Special Report by Dixie Larkin, AOE Founding Member
Not since the debate over slavery has an issue so bitterly divided this nation. This time around, the Federal Government seems to be set on making slaves of citizens rather than setting slaves free, according to State lawmakers across the heartland. A Coalition of Conservative States made primarily up of 31 traditionally red states (see map and Alaska) have voiced their intention of severing ties with DC if the pending Health Care legislation is passed. In addition to the states shown, Wisconsin, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Maine and Rhode Island are on the fence, but sources say all but Rhode Island are leaning toward joining the Coalition.
“We believe the Federal Government has usurped the Constitution,” says Texas Governor Rick Perry, “When we agreed to enter the Union, we agreed with an understanding of the power of the Federal Government as laid out in the Constitution. In no uncertain terms, the Federal Government has violated that agreement ... they broke the contract, so to speak, and has thus relinquished us of our duty to abide by that agreement, which is to remain a State in the Union.” Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell who studied law at Regent University, a premier conservative Christian Law School, added, “make no mistake, the decisions being made in Washington [DC] are tearing apart the very fabric of our nation. Foisting such Unconstitutional legislation as ObamaCare upon an unwilling citizenry is tearing away the very threads upon which this nation was sown together.” Governor Tim Pawlenty (MN), who is trying to steer his state toward joining the Coalition underlined the fierce reverence that Coalition leaders have for the United States of America, but said, “When the Federal Government abandons the Constitution, patriots have no choice but to abandon the Federal Government.
In response to backlash from States, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) flippantly alluded to the Civil War era Mason-Dixon line by asking that the line separating the “redneck states from the progressive blue states” would be named the Pelosi-Reid line. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) weighed in by calling the 31 Coalition State a “fringe group” who would “quickly be crushed if they continue this nonsense.” Governor Bobby Jindal responded to Reid and Pelosi by pointing out that their “cheeky disregard for America’s Heartland is forcing this 'War of Federal Aggression' upon us.”