(Atlanta – 1 March 2010) Even as snowstorms were blanketing much of the northeast, a firestorm for the cause of liberty and state sovereignty was heating up in Atlanta on Thursday and Friday.

Hosted by Ray McBerry, Republican candidate for governor of Georgia, the first national Tenth Amendment Summit convened for the purpose of bringing candidates together from around the country who are running on a Tenth Amendment platform, each with the goal of restraining the power of the federal government through the assertion of peaceful, constitutional means. The event was co-sponsored by the Tenth Amendment Center in California.

Thursday night’s closed-door meeting included twenty-five candidates from across America who represented thirteen states — more than a quarter of the states that make up the union, including North Carolina’s own Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, Republican candidate for North Carolina’s 11th congressional district. Of candidates participating, there were fifteen running for Congress, one for U.S. Senate, one for state senate, five for state house, and three candidates for governor of their respective states. There were also both men and women present, running for office.

Perhaps more telling, though, was the fact that the candidates included Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, and Independents. While it was obvious that all of the candidates did not share the same views on many issues, it was very apparent that each shared the common belief that his or her state should be allowed to govern itself without federal encroachment in any area other than those powers expressly granted to it in the Constitution.

The closed-door meeting Thursday night was a strategy session for the candidates to discuss what is working currently to promote the cause of state sovereignty and how the group can work together to advance the cause more.

Friday’s all-day meeting was open to the public and included speeches from nearly all of the participating candidates, including the keynote speaker — former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore, who is currently a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama. Dr. Eichenbaum, candidate for congress in North Carolina, spoke of several ways in which the federal government has exceeded the limits set forth in the constitution and the need for citizens to trust in freedom.

One of the important things to emerge from the Summit was a statement presented by the candidates Friday morning as a mutual statement of purpose. It reads as follows:

We The People of the several States created a federal government to serve as our limited agent, delegating to the federal government only those limited and few powers listed in the Constitution, and no others.

We recognize the federal government has seized unlimited power over virtually every aspect of Americans lives in violation of the Constitution of the United States, specifically with respect to the Tenth Amendment.

We call upon freedom-loving citizens everywhere to stand with us, as candidates for state and federal office, to pass meaningful and sensible legislation to restore the most critical check and balance deliberately designed into our constitutional republic: that of strong, sovereign states.

We pledge to limit and restrain all federal government exercise of power that exceeds in any way the plain language of those few powers listed in the Constitution and to nullify all others that exceed such limit.

When we restore the balance of power between the states and the federal government according to the Constitution, our country will enjoy the dynamic blessings of liberty and prosperity.

END RELEASE

For more information about the Tenth Amendment Summit or to schedule interviews, please contact Brian Umbarger, Dr Dan 4 Congress Communications Director, at 828-216-6645 or via email at brian@drdan4congress.comDr. Dan Eichenbaum speaks at the Tenth Amendment Summit

Press release from Viguerie Marketing Institute -

The Founding Mothers and Fathers of the Tea Party Movement to be Honored in Live Webcast by Viguerie Marketing Institute on 1 Year Anniversary Tomorrow

MANASSAS, Va., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Viguerie Marketing Institute will honor the 95 founding mothers and fathers of the Tea Party Movement tomorrow on the 1 year anniversary of the first 52 tea party protests held across the country on February 27, 2009. The names of these 95 founding mothers and fathers will be announced at the end of a free live Webcast that will be held tomorrow, Saturday, February 27, 2010, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. eastern. The Webcast will include highlights of the recent training conference of Leadership Tea Party, held in Dallas, Texas on January 29-31, which consisted of 10 sessions, and included the keynote address by Richard A. Viguerie, Chairman of ConservativeHQ.com.

Among the points Viguerie made were:

• The Tea Party movement should avoid the temptation of forming a third party. It would be a disaster for the cause of freedom and limited government.
• Tea Party leaders should work to be a third force in politics in order to push Republican and Democratic politicians to the right.
• For now, all Tea Party activities should be focused on the 2010 primaries challenging every establishment Republican and Democrat.

Other topics in the Webcast conference include community organizing, dealing with the media, defeating powerful political machines, and protecting members and groups from legal pitfalls.

Nationally renowned presenters include American Liberty Alliance founder Eric Odom; Zen Conservatism author and co-founder of the St. Louis Tea Party Bill Hennessy; attorney Mark Fitzgibbons; Dallas Tea Party leader Lorie Medina; and St. Louis-based radio talk show host Dana Loesch.

The Webcast will be hosted live by Nationwide Tea Party Coalition co-founder Michael Patrick Leahy, author of Rules for Conservative Radicals. Leahy will be joined by other presenters to respond on camera during the Webcast to viewers’ emailed questions. In addition, the Webcast will provide a live report from the Dallas Tea Party in Dallas, Texas, to discover if MSNBC broadcaster Keith Olbermann shows up to accept the Dallas Tea Party’s recent YouTube invitation to attend their tea party celebration of the one year anniversary of the Tea Party Movement.

The live webcast is free. A complete schedule of the February 27 Webcast and registration information is online at www.vmionline.com. Additional registration for on-demand viewing of all ten training sessions is available for $19.95.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Richard A. Viguerie pioneered political direct mail and has been called “one of the creators of the modern conservative movement” (The Nation magazine) and one of the “conservatives of the century” (The Washington Times). He is the author of Conservatives Betrayed: How George W. Bush and Other Big Government Republicans Hijacked the Conservative Cause.

Asheville Tea Party, an organization which was born on a cold and rainy February 27th 2009 in Asheville’s Pritchard Park, is among the listed 95 “founding mothers and fathers.”

I’m very excited to be attending The Tenth Amendment Summit on Friday in Atlanta, Georgia, The Summit is a gathering of 2010 candidates from across the country who will champion state sovereignty. In addition, I have received an invitation to attend the closed-door meeting of select candidates on Thursday evening to discuss strategies for implementing state-level responses to federal overreach, possible legislation, and advancing the message of state sovereignty. I have also been included in the list of candidates who will have the opportunity to address the Summit.

Speakers include former superior court judge and Fox News analyst, Judge Andrew Napolitano, and Chief Justice Roy Moore of Alabama, who is widely known for his refusal as Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court to remove the Ten Commandments from the courthouse wall.

As a staunch defender of states’ rights, I anticipate the Summit experience will provide me with additional knowledge and ammunition to fight federal overreach as a congressman in Washington.

As a nation, I believe the US must protect and defend its borders, national identity, and sovereignty against all threats external or internal. The push toward globalism sponsored by the current administration and the United Nations is a direct threat to our personal liberties and the rule of law as defined by our Constitution, and, as such, must be fought with all vigor and persistence. When our Constitution was written, treaties consisted of agreements one nation to another nation. For this reason, provisions were made so that no state could opt out of an international treaty agreed to by senate ratification. These provisions are extremely dangerous now that UN “human rights” treaties deal with citizens’ rights inside a nation. Senate ratification of UN treaties such as those concerning Rights of Children, Climate Change, Weapons, Judicial/Legal rights, etc., would allow international law to supersede state law to the detriment of our citizens. This possibility is unacceptable to me. Until this constitutional loophole is removed, we must actively prevent ratification of any international treaty that would contradict or restrict any rights and provision guaranteed by our constitution.

The States created the federal government, not the other way around. The Tenth Amendment is referred to as the “forgotten amendment.” Our founders added the Tenth Amendment because they wanted to make it absolutely clear that anything that was not delegated or prohibited by the Constitution would be reserved to the states or to the people. Individual states must actively and aggressively take the necessary legal steps to reaffirm and regain the rights that have been usurped by the federal government.

Trust in Freedom
Dr. Dan Eichenbaum

Patrick McHenry, beloved (sic) “conservative” congressman from the 10 District, sent a friendly letter out stating, “Be sure to fill out your census forms when they arrive to insure we get our fair share of the government money because this is the only way our federal government knows how many live in our district.” Really? That’s what the census was designed for, Congressman? And folks, this is supposed to be one of the good guys!

Larry Porter

WE NEED A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE, AND THE SENATE

By C.L. Gray, M.D.
- FOXNews.com

Historically, practicing physicians have shunned politics. If our democracy is to survive, these times demand thoughtful solutions and difficult decisions. Few individuals are better suited to the task than the Hippocratic physician.

Behind the scenes, a quiet and unassuming movement is afoot destined to reshape the future of American health care—and possibly the entire landscape of American politics.

The House currently has fourteen physicians. The Senate has two. This means less than 3% of our elected officials in Washington come from one of the most trusted professions in America—medicine. But that is about to change.

Rising from the ranks of my home state, three North Carolina physicians are running for Congress to address our nation’s daunting challenges. Dr. B. J. Lawson, Dr. James Taylor, and Dr. Dan Eichenbaum seek to represent the 4th, 6th, and 11th Congressional districts. Should they be elected, North Carolina would have a larger physician representation than any state in the Union—three of thirteen Congressional seats, nearly 25%. But why should America care?

In “Precepts” Hippocrates once wrote, “For if love of men is present, love of the art is also present.” In “On Breaths” he added, “The physician sees terrible things, touches what is loathsome, and from others’ misfortunes harvests troubles of his own.” For the Hippocratic physician, the well-being of the individual was of primary concern—not power, not money, not personal gain, and most assuredly, not the supremacy of the State. The Hippocratic physician was born to serve his fellow man.

But such servant leaders are in short supply in Washington today. An air of entitled aristocracy permeates our political class. Rather than guarding hard-earned taxpayer dollars with sacred trust, politicians spend with reckless abandon. Rather than leaving Washington to live under the laws they pass, most politicians cling to power for as long as possible.

Washington has become a city where pork and payoffs rule the day. Where backroom deals and buried earmarks are accepted as they way things get done. Where health care reform becomes about politics, power, and payoffs, not patient care. Americans chafe against this sad perversion of power. To reclaim our representative government, We the People must find new leadership.

Historically, practicing physicians have shunned politics—and for good reason. As we open the clinic door or push aside the emergency room curtain, our patient’s political leanings never cross our mind. Nor should they.

However, our nation now moves into complex and perilous waters. Trillions of dollars of unfunded Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security obligations must be addressed. The exploding American debt now threatens our very independence. If our democracy is to survive, these times call for thoughtful solutions and difficult decisions. Few individuals are better suited to make these difficult decisions than the Hippocratic physician.

To save the patient the surgeon must sometimes cut to cure. To fight some cancers the oncologist must prescribe chemotherapy. Physicians must not only understand the details of a complex system and make the correct diagnosis, they must treat the illness, even if the patient does not want to hear what the physician has to say. Physicians know that alleviating symptoms does not address the disease, that more is needed however difficult.

The behavior of two prominent physician/politicians, Senators Bill Frist and Tom Coburn demonstrate the credibility of the physician statesman. In sharp contrast to today’s permanent political aristocracy, Senator Frist stepped down after achieving the position of Senate Majority Leader. Why? He had promised the voters he would serve for 12 years and no more—he kept his word. Few individuals can walk away from such power. In contrast to Washington’s common but corrupt practice of earmarks, Senator Coburn has opposed wasteful spending (by both parties) so aggressively he earned the nickname Dr. No. Like Senator Frist, he too has pledged to relinquish power after 12 years of service.

In the fall of 2010, North Carolina may serve as a bell-weather state. North Carolina’s state motto, “esse quam videri”—to be, not to seem to be, distinguishes the politician from the statesman. The politician is concerned with perception; the statesman is driven by character. Voters must decide if these three physicians can be statesmen. If elected, these three men must prove that they are.

Facing overwhelming debt, we need politicians willing to make tough decisions. In dealing with a subject as complex as health care reform, we need men and women who understand how decisions in Washington impact patient care at the bedside. Americans desperately seek elected officials committed to financial responsibility, Constitutional fidelity, and the sanctity of the patient/physician relationship. Two questions remain:

1) Will such servant/leaders rise to the fore?
2) Will We the People recognize who they are and send them to Washington?

C. L. Gray, M.D., is president of Physicians for Reform.

Opinion articles from NC Freedom members. The views expressed in Editorial articles published on NC Freedom are those of the authors alone. They may or may not represent the views or opinions of NC Freedom or those who volunteer to maintain the site.

All of the candidates for U.S. House NC District 11 participating in the Tea Party selection process have returned their questionnaires for our review. Below are links to each candidate’s response to our questionnaire.

Dan Eichenbaum
James Howard
Ed Krause
Jeff Miller
Greg Newman
Kenny West

`Liberty Slate 2010′ has ranked Dr. Dan Eichenbaum, grassroots candidate for congressional NC 11, THIRD in ability to win based on candidates from across the entire country. Rand Paul is number 1!

Click here: http://libertyslate.com/candidates/candidates-by-rank/ to view the ranking (rest assured that Dr. Dan does not favor unconstitutional entitlement programs).

February 4, 2010

Representative Heath Shuler

422 Cannon House Office Bldg.

Washington, DC, 20515

SUBJECT: OPEN LETTER REGARDING H.J. RES 45: INCREASING THE STATUTORY LIMIT ON THE PUBLIC DEBT

Congressman Shuler:

It is my understanding that sometime today you will vote on H.J. Res. 45, a resolution to increase the ceiling on the national debt by $1.9 trillion. I am strongly opposed to this legislation and encourage you to do the right thing by voting against this resolution.

Are you not aware that our per capita debt has already reached $485,000? Further increases in government spending, achieved by printing money or borrowing from China, can only lead to hyperinflation and financial collapse. The added deception of including a meaningless “PAYGO” provision only serves to make the entire resolution an obvious farce and, as such, an affront to honest, hard-working Americans whose grandchildren will have to pay for Congress’ reckless spending.

The voters in our district whose interests you are supposed to represent seek an end to the expansion of the federal government and a real and significant cut in government expenditures.

As an announced Republican candidate for your seat, I expect to face you in the midterm elections this fall. Although I know your vote in favor of this measure would mean additional ammunition for my campaign, I cannot in good conscience sit back and allow you, Rahm Emmanuel, and Nancy Pelosi to continue to drive our nation on a course toward assured financial ruin.

I urge you to vote AGAINST H.J. Res. 45.

Trust In Freedom,

Dan Eichenbaum, MD


The Cherokee County 9-12 Project hosted an 11th District Congressional Candidate Forum on Monday night in Murphy, NC. The forum was open to the public. All Congressional candidates, including Heath Shuler, were invited. Those who actually participated included Dr. Dan Eichenbaum (Physician, Murphy), Greg Newman (Attorney, Hendersonville) and Kenny West (Insurance Salesman, Hayesville). The debate lasted two hours and included an opening statement from each candidate, direct questioning, an audience Q and A session, and closing statements from each candidate. Afterward, a straw poll was taken of all audience members. The vote results are as follows:

Dr. Dan Eichenbaum – 91
Kenny West – 38
Greg Newman – 16
Ed Krause – 2
Undecided – 1

A Candid Mission…

Promoting conservative thinking – punching the mumbling majority, masquerading conservatives, and misguided liberals with matching enthusiasm!

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Listen to or download a new minute Monday – Saturday.

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As America observes the unfolding carnage in Haiti, we have been brutally reminded of our blessings. As we shift our recliners to more comfortable positions, we might pause a moment to ponder a deeper truth – those blessings do not convey immunity.

No Free Rides

As a conservative appreciative of our country’s traditional values, it is a personal belief that prosperity and safety are not without cost. The Bible, reinforced by nature and the test of experience, assures us that nothing is free and the pretense of such is anything but loving.

God may have made men equal, but such is certainly not the case with cultures. Whatever romantic attributes previously granted to Haitian culture were grievously assaulted by recent events. The broken rock fault under Haiti has revealed a long standing cultural fault on top of Haiti.

In spite of the lessons of history and this current event so close to our shores, most Americans believe we retain an inevitable destiny of power and security. To do anything else would require we step around the soft allure of comfort and face the much more demanding mistress of accountability.

Confronting the Anointed

In my home town a couple of dozen Tea Party members recently stepped away from their comfort zones to confront elected officials returning from a junket. The state legislator and county commission chair flew in from Hawaii, an island paradise coincidently located at about the same latitude as the paradise lost – Haiti.

The benefits of a tax payer funded vacation evidently included a respective four thousand dollar dose of Maui’s version of ‘chutzpa’ – Hebrew for ‘audacious entitlement’. It seems that both officials were stricken with the crucial importance of their roles on the Airport Authority and the daunting skill sets necessary to that function. Hawaii was clearly the only place to properly acquire those proficiencies.

Those with a resistance to chicken manure marketed as chicken salad have tilted their heads at the assertion that board membership necessitates exotic trips to tropical vistas. Those acquainted with books, the Internet, and other affordable and accessible learning tools were equally skeptical of the attitude of personal entitlement cheerfully defended as an act of accountability. It is apparent that awareness of a real national unemployment rate approaching 20% and enough debt to mortgage the future of our children’s children is not one of the skill sets of an information deprived airport authority.

Insult was added to injury when it was learned that Mr. Commissioner wanted to be reimbursed for using his frequent flyer miles for the trip. Audacity was added to absurdity when it was discovered that Mrs. Legislator graciously shared her room when her family showed up in Hawaii to enhance her learning experience.

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