CONVENTION OF STATES ACTION
Cold Civil War Discoveries for Reading and Investigating
In order to provide readers of my newsletter with some more online source material about my latest find, the existence of an actual far-right conservative organized effort to rewrite the constitution of the United States of America to reflect an extremist conservative polity, I have pulled some excerpts from eight different online sources for anyone who might want to read about and investigate the matter for themselves.
Below are the eight items mentioned. I will not be commenting on any of these things with this newsletter, as my purpose with this posting is simply to gather together some of my initial readings and findings into one place for future reference.
Due to the nature of the significant importance of this dangerous agenda and plan by MAGA Christian nationalists it seemed to me that everyone should have access to as much information as can be found about this situation. If you come across something new that is directly related to this matter, please be sure to alert me in the comments and if possible provide a link to your findings.
Thank you.
Robert J. Rei, December 5, 2023
COSA does not see its cause as secular. Ferris, Meckler and other major supporters believe a Convention of States is the only way to save America from their foes in the godless left and restore the country to the form its deeply religious founders intended: A nation under God, evangelical, founded on biblical principles and enforcing Christian law.1
“Inside Mike Johnson’s Ties to a Far-Right Movement to Gut the Constitution” Politico
Wealthy donors, corporations, and radical far-right actors are pushing calls for an Article V Convention in states across the country to reshape our Constitution for their own benefit.2
“Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention” Common Cause
Claims Medicare-for-All is Why "we need to call an Article V Convention of States"
Following the first congressional hearings on Medicare-for-All, a proposal in its current iteration put forth by Rep. Pramila Jayapal[15] COS claimed that "Nationalized healthcare" is "why we need to call an Article V Convention of States." The COS argument is that "the Founders never imagined that the federal government would control industries as massive as our healthcare system -- or any industries at all" further stating that an article five convention should be called to so that the United States can return to the "Founders' original vision."3
"Convention of States Action” SourceWatch
In early August of this year, a few of my Heritage Foundation colleagues and I joined representatives from 49 states in Williamsburg, Virginia, for a two-day “Simulated Convention of the States” to consider potential amendments to the U.S. Constitution. This was the second such simulated convention, the first having occurred in 2016. Given Williamsburg’s significance during the Revolutionary War and the Founding, the setting seemed fitting.
Those who are not familiar with the process for amending our nation’s Charter in order to form “a more perfect union” may be surprised to learn that it can actually be accomplished in two ways. The process is laid out in Article V:4
“Reconsidering the Wisdom of an Article V Convention of the States” The Heritage Foundation
In audio obtained by the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), featured speaker Rick Santorum, a former GOP senator from Pennsylvania who joined the Convention of States Project in September as a senior adviser, expressed optimism about the movement and made an important admission to his private audience: their path to victory relies on gerrymandering.
In other words, Republicans have been successful at drawing district lines to dilute Democratic votes by packing them into a small number of districts, thereby giving themselves an outsized majority in state legislatures, and COSA wants to use that advantage to lock their minority views into the Constitution.5
“The Right Is Trying to Rewrite the Constitution to Cement Minority Rule Forever” Exposed by CMD
The idea of combining political instruction and 35 hours of intense, combat-focused pistol training in 2023 America seems insurrectionary on its face. And it is, but not in the immediately obvious way. The guns are a red herring. The insurrection, if Patriot Academy has its way, will be bloodless: a heart transplant for the body politic. Patriot Academy, along with many fellow-traveler evangelical organizations across the country, is engaged in a life-and-death struggle to rewrite America’s Constitution—and teaching its supporters how to defend themselves with a handgun, just in case.6
(Austin, TX—November 1, 2023) Convention of States Action is proud to announce Dr. Kevin Roberts, President of The Heritage Foundation, has officially endorsed the Convention of States (COS) movement as a critical means to rein in the federal government and safeguard the liberties upon which our Republic was founded.
The Heritage Foundation is the nation’s premier conservative think tank, standing for limited government, individual freedom, and traditional American values. Roberts' endorsement not only reaffirms the importance of the grassroots movement but also strengthens our collective dedication to upholding the nation’s founding principles.7
“The Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts Endorses Convention of States to Rein in Federal Government” Convention of States, Press Release
Official proposals passed at the Simulated Article V Convention
Commissioners representing 49 states gathered in Williamsburg, Virginia last week for the Simulated Article V Convention hosted by Convention of States Foundation. Six amendments came out of the simulation after careful deliberation and debate.8 August 2023
Sunset as seen from Kennedy Park, Fall River, Massachusetts.
Photo credit Robert J. Rei
“Words can be like X-rays if you use them properly—they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced.” -Aldous Huxley
"Inside Mike Johnson’s Ties to a Far-Right Movement to Gut the Constitution” Laura Jedeed, November 11, 2023, Politico, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/11/10/mike-johnson-rewrite-constitution-00126157
"Stopping a Dangerous Article V Convention Wealthy special interests are pushing for a constitutional convention that could put everyone in America’s rights up for grabs. It's on us to stop them.” Common Cause, undated, https://www.commoncause.org/our-work/constitution-courts-and-democracy-issues/article-v-convention/
"Convention of States Action” SourceWatch (a project of the Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), “This page was last edited on 14 November 2023, at 19:25”, https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Convention_of_States_Action
"Reconsidering the Wisdom of an Article V Convention of the States” John Malcolm, October 27, 2023, Heritage Foundation, https://www.heritage.org/the-constitution/report/reconsidering-the-wisdom-article-v-convention-the-states
"The Right Is Trying to Rewrite the Constitution to Cement Minority Rule Forever” Alex Kotch, December 21, 2021, Exposed by CMD, Center for Media and Democracy (CMD), https://www.exposedbycmd.org/2021/12/21/the-right-is-trying-to-rewrite-the-constitution-to-cement-minority-rule-forever/
“My Week Inside a Right-Wing “Constitutional Defense” Training Camp An on-the-ground report on the movement trying to rewrite the Constitution—and arm supporters along the way” Laura Jedeed, January 3, 2023, The New Republic, https://newrepublic.com/article/169563/patriot-academy-right-wing-constitutional-defense-training-camp
"The Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts Endorses Convention of States to Rein in Federal Government” Press Release, Convention of States Action, https://conventionofstates.com/the-heritage-foundation-president-kevin-roberts-endorses-convention-of-states-to-rein-in-federal-government
"Official proposals passed at the Simulated Article V Convention” Convention of States, August 8, 2023, https://conventionofstates.com/news/official-proposals-passed-at-the-simulated-article-v-convention
Scary stuff you are writing about. However, I very much appreciate your work.
Glad to see seven of the nine SC justices taking a dim view of changing the tax code during oral arguments today on Moores. Yet another stealth end run on reducing federal powers to tax and regulate by the far-right.