Howard Phillips on Principles & Values

	Howard Phillips on Principles & Values 2000 Constitution Party Nominee for President

Stands for values of Bible, common law, & George Washington

Q: Howard Phillips of the Constitution Party, what do you stand for?

PHILLIPS: We stand for what George Washington stood for: limiting the federal government to its delegated, enumerated functions, restoring American jurisprudence to its biblical common-law foundations. In other words, keeping the federal courts out of what should be state and local matters. We’re 100 percent, pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, and more.

Source: Third Party Debate on Meet the Press , Oct 22, 2000

Sovereignty reposes in God, not in man or the state

Q: But with so many other candidates sharing your views -- with Buchanan talking about moral issues and [Libertarian] Harry Browne talking about decreased centralization and smaller government -- what’s the rationale for your candidacy?

A: We are fundamentally different from them. We and the Libertarians and the Democrats and Republicans are different on one issue: Wherein reposes sovereignty. The Democrats and Republicans say it lies with the state, while Browne says sovereignty is in man. The Constitution Party believes the laws of God are the higher laws, and that God is sovereign. The federal government has no right to stop states and local governments from choosing to govern using God’s law and making abortion and homosexuality illegal if they see fit. Buchanan’s views are pragmatic, not Constitutional. For example, I utterly reject his argument on abortion.

Source: Phone interview on Orvetti.com , Sep 20, 2000

Christian liberty benefits even non-Christians

Q: How would your emphasis on “Biblical government” affect Americans who are not from a Judeo-Christian tradition?

A: They’d have the benefits of Christian liberty. The Founders all said we are endowed by the Creator with certain inalienable rights. The Constitution Party wants to return to Constitutional government, which is rooted in British common law, which was itself rooted in Holy Scripture. Immigrants who come to America come because of that Christian liberty, whatever their own faith.

Source: Phone interview on Orvetti.com , Sep 20, 2000

We are Constitutionalists, not Libertarians

I discovered during the campaign that Harry Browne was opposed to the death penalty. We believe that its essential in certain cases. We are 100% pro life, the Libertarians are not. We believe that states have a right to legislate against homosexual conduct. The Libertarians disagree with us. We believe that the preservation of the US of America as an independent nation is very important and therefore we disagree with the open-border policies of the Libertarians and their free trade position. Source: Interview on the Ken Hamblin Show , Jul 2, 2000

Stick to biblical & constitutional standards

Phillips concurs that there has been a decline in moral and ethical standards in America over the last four decades. To address that, he would “terminate all federal subsidies, grants and contracts which undermine biblical morality and transgress constitutional limits.” His priority would be to “strictly adhere to the limitations and obligations imposed on the executive branch by our federal constitution.” Source: 2000 National Political Awareness Test , Jan 13, 2000

Christianity is the basis of our legal system

The Supreme Court of the United States said, in its decision concerning the Church of the Holy Trinity, “Christianity is, and always has been, a part of the common law. not Christianity with an established church.; but Christianity with liberty of conscience.” As a man of Jewish heritage and Christian faith, I have felt the sting of bigotry. We must respect the rights of men and women with different theological perspectives. Our rights are not bestowed by the state, but a gift from Almighty God. Source: Campaign 2000 Presidential Nominee Acceptance Speech , Sep 4, 1999

Accountability to people and God

We will give new life to the Constitutional stipulation that all legislative power shall be vested in a Congress of the United States. A Congress is accountable to the people of the several states who are themselves accountable to their Creator to be the stewards of his Sovereignty. My fellow Americans, our country has walked far from those eternal rules of order and right ordained by God. Source: Campaign 2000 Presidential Nominee Acceptance Speech , Sep 4, 1999

Welcomes pro-family activists from GOP

A year from now, all of those grass-roots Republican activists - whether they are supporting Smith or Buchanan or Bauer or Keyes, or whoever, as well as supporters of any other pro-family candidates there may be - will be looking for a political home and we will enthusiastically make room for them. Source: Campaign 2000 Presidential Nominee Acceptance Speech , Sep 4, 1999

America has forgotten God

My fellow Americans, our country has walked far from those eternal rules of order and right ordained by God. Source: Campaign 2000 Presidential Nominee Acceptance Speech , Sep 4, 1999

Republicans are just as bad as Democrats

Are the Democrats really worse? The Republican leadership agenda has included: the evisceration of the Second Amendment, backing Clinton on Kosovo, MFN for China, NAFTA, WTO, $17.9 billion IMF bailout, phony “back dues” payments to the UN, the NEA and similar unconstitutional programs, more foreign aid, failure to block unconstitutional Presidential military aggression and Executive Orders, and other White House “power grabs.“ They rigged the impeachment in favor of Clinton, ignored securing Panama, expanded governmental control of medical services, unconstitutionally involved the Feds in local law enforcement, and regulation of education, gave massive foreign aid through the World Bank, and IMF, etc. Source: Issues and Strategy Bulletin of “The Conservative Caucus” , May 31, 1999

Unity of purpose based on principle

To capture the Presidency for an agenda of Constitutional renewal we need a political instrument with clarity of principle and unity of purpose--one willing to offer a change in direction as well as a switch of drivers. To win, we don’t need a two-thirds vote, or even an absolute majority. Under our Constitutional system, a mere fractional plurality of the popular vote can produce a decisive majority of the electoral college. After all, that’s how the Republican Party was itself born. Source: National Christian Home Educators Leadership Conference , Nov 5, 1993

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