James Madison once said, “Wherever the real power in a Government lies, there is the danger of oppression.”
As Conservative South Carolinians, we understand Madison’s words more than most. From the ineffectual reign of “Republicans” for 30 years to now the recent attempt to suppress the 1st Amendment rights of a group of the most conservative Republicans in the State House through a loyalty pledge, we know firsthand the danger of oppression inflicted on conservative values by a government focused on only growing its own power. The loyalty pledge presents two particularly egregious problems. They are affronts to the dignity of the relationship between elected members and the constituents that put them in office within our state.
The first problem is the pledge states "No member of the Caucus shall engage in campaign activities of any kind against any other Caucus Member in good standing." In simple terms: members who fail to deliver on promises they made to constituents should be protected, despite their failure to vote according to their publicly communicated values. This pledge language inherently requires representatives to be willing to withhold information from their constituents. The people of South Carolina expect their representatives to uphold and promote their values, not sign-up for a political self-protection racket.
The second problem compounds upon the first problem. Members of the Caucus are not only required to acknowledge that they have read and received these proposed rules, but that they will also "adhere, abide, and comply with" them. South Carolina Republican members of the House are being asked to sign an oath to the House Republican Caucus that demands loyalty over any other commitment they have made to their constituents. They are being compelled to cower before the master of party leadership.
As punishment for not signing this loyalty oath, a majority of the members of the South Carolina Freedom Caucus have been expelled from the House Republican Caucus. We hope this is only temporary. We applaud them for upholding our Republican creed and their values. We respect them for their humility in knowing that they do not serve a Caucus, but the people of their districts. We call on you, as grassroots leaders in South Carolina, to assist the South Carolina Freedom Caucus members in doing away with this loyalty oath. The South Carolina House Republican Leadership should use this unique time in history to pass the conservative policies that we as constituents expect of them.
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Jim DeMint John Warren Karen Iacovelli Stacy Shea Elizabeth Enns Jennifer Black Luke Rankin Stan Tzouvelekas Carly Carter Lester Hardegree Erica Grunst Kelly Decker Richard Kevin Hardy Carol Johnnson Jennifer Snow Phil Jung Mamie Rand Ann Beauchamp Cryste Carroll Mike Elder Kelly Rowe William M "Bill" Connor, V Debbie Jones Dee Goehring Lea Willliams Olga Blandford Cyndi Roberts Warren D. Arthur Barbara Arthur Tiberiu Czentye Ashley Jones Sam McCown Anz'lee Parker Cathy Lee Meagan Ingersoll Hayden Turlington Laura Beth Kirsop Charles Turlington Jackson Yearick Michael Griffin Magda Aguila Jason Ross Christopher S. Lawton Harrison Musselwhite Tim Morgan Ashley Lawton David Warner |
Ralph Norman Steve Shaw Dianne Mitchell Lenna Fox Smith Fish Belk Joey Russo Randy Page Nate Leupp Autumn Dunlap Tiffinie Lee Carolyn Church Kim McCleery Stephanie Berquist Dawn M. Pierce Nathan Street Matthew Durham Johnnelle Raines Heather Mitchell Melissa McFadden Bill DeVore Jarred Spencer Hannah Miller Tyler James Corn Carlotta Jackson Matthew Corbin Amanda Hovis Robert E Jackson MD Caitlin Boyle Christine Lekich Diana Donnelly Donna Phillips Ed Currie Ellen Abramo Frank Trotta Jackie Terribile Michael Terribile Larry Byrd Linda O'Neal Mark Corral Monica Nave Wade Jensen William Wiseman Ashley Floyd Charles Gross Cynthia Jones Donald J. Thompson Paula Etta Rosenbaum Thomas Galvin |
