The Freedom Index:
Perfect Tool for Constitutionalists Organizing for the 2010 Elections

by Larry Greenley, Director of Marketing

“Finally, and probably most important of all these courses of action, we would put our weight into the political scales in this country just as fast and far as we could.” — Robert Welch, The Blue Book of The John Birch Society, 1958



“The John Birch Society takes no direct part in partisan politics…. But with regard to Congressmen and Senators and state legislators we officially and insistently urge every member to do everything he can to get the most conservative candidates available — Republican or Democrat — elected in November.” — Robert Welch, JBS Bulletin, October 1960



“At long last it is becoming easier to make a lot of good Conservatives believe what we have been trying to tell them since the Society was founded: That the job of saving our country depends primarily on educational rather than political effort.” — Robert Welch, JBS Bulletin, December 1962



“Our task is to supply the information and, we hope, the understanding, which will enable our members to vote and work more wisely with each new campaign that comes along.” — Robert Welch, JBS Bulletin, December 1968



“Our American republic was extremely successful for about a century and a half. This was partly because those characteristics which doom any democracy to early self-destruction were carefully limited and controlled by our Constitution.” — Robert Welch, JBS Bulletin, August 1970

I’ve picked the above five short quotes from Robert Welch on the topic of the JBS and election campaigns in order to clarify what might seem confusing to some members and most non-members.

As made clear by the first quote from The Blue Book, Robert Welch always intended for The John Birch Society to have a major impact on elections. However, as the second quote makes clear, the JBS itself takes no part in partisan politics, even though members are urged to do everything they can to get the most conservative (or as we prefer to say nowadays, constitutionalist) candidates available — Republican or Democratic or, by extension, third parties — elected to Congress. The third quote emphasizes our belief that “the job of saving our country depends primarily on educational rather than political effort.” Thus, as the fourth quote states, “our task is to supply the information and, we hope, the understanding...”  And, finally, the fifth quote focuses on the central role of the Constitution for preserving our freedom by limiting and controlling the federal government.

Therefore, “The Freedom Index: A Congressional Scorecard Based on the U.S. Constitution” provides the perfect tool for accomplishing the above educational and political goals. First, it can be used to evaluate whether an incumbent has a sufficiently good voting record to deserve support to run for Congress again in 2010. Second, it can be used to identify issues for defeating an incumbent with a poor voting record in 2010.

The current “Freedom Index,” covering 10 important votes in both the House and Senate for the first half of 2009, was published in the July 20, 2009 issue of The New American magazine. The “Freedom Index” is published twice a year in The New American, typically in July and December, with this year’s second issue scheduled for December 7 edition. The current “Index,” as well as other recent issues, is available as a 10-page PDF download at JBS.org (Click on “Downloads” under “Action” on the menu). Print versions are available at ShopJBS.org or by calling 1-800-342-6491.

As we suffer through the last few months of this terrible legislative year of 2009, hope is on the way. The next midterm congressional election is only a year away. Just as we need to be familiar with the two-year legislative cycle in the Congress, we also need to be aware of the two-year congressional election cycle.

The identification and nomination of sound candidates to run for office is one of the most important aspects of congressional elections. Moreover we’re just now entering prime time for picking and vetting candidates for Congress. And, as described above, the perfect tool for vetting incumbents is The New American’s “Freedom Index.” Since all 535 representatives and senators are subjected to a strict constitutional standard, the “Freedom Index” separates those congressmen who merely “talk the talk” from those who actually “walk the walk.”

A local Appleton Tea Party group is already getting serious about vetting candidates for the Eighth Congressional District in the next couple months. And, more importantly, a Tea Party leader from the Milwaukee area (http://www.wisconsingrandsonsofliberty.com) has undertaken to hold a statewide meeting of Tea Party leaders and members, as well as leaders and members of all other constitutionalist groups in the state, at the Olympia Resort in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, November 6-8. His plan for this “Wisconsin Liberty Group Conference” is to organize members of the liberty-minded organizations in our state to get as many constitutionalists nominated and elected to Congress from Wisconsin as possible in November 2010. Rest assured that there will be several hundred copies of the “Freedom Index” on hand for distribution to the attendees at this meeting.

While I have only spotty evidence as to similar plans in the other 49 states, I’m confident that this type of statewide or congressional district organizational meeting will be happening in virtually every state during the next few months. I urge you, as a member or supporter of the JBS, to get involved in such meetings to the extent that you are comfortable with the political philosophy of the leadership of the meeting(s) in your area. And, be sure to bring plenty of copies of the “Freedom Index” for distribution to the other attendees.

As for the legislation we’re still battling, such as health care reform, cap and trade, and Law of the Sea Treaty, be sure to make your representative and senators aware of just how organized their constituents already are for next year’s congressional elections, and furthermore, just how big a political liability their vote for any of these unconstitutional legislative items would be. Let’s extend the usual election-year jitters over controversial legislation into the closing months of 2009.

Use the “Freedom Index” widely to help “Make Congress Constitutional”!

ACTION SUMMARY

• Download and/or order print copies of the “Freedom Index” and distribute to attendees at meetings of constitutionalists who are organizing for the 2010 congressional elections.
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• Contact your representative and senators regarding key, unconstitutional legislation by going to the “Legislative Action” section of JBS.org under the “Action” menu item. Make them aware of the political liabilities represented by YES votes on unconstitutional bills.