The Left Won't Dance ~ Don't Ask Them

Democrats are refusing to dance. The 'Prom of all Proms', the debate process to extend the debt ceiling a 76th time more resembles a bizzarre episode of the Twilight Zone Dancing with the Stars redux, than orderly business in the US Senate

The Danse Macabre of this fiscal crisis has been inflicted upon America from the left footed bunch led by Obama and Majority Leader Reid.  Their leadership has placed America in dire circumstances.  Democrats have spent more money than the federal government collects in taxes and Fees. The Senate has not passed a budget in 822 days.  Obama's 2011 budget delivered to the Senate was an astonishing 3.2 million dollars.  It was so outrageous the Senate defeated it 97-0. 

Republicans have proven, not just once, they can lead.  They led with Cut Cap and Balance, but democrats preferred to sit at the table. Republicans offered a second bill Friday, once again leading with legislation which made concessions to the sensitivities of Democrats, and still the Democrats answer was, "I won't dance don't ask me." Democrats decided to sit at the table.

Republicans are dancing as fast as they can all alone. 

Republicans cannot find a partner with either the President or the Majority leader in the Senate.  Left footed politicians in the Democrat party refuse to accept thier invitation to the ball, and either they do not like the steps or their shoes are to tight, or too expensive.

The Democrats wild gyrations are not the Quick step of economic sanity that the judges of this dance, credit rating agencies, Bond markets and our lenders have tuned in to see.  

America is witnessing a Dance Macabre. The Debt Ceiling Impasse caused by Democrats and their two left feet (Senator Reid and President Obama).

After watching hours of Democrats hustle, twist and waltz alone on the Senate floor my head was spinning. 

America was subjected to one after another repitive factually inaccurate speech, filled with threats, given during a blame throwing tribal dance.

Democrats have decided,  "They won't dance don't ask them".

The Senate Majority Leader unbelievably filibustered his own bill that just last night (Friday) had been placed on the floor.

Not only was Majority Leader Reid unwilling to dance with Minority Leader McConnell, but he stepped on McConnell's toes.  When Majority Leader Reid refused to open the bill to discussion, Minority Leader McConnell called for Cloture (requiring 60 votes)

After the filibuster ended (once again filled with rhetoric) by United States Senators insulting and calling American Voters on the right names, suggesting that honest working Americans are terrible terrorist. Democrats used  Seniors and Military and Veterans as strawmen threatening they would not get paid. The Senate Majority leader could not coerce his left footed bunch nor force enough votes from his own caucus to pass the  his own bill with 60 votes. (Democrats have 53 Senators).

Then Majority Leader Reid in the middle of the Danse Macabre going on in the well of the Senate took a powder to the Whitehouse to talk to his other left footed partner President Obama, and took Pelosi who can't dance either with him.

When the Majority Leader returned to the Senate after all the bashing and threats to American citizens had ended and time for the debate had expired.  The Majority Leader of the Senate could not pass his own 2.5 trillion dollar bill that forces tax payers to dance as fast as they can to February of 2013, and allows left footed President Obama to waltz across America during the 2012 Campaign season.

Majority Leader Reid decided that one day of dancing and threats was not enough.  He delayed the vote on his bill first until 1a.m. Sunday then later decided to repeat the Danse Macabre at noon on Sunday.
Never mind that left footed Obama is dancing to a funeral dirge.

And then I woke up.

And it was Debt Ceiling Debate Day all over again.

Democrats it is time to dance with the Partners American voters sent you.

Senator Reid now is the time to be America's Majority Leader, and do what is best for America.  President Obama, Suit Up and put your dancing shoes on.   America is tired of lying Drama Queens giving speeches filled with untrue rhetoric given by two left feet who won't dance. 

We are not Russia.

We are not Zimbabwe, or Venezuela or some other third world scum pond with an uniformed citizenry.

If our elected leaders cannot serve their bosses, (the people) then We The People will change them at the next opportunity for elected officials who will adhere to their Constitutionally sworn fiduciary duties.

No More Agendas, no more insults to The People who sent you to the Dance. 

It is well past time for President Obama to soundly chastise Democrats and the mainstream media for calling average everyday American citizens vile names. 

It is time for the Democrats to for once put their agenda down and put America first.

It is time for the Democrats to follow the lead of fiscal sanity.

Republicans have put their right foot forward.

The One Cent Solution, The Mack Penny Plan

Congressman Connie Mack, R, from the 14th Congressional District in Florida has introduced The Mack “One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011” (H.R. 1848) 

This genius, elegant, beautifully simple plan is one that is not only fiscally sound, but easy to understand. 

From Congressman Mack's website, here is his brief synopsis of the bills key provisions:

One Percent Spending Reduction per Year: The Mack One Percent bill cuts total spending – mandatory and discretionary – by one percent each year for six consecutive fiscal years, beginning in fiscal year 2012.


•FY 2012 – $3.382 trillion*, less one percent => $3.348 trillion cap


•FY 2013 – $3.348 trillion, less one percent => $3.315 trillion cap


•FY 2014 – $3.315 trillion, less one percent => $3.282 trillion cap


•FY 2015 – $3.282 trillion, less one percent => $3.249 trillion cap


•FY 2016 – $3.249 trillion, less one percent => $3.216 trillion cap


•FY 2017 – $3.216 trillion, less one percent => $3.184 trillion cap


Overall Spending Cap in FY 2018: The bill sets an overall spending cap of 18 percent of GDP beginning in fiscal year 2018.

Enforcement of Spending Cuts: The one percent spending cuts would be achieved one of two ways: either 1) Congress and the President work together to enact program reforms and cut federal spending by one percent each year; or 2) If Congress and the President fail to do so, the bill triggers automatic, across-the-board spending cuts to ensure the one percent reduction is realized.

*Congressional Budget Office March 2011 Baseline for Total Outlays minus Net Interest

Furthermore it laws out a clear plan to bring this nation out of economic chaos and to clear fiscal solvency, by paying off our Nation's colossal debt.

In it's purest essence the Mack 1% bill works by subtracting one cent from each federally budgeted dollar. All of those Pennies are then applied to the deficit.  The deduction of that one percent also forces a decrease in the baseline budget of those federal dollars for the following fiscal year.  This amount may sound minuscule but one cent begins to add up when those pennies are taken from a budget of trillions. (For those of you who, like me, are mathematically challenged, it is a savings of 10 Billion dollars for every 1 Trillion dollars spent). The amount left after the penny per dollar deduction is then used to form an automatic cap for the following years budgeting. 

The One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011” (H.R. 1848) is a piece of legislation Ben Franklin and Abraham Lincoln would have embraced. 

Imagine what a 2 cent solution would do.  It is easy to see from this bill that indeed a penny saved is a penny earned.

It is doubtful that the Tax and Spend Democrats would ever allow this efficient bill out of committee or support it much less pass it into law.  Should this plan ever pass both houses and reach the Big Deal Loving Champion Spender Obama would he exercise his veto? 

Obama's only solution to this nation's difficulties is throwing trillions of dollars at America's problems.  Obama prefers  to raise taxes and spend money this nation does not have.  No President in this nation's history has squandered more tax dollars on Agenda driven nation breaking programs than Obama.

All of the official information regarding “One Percent Spending Reduction Act of 2011” (H.R. 1848) can be found at the Library of Congress.

Since being introduced on May 11, 2011 the Mack Bill has gained 46 Co-sponsors .

The following Organizations support  H.R.1848, National Taxpayers Union, One Cent Solution, and
Freedom Works .  This list needs to be longer!  If your favorite Conservative Organization does not back this sound and simple plan it is time to urge the Board of Directors to do so support this bill.

It is left to We the People to pressure each of our Representatives and insist that this uncomplicated simple solution is passed by both houses with a VETO proof vote that insures it's passage into law.  We owe massive debt to nations whose politics, governments and ideals are diametrically opposed to our Founding Principles.  I say that owing this debt to nations that do not have our best interest at heart is not only a bad idea, but an untenable position for our Nation.

8/5/2011 To show your support for the One Cent Solution please sign up At the One Cent Solution Action Center that can be found here: http://www.onecentaction.org/

If not now, when will our elected officials, protect this nation with fiscal solvency?

Debt Crisis Chicken Dance By President Present Without A Plan

In an incredible  continuing display President Obama and his Administration and the Democratic Party have been exposed in a deadly game of Chicken. 

Now this would be funny if this game were not about the future of the United States, and threatening an Economic Collapse.

Obama and his Administration are continuing to stonewall not only the Congress with a Republican Majority, but the American voters.

I Searched the Internet, for several days, and I could not find one link for the President's Plan.

Where is the President's Plan? 

The President has not put forward a plan, or even apparently contemplated one since the last Debt Ceiling increase in May of 2011.

Senator Reid and the Democrats in the Senate have every intention through arcane Parliamentary Procedure in the Senate to deny any plan put forward by the House.  Senator Reid called a vote to table the Cut Cap and Balance Bill put forward by the house last week.  It cannot even come up for a vote again in this session unless Senator DeMint and other Republican Senators find a way around the Senate Rules to bring it up for another vote.

In one Press conference after another in recent weeks President Obama compared himself with President Ronald Reagan.  President Obama is no Ronald Reagan.

Democrats are floating the idea that Obama can on his own raise the debt ceiling with out Congress, and Whitehouse officials are denying the President is considering doing this.

Maybe this President thinks he can run around Congress and write an Executive Order...

Who knows.  Since the President has not even said what he would do any wild speculation based on his behavior of what he would do when he cannot get his agenda passed through Constitutional means is up open to Pin the Donkey Tail on the Debt ceiling.

Is Obama having a mid life crisis?  He turns 50 on August 2nd, and has plans of  a huge fund raising party in Chicago.

Does President Obama like Nixon have an enemies list, if he does he might as well add me and millions of other American voters to it if he lets America Default and lose it's Triple AAA Bond Rating.

If the President who thinks being Present allows through his defiance this Republic to Default he is indeed the worst President in US or World History.  Even the President of Greece was able to cut spending.

In 2012, like millions of other Americans, I have a vote.

I intend to exercise my right to vote, and I will encourage every other voter like me, to vote against  this Agenda driven President.  

My vote and the votes of many other ignored, threatened, and unhappy voters will hand this President who finds our Constitution fatally flawed a colossal Electoral Landslide loss.

A loss President Obama has truly earned, a result of his fatally childish, unserious, wholly Agenda driven Presidency.  

Sworn Duty, Fear Mongering and Lies

How dare Obama.  How dare the Democrats?

Has The United States ever had a President who has behaved more recklessly told the American people one thing and Walls Street Bankers something entirely different? According to Charlie Gasparino, Obama has exactly done just that, ..."In a series of phone calls, administration officials have told bankers that the administration will not allow a default to happen even if the debt cap isn't raised by the August 2 date Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says the government will run out of money to pay all its bills, including obligations to bond holders. Geithner made the rounds on the Sunday talk shows saying a default is imminent if the debt ceiling isn't raised, and President Obama issued a similar warning during a Friday press conference after budget negotiations with House Republicans broke down..."

What an Outrage!   Has the United States ever had a President so bound to his Agenda that he would spend 8 1/2 months doing nothing when the economic health of the United States is in  as dire trouble as reality shows do nothing?

And while Obama has not withdrawn his threat to Seniors,  Senator Toomey R PA has re-introduced a bill  "... a bill to prioritize payments to government vendors in the event we get to Aug. 2 without raising the nation's debt limit. Instead of the fire and brimstone predicted by the president and others for failing to hike the $14.3 trillion borrowing limit, Toomey has long predicted only "disruption." The bill would give at least some certainty to Aug. 3 and beyond, mandating that Treasury pay off interest on the debt -- thus avoiding a default on our debt -- Social Security and pay for active duty military.

This is a major cause for Toomey, who penned a Wall Street Journal op-ed on this and made the Full Faith and Credit Act his first bill as a senator -- though it was voted down on party lines in March. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner has made no secret of his dislike for forcing Treasury to prioritize certain obligations, and President Obama himself has said he can't guarantee Social Security payments...."

Where is Obama's plan?  The only plan I have seen from the Whitehouse is a demand to continue red ink spending, threatening Seniors, the Military and Veterans, one reflecting resentment towards the American voting public who in November 2010 who sent a clear message to the President and both the Democratic and Republican parties to do their jobs.

Name another other of our presidents who has in one term doubled the national debt, which had taken more than two centuries to accumulate, in one year.  Name one other of our presidents who had then proposed to double the debt again within 10 years. Obama demands a plan that will carry him through the 2012 election, so that his spending and policies are not a part of the next National Re-election.

Shame on every one of them.  

President Obama, the Senate and the 112th Congress have a sworn Constitutional duty to protect and defend the general welfare of the United States.

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Let me be clear spending this nation into economic chaos is in clear violation of that sworn fiduciary duty.

Elected officials who are standing in opposition to cut/freeze spending and insist that the Federal Government live within it's current revenues deserve, all of them to lose their jobs. 

This nation has had 75 debt ceiling increases (since 1962).  It is well past time to freeze all spending and live within our means. 

Obama's Wimpy Burger Deficit Ceiling Strategy & Bullying of Seniors

Obama and his Administration are more than disingenuous about raising the debt ceiling.

It has been 817 days since Democrats proposed a budget,more than two years.  In May the Senate, led by Majority Leader Harry Reid roundly
defeated the 3.7 trillion dollar budget sent by President Obama by a vote of 97-0 .

President Obama would like to have the debt ceiling raised past the 2012 election with cuts stretched out over ten years. 

This is a Wimpy Burger Deal, for those of you who may not recall Popeye Cartoons, Wimpy was the cartoon character who continually promised if you gave him a hamburger today, that the would 'gladly pay you on Tuesday'.  An ethic that Democrats in the House and Senate and President Obama have adopted as a strategy to win the election in 2012.

From Hot Air, ..."In general, the president’s op-ed amounts to the same old tired suggestions — and still no real plan. It’d be one thing if the Gang of Six plan had been prepared weeks in advance, if Congress had had time to debate and amend it, if the American people had had a chance to appraise it — then the president would have been perfectly justified in speaking of it as “a promising plan.” The McConnell compromise, of course, isn’t a deficit reduction package at all. As it is, the president and the Senate said “no” to the only plan that was prepared ahead of the deadline (a deadline the president has insisted is hard and fast!)..."

On Friday, Charles Krauthammer on the Fox news panel  said of President Obama ..."This is Obama at his most sanctimonious, demagogic, self-righteous and arrogant. And given the baseline it wasn't a pretty sight..."

Where was Obama on the huge deficits, why has he waited until the very last minute?  Further why do the Democrats insist on no policy but their Agenda, one that has outspent every Congress and President in the history of the US.

If Obama thinks he will not suffer ramifications if he follows through with his threats to withhold checks to Seniors,  and  he will not be held accountable by Seniors for making that choice he has made a very bad political gamble..."Well, when it comes to all the checks, not just Social Security -- veterans, people with disabilities -- about 70 million checks are sent out each month -- if we default then we’re going to have to make adjustments. And I’m already consulting with Secretary Geithner in terms of what the consequences would be...."

According to Peter Ferrara in an article at Forbes, regarding Obama's fear mongering aimed at seniors, ..."That $2.7 trillion in the Social Security trust funds is almost 20 times what would be necessary to cover the Social Security cash flow deficit this year.


Consequently, the president’s political gamesmanship in ruminating about possibly not having the money to pay Social Security benefits is simply abusive rhetoric, taking seniors hostage to force Republicans to agree to yet another tax increase. It is conduct unbecoming of a president.

Actually, it is worse than that. The Social Security trust fund bonds are explicitly backed by the full faith and credit of the United States. Therefore, Obama is constitutionally obligated to pay the interest and principal of these bonds when due just as with the rest of the federal debt.

That is what Obama must do to fulfill his constitutionally required duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed. The president does not have discretion under the Constitution to refuse to pay interest and principle on the national debt, including the Social Security trust fund bonds, as long as he has the money to do so, which he would even without an increase in the debt limit, or taxes, as explained above. Therefore, failing to do so, and to pay Social Security benefits as required by law, would be an impeachable offense.

Republicans have stood firm with the exception of the gang of six who pulled the rug out from under the House, and on Friday, McCain a usual member of Gangs abstained on the Senate vote for Cut Cap and Balance. 

While President Obama stands at his bully pulpit and blusters it appears that all we are getting is more hope and change and nothing in writing from President Obama. 

Shame on the Democrats for not observing their sworn fiduciary duties to pass a budget and act responsibly. 

It is time for Democrats to accept their failed big spending agenda, and to wake up, balance the budget, stop spending money we don't have and live within this nations means.

It is it time for Democrats to be exposed by all of us, since the Main Stream Media seems no more capable of a frank and candid discussion of the road to ruin this nation faces than the Democrats, a result of rampant spending and borrowing from those who are not our friends.

I looking forward to a monumental colossal devastating defeat of President Obama and the Democrats who have since the 110th Congress put Party before this nation, the peoples wishes and an agenda aimed at undoing all that makes America Exceptional.

A colossal defeat will be Democrats just desert.  They work for all of us, not just those who elected them to office, and we the people have had enough of Democrats and thier agenda.



Senate Roll Call Vote to Table Cut Cap and Balance By Party

This recap was taken from , Spreadsheet so that the vote listed below could easily reflect the party vote.

Once again, John McCain has shown why he was the worst possible candidate for the Republican Party in the 2008 election.

I am not interested in whatever his feeble excuse was to not be present for the vote and his cowardly abstention on this important vote. I can recall when John McCain was a new Senator from the State of Arizona and when McCain championed government waste.
Abstaining
McCain (R-AZ), Not Voting

Gillibrand (D-NY), Not Voting
Kerry (D-MA), Not Voting

Republican Nay Votes to Table 46

Alexander (R-TN), Nay

Ayotte (R-NH), Nay
Barrasso (R-WY), Nay
Blunt (R-MO), Nay
Boozman (R-AR), Nay
Brown (R-MA), Nay
Burr (R-NC), Nay
Chambliss (R-GA), Nay
Coats (R-IN), Nay
Coburn (R-OK), Nay
Cochran (R-MS), Nay
Collins (R-ME), Nay
Corker (R-TN), Nay
Cornyn (R-TX), Nay
Crapo (R-ID), Nay
DeMint (R-SC), Nay
Enzi (R-WY), Nay
Graham (R-SC), Nay
Grassley (R-IA), Nay
Hatch (R-UT), Nay
Heller (R-NV), Nay
Hutchison (R-TX), Nay
Inhofe (R-OK), Nay
Isakson (R-GA), Nay
Johanns (R-NE), Nay
Johnson (R-WI), Nay
Kirk (R-IL), Nay
Kyl (R-AZ), Nay
Lee (R-UT), Nay
Lugar (R-IN), Nay
McConnell (R-KY), Nay
Moran (R-KS), Nay
Murkowski (R-AK), Nay
Murray (D-WA), Yea
Paul (R-KY), Nay
Portman (R-OH), Nay
Risch (R-ID), Nay
Roberts (R-KS), Nay
Rubio (R-FL), Nay
Sessions (R-AL), Nay
Shelby (R-AL), Nay
Snowe (R-ME), Nay
Thune (R-SD), Nay
Toomey (R-PA), Nay
Vitter (R-LA), Nay
Wicker (R-MS), Nay

Democrat Yea Votes to Table 51 (Sanders, I (Socialist from Vermont joined with Democrats)
Akaka (D-HI), Yea

Baucus (D-MT), Yea
Begich (D-AK), Yea
Bennet (D-CO), Yea
Bingaman (D-NM), Yea
Blumenthal (D-CT), Yea
Boxer (D-CA), Yea
Brown (D-OH), Yea
Cantwell (D-WA), Yea
Cardin (D-MD), Yea
Carper (D-DE), Yea
Casey (D-PA), Yea
Conrad (D-ND), Yea
Coons (D-DE), Yea
Durbin (D-IL), Yea
Feinstein (D-CA), Yea
Franken (D-MN), Yea
Hagan (D-NC), Yea
Harkin (D-IA), Yea
Hoeven (R-ND), Nay
Inouye (D-HI), Yea
Johnson (D-SD), Yea
Klobuchar (D-MN), Yea
Kohl (D-WI), Yea
Landrieu (D-LA), Yea
Lautenberg (D-NJ), Yea
Leahy (D-VT), Yea
Levin (D-MI), Yea
Lieberman (ID-CT), Yea
Manchin (D-WV), Yea
McCaskill (D-MO), Yea
Menendez (D-NJ), Yea
Merkley (D-OR), Yea
Mikulski (D-MD), Yea
Nelson (D-FL), Yea
Nelson (D-NE), Yea
Pryor (D-AR), Yea
Reed (D-RI), Yea
Reid (D-NV), Yea
Rockefeller (D-WV), Yea
Sanders (I-VT), Yea
Schumer (D-NY), Yea
Shaheen (D-NH), Yea
Stabenow (D-MI), Yea
Tester (D-MT), Yea
Udall (D-CO), Yea
Udall (D-NM), Yea
Warner (D-VA), Yea
Webb (D-VA), Yea
Whitehouse (D-RI), Yea
Wyden (D-OR), Yea

Whitehouse Bullies Promote The Obama Programme

Once again questionable activities have surfaced from the bowels of the Whitehouse. The political machine and re-election machine appears to be ginning up at the expense of American voters.

President Obama’s Director of Progressive Media Jesse Lee, an employee of the Executive Branch at the Whitehouse whose salary is $72,000 annually has been exposed in attacking  an individual citizen  for disagreeing with and holding different political views and expressing those opinions concerning President Obama's Policies and Agenda on Twitter.

The Obama machines first average citizen target was Joe the Plumber, who confronted Obama on the Campaign trail in 2008.

During the heated debate over the Healthcare Bill, which a majority of Americans did not support passing or being signed into law, Linda Douglas encouraged Americans to turn in their neighbors who were not in favor of the bills passage via emails sent to flag@whitehouse.gov .

No matter where you stand politically as an American citizen I hope you would agree with me that this smacks of policies one would expect to see from a totalitarian government, and should not be emanating from a Whitehouse in the limited government of this Republic by a Whitehouse staffer.

Obama should immediately terminate Mr. Lee and apologize to the American public for yet one more smarmy activity from his Administration.

Instead of using lowly minions in the basement of the Whitehouse to defend his Administration, President Obama should tell the voters of America why his Administration has refused to pass or write a budget in well over 790 days. 

For two years, until January 7, 2010 holding overwhelming majorities in both houses the Obama Administration could easily have passed and sent any budget they desired to swiftly be signed into law by a willing President Obama. 

Instead of following their Constitutionally required duties the 111th Congress rushed to push Obama's Agenda down the highway to America's ruin.  Instead performing their fiduciary duties, Democrats  pushed through bill after bill, making the Federal Government ever larger and adding trillions of dollars of nation breaking debt in bills read by no one, many of which ran longer than 1,000 pages.

In full disclosure, I have a twitter account, @prfekrdumbrella, and I follow @keder, and he does not follow me back, This blog was written without his knowledge.

*Correction, this afternoon at 4:38 CST @keder did finally follow me after I whined to him.  Just keeping the record straight.

Endowed By Our Creator Inspired Genious

IN CONGRESS, JULY 4, 1776

The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America

When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.


We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.


He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.


He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.


He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their Public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.


He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.


He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected, whereby the Legislative Powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.


He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.


He has obstructed the Administration of Justice by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary Powers.


He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.


He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.


He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.


He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil Power.


He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:


For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:


For protecting them, by a mock Trial from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:


For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:


For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:


For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:


For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences:


For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:


For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:


For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.


He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.


He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.


He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation, and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & Perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.


He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.


He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.


In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.


Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.


We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these united Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States, that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. — And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.


— John Hancock

New Hampshire: Josiah Bartlett, William Whipple, Matthew Thornton

Massachusetts: John Hancock, Samuel Adams, John Adams, Robert Treat Paine, Elbridge Gerry

Rhode Island: Stephen Hopkins, William Ellery

Connecticut: Roger Sherman, Samuel Huntington, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott

New York: William Floyd, Philip Livingston, Francis Lewis, Lewis Morris

New Jersey: Richard Stockton, John Witherspoon, Francis Hopkinson, John Hart, Abraham Clark

Pennsylvania: Robert Morris, Benjamin Rush, Benjamin Franklin, John Morton, George Clymer, James Smith, George Taylor, James Wilson, George Ross

Delaware: Caesar Rodney, George Read, Thomas McKean

Maryland: Samuel Chase, William Paca, Thomas Stone, Charles Carroll of Carrollton

Virginia: George Wythe, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Nelson, Jr., Francis Lightfoot Lee, Carter Braxton

North Carolina: William Hooper, Joseph Hewes, John Penn

South Carolina: Edward Rutledge, Thomas Heyward, Jr., Thomas Lynch, Jr., Arthur Middleton

Georgia: Button Gwinnett, Lyman Hall, George Walton