator stands by his flawed vote despite the many ills the Affordable Care Act is in the midst of foisting upon the American people including: skyrocketing healthcare costs, higher unemployment, underemployment (due to the 30 hour week cap incentivized by the law), doctor shortages, and the very real possibility of rationed care.

Joe Miller will work side-by-side with reformers like Ted Cruz, Mike Lee, and Rand Paul to stop Washington politicians from busting the budget, hiking the deficit, destroying our Constitutional rights and leveling our economy. He will work tirelessly to repeal Obamacare, and restore a health care system based on the free-market system.

“It’s apparent that Mark Begich is more interested in carrying the water for Harry Reid and Barack Obama, than working for Alaska,” said Miller. “Since the senator will not listen to Alaskans now, I believe they will send him an unmistakable message next fall.”

Miller Applauds Senators for Filibuster to Stop Obamacare, Calls on Alaskans to Join the Cause

/9 Comments/in , , /by

joe_millerFairbanks, Alaska. September 24, 2013 — Joe Miller today applauded Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee for their filibuster to stop funding for Obamacare.

“I applaud Ted Cruz and Mike Lee for standing up for the American people,” said Miller. “This is the moment of truth. Most Republicans ran on opposition to this “train wreck,” and now we’ll have an opportunity to see if they did so in good faith.”

Senator Mark Begich was the 60th and deciding vote on Obamacare, and has laughed off the question of whether he would vote to defund it. We’ll see if he’s laughing in November of 2014.

Miller’s declared primary opponent claims to support defunding Obamacare. But when asked by a Politico reporter whether he would “risk shutting down the government to defund the Affordable Care Act,” Mr. Treadwell responded:

“Do I like this kind of tactic? No, I believe that you need to have bipartisan conversation and sit down.”

As Senator Ted Cruz has reminded us, it took a whole lot of bipartisanship to get us $17 trillion into debt. “The need of the hour is to have more Senators and Representatives in Washington committed to holding Barack Obama accountable and offering real solutions to our nation’s daunting fiscal challenges, not to send reinforcing statist enablers and diplomats bent on negotiating our terms of surrender,” said Miller.

While others offer the charade of meaningless online petitions, Joe Miller is the only candidate who is willing to embrace the accountability of signing the Senate Conservatives Fund pledge to Defund Obamacare. Joe is calling on all Alaskans who stand in opposition to Obamacare to contact their senators and urge them to stand with Ted Cruz and Mike Lee in this important time. Senator Mark Begich: (877) 501-6275/Senator Lisa Murkowski: 202-224-6665

With No Good Options, US Should Stay Out of Syrian Civil War

/12 Comments/in , /by

US Military NCO Opposes Syrian InvolvmentThe United States has no business involving itself in the Syrian civil war. President Obama’s push for a military strike is the most recent example of a Middle Eastern foreign policy that lacks any clear sense of direction or purpose.

Consider his tenure in office. After declining to offer even a hint of moral support on behalf of organic popular uprisings against hostile regimes in Syria and Iran, the President chose to intervene in Libya and Egypt only to see secular regimes replaced by more radical Islamic ones.

Why would the President decline involvement in an organic Syrian democracy movement, only to intervene militarily just two years later in support of Al Qaeda militants?

The Obama Administration argues that the Assad regime used chemical weapons against its citizens, but there is no strong consensus this assertion is true. The Russians and other sources claim the rebels are responsible.

If we accept the US intelligence assessment that the Assad regime deployed chemical weapons, does that justify military intervention?

At least three criteria must be considered:

1. Is there a vital national security interest of the United States of America at stake?

There is no discernible, direct threat posed to our country by Syria, and neither combatant is an ally.

Although the Assad regimes have been a state sponsor of terrorism for decades, seven out of nine rebel groups opposing the government are believed to have ties with Al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Many of those rebels are foreign fighters who have no stake in Syria. In short, there are virtually no ‘good guys’ in the Syrian conflict.

Furthermore, given our current fiscal inability to properly fund our military, involvement in yet another foreign conflict would actually harm national security by gutting our capacity to respond to vital threats elsewhere. It would also degrade morale and readiness among our uniformed personnel who have already been stretched to a breaking point by endless deployments.

Just a few short years ago, Barack Obama argued in clear, unequivocal terms that the United States should not act against Saddam Hussein in the absence of a direct and imminent threat to the United States, despite the fact that the dictator had admittedly used chemical weapons against his own people and engaged in atrocities on a scale that make the Assad regime pale by comparison.

2. If we determine a vital national security interest is at stake, have we identified a clear, obtainable military objective?

The Obama Administration has stated no clear military objective for a strike against Syria, much less an attainable one. The President’s vague doctrine of retributive justice, or deterrence articulated thus far is neither definable nor attainable.

Even if President Obama could identify such an objective, the task of attaining a favorable outcome appears impossible when none of the combatants is an ally nor shares our values. The United States has no good options in Syria.

Nevertheless, the New York Times reports that our Israeli friends now back a limited US military strike on the grounds that continued instability in Syria works to their benefit. But this may only be a temporary benefit. And there is an equally compelling case to be made that intervention could end in further destabilization and ultimately descend into a broader regional conflict.

Moreover, with Al Qaeda factions in the rebel opposition pledging to cleanse the land, the fallout from regime change could be devastating to Syria’s Christian community. Shamefully, this kind of persecution has been the result of US policies in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, and now Egypt.

3. Has a military act-of-war been authorized by Congress?

While this criterion is last chronologically, it should be the first logical hurdle for any administration weighing possible military action. For now, it appears the President will not win congressional approval. If so, the people’s representatives will reflect the will of the American people, who by a vast majority oppose a military strike: a recent poll finds only 9 percent support such an action.

The Administration argues it has the constitutional authority for a military strike in Syria even without congressional approval. However in 2007, then-Presidential candidate Barack Obama stated, “the President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”

With no vital national security interest at stake coupled with no attainable military objective, I would vote to oppose a military strike against Syria.

Restoring Liberty is Now in the Top 50 Conservative Websites in the Nation

/10 Comments/in , /by

According to the July 4, 2013, “Official Top 100 Conservative Websites for 2013,” Red Flag reports that Restoring Liberty is now ranked 49th* in the nation.

The report reflects that websites such as Mark Levin, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, American Conservative, Ann Coulter, TeaParty.Net, Family Research Council, PJ TV, Laura Ingraham, World Magazine, and others have lower rankings than Restoring Liberty, reflecting lower Internet traffic.

As always, our success is due to your faithful readership, loyal volunteers, and staff (especially Katy). Joe and Kathleen Miller thank every one of you for making Restoring Liberty one the nation’s top political websites.

_________________________________
*Red Flag periodically updates its rankings. Restoring Liberty’s ranking at that site will fluctuate with its worldwide Alexa ranking.

Amnesty: Another Ruling Class Effort to Destroy America?

/6 Comments/in , /by

Photo Credit: David McNew

Photo Credit: David McNew

As I’ve listened to the immigration debate over the last several weeks, I’ve struggled with a number of thoughts, most of them negative.

First, some of our supposed liberty-minded allies in the Congress are embracing the pending amnesty bill, suggesting that it is the only way forward for the Republican Party. They maintain that we must show genuine empathy for Hispanics, or we will lose them as a voting bloc forever to the Democrats.

The reality is that many of these “allies” are simply shilling for multinational corporatist interests that are looking to ensure a long term low-cost labor pool, all on the backs of American workers who will suffer lower and lower wages as a result.

Many of these “allies” were the same ones who, in 2010 and 2012, counted on our votes and campaign contributions, promising no amnesty, no reward for illegal aliens. Now that they’re in power, the Ruling Class has infected or compromised them, making them no better than the RINO’s they replaced.

Why? Perhaps their true intent is to continue to destroy the America our Founders died for, one based on states’ rights and individual liberties, all guaranteed under the Constitution. These are not ideals generally embraced by those who snuck across the border for work or benefits.

As Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America has recently observed, making such individuals citizens will hasten the demise of the Second Amendment, a concept wholly foreign to many illegals who came here not for constitutional freedoms, but for the dollar.

I utterly reject the idea that we must find a pathway to citizenship for the millions that are in the United States illegally. The argument that we have de facto amnesty already and that we might as well give citizenship away to illegals is repugnant to the millions that are waiting for citizenship the right way.

An example of this is my son-in-law who is a Mexican citizen. Rather than jumping the border and to the front of the line, he’s working hard to achieve citizenship through the proper channels. Why should we be bending over backward to reward lawbreakers while continuing to frustrate those who are trying to abide by our laws and become citizens the right way?

Why is it that people think we have to give citizenship to people that are in our country illegally? This senseless, globalist-inspired approach should be rejected.

What does rejecting amnesty leave us with? Mass deportation? Of course not. The compromise answer is to give the illegals what they came here for: permission to work. Grant work visas but NOT citizenship just because they’ve been here illegally for years.

So don’t buy off on the mantra adopted by many conservatives that granting citizenship is the only answer to long-time illegal residents. That approach will only lead to another wave of illegals in the future, just as the Reagan-era amnesty has created the current predicament. Rewarding lawbreaking just encourages more of the same.

The Senate will have a vote on the Gang of 8 Amnesty Bill on Monday. Remember, whether false promises of border security are made or not, citizenship for illegals is NOT the answer. And anything other than amnesty will not be accepted by the Ruling Class. In short, there is no fix to the Amnesty Bill. The grassroots must kill it, just like in 2007. Call your Senators at (202) 224-3121, now!

Joe Miller Welcomes ‘Rockefeller Republicans’ to Alaska Senate Race

/8 Comments/in , /by

P1020045Anchorage, AK – Earlier today, Lt. Governor Mead Treadwell declared his intent to run for the Republican nomination for Alaska’s US Senate seat currently occupied by former Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich.

“I welcome Mr. Treadwell to the race,” said Miller. “Competition is a good thing. I look forward to a vigorous debate on the issues facing the country, and the great state of Alaska.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with CNBC yesterday, Mr. Begich stated that he was “more of a Rockefeller Republican” than a Pelosi Democrat. This despite the fact that he has voted with Democrat Majority Leader Harry Reid 92% of the time in the 112th Congress.

One has to wonder whether this says more about Mark Begich or Rockefeller Republicans. But the senator’s fascination with a privileged, uber-rich, big government, big spending corporate shill from the Northeast is pretty curious.

Nonetheless, Joe Miller wishes to congratulate Mr. Begich on his induction into the Rockefeller Republican Club. “Mr. Treadwell will appreciate some company,” said Miller. “Given Alaska’s demographics, I’m sure it probably gets lonely over at the country club.”

Joe Miller is a husband, father, war veteran, businessman, and Constitutional conservative who believes in limited government, the Right to life, individual liberty, private property, and free markets.

Why I Am Considering a 2014 US Senate Run

/80 Comments/in , , /by

Serious times call for bold measures. With the re-election of Barack Obama, our very way of self-government is in peril. The Constitution is under attack, the value of human life degraded, religious liberties are threatened, the Second Amendment is increasingly in jeopardy, and the right to protection from unlawful search and seizure is giving way to a virtual surveillance State.

In 2010, I was one of the first candidates to warn of a looming debt crisis and predict the coming downgrade of America’s credit rating. My campaign championed the prerogatives of State governments under the 10th Amendment, and pointed out the massive threat to our individual liberties coming out of Washington.

In October of 2010, I predicted that regardless of who represented Alaska in DC, “the era of earmarks is dead.” And we were ahead of the curve on entitlement reform.

Though I was labeled an “extremist” by the likes of Lisa Murkowski and Mark Begich for telling the truth, both of our sitting senators now routinely engage in such “extremist” rhetoric with respect to federal overreach, government spending, and entitlement reform. Yet they are still unwilling to tackle the tough issues.

Much of what was so shocking to the sensibilities of Alaskans who had grown accustomed to federal largesse has now been assimilated as conventional wisdom. We all know that one can only borrow against the future for so long. Yesterday’s “extremes” are today’s realities.

The choice before Alaskans in 2014 will be stark. Voters must choose between the easy lies of an insider politician and the hard truth of a reformer.

As of the writing of this article, I am unaware of another potential candidate who has demonstrated a willingness to challenge the status quo, and confront the culture of corruption that reaches to the highest levels of American government.

We need a candidate in 2014 who will join reformers like Rand Paul, Mike Lee, and Ted Cruz to confront President Obama, not one who will cut a deal to negotiate the terms of our surrender to his radical socialist agenda.

I have been a Republican for most of my adult life. But I am under no illusions about the Republican Establishment’s failure to confront the problems facing the country. The status quo is not a viable option.

Let’s be honest. The partisan frame of reference is outmoded. We now live under a duopoly which serves corporate and special interests, rather than the interests of the individual citizen. It’s the insiders versus the outsiders.

While many in my party prattle on and on about their desperate desire to “defeat Mark Begich,” that is not my singular object. Yes, Mark Begich is part of the problem in Washington. But for me, the 2014 election is not merely about beating Mark Begich. It’s about saving the country!

I have the same dreams and desires in my heart as most Alaskans have. And, we’re asking the same questions about the America we love: will our children inherit a country where life is valued, individual liberty cherished, and private property respected? Will they ever have the opportunity to engage in free enterprise and build a future for themselves and for their children? Will they be free to worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience?

The choice before us is clear: liberty or tyranny?

There are three questions that I still need to answer:

(1) Are grassroots conservatives willing to step up and join us in the fight for freedom?
(2) Can we raise the necessary funds to spread our message of liberty and successfully compete?
(3) Can our message of liberty and grassroots support propel us to electoral victory?

Thank you for your prayers and support as we launch our exploratory committee for a campaign for the United States Senate. We will continue to update you as we move forward.