As you head to the polls today (if you live in Pennsylvania at least), think about your vote very carefully. While there is a lot of frustration at Washington DC, the force trying to capitalize on that frustration has been the Tea Party movement. Fueled mostly by lies about Health Care Reform and a desire for lower taxes, the Tea Party movement  has been a mixture of astro-turf, raw frustration, and manipulation. Deemed “astro-turf” because the movement wishes to appear as if it were completely grass-roots, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Big business, especially oil, energy and other conservative favorites are the driving force behind the Tea Party momentum. The people out there are real, everyday people (at least many of them) who are experiencing real frustration, but that emotion is being fed by a PR machine full of lies and misinformation.

So, here is one of the latest Tea Party ideas- repeal the 17th amendment. How’s that for returning control to the people and out of the hands of Big Government? The 17th amendment gives you and me the right to vote for our US Representatives and Senators. Prior to the 17th amendment, the state governments appointed these officials. So, who really, will benefit from this amendment repeal?

Far-right groups have the most to gain from this move since State boundaries are not influenced by population. If conservative groups can take over more states, they can rule the federal government even if that isn’t representative of the will of the people since many smaller states are more highly populated than most all of the large states. Is this a move that will really benefit you?  Losing your right to elect your own senator and representative?

For me this is quite troubling in and of itself, but there is another aspect which is even more troubling than that. If the 17th amendment can be repealed, which other constitutional amendments will be next on the chopping block? Or maybe the Constitution itself? The far-right is happy to try and paint Obama as a socialist, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. The reality is that after 8 years of conservative-led destruction of our country, the people voted for change, and the conservatives aren’t willing to participate in a democratically elected government from the minority position. so many extremely drastic steps are being taken for them to get the power back.

But who are they trying to get the power back from? If the 17th amendment is repealed, it is you, the voter who is losing your power. So, before you vote in this primary, think carefully about what is really important to you and how you can use your vote to make that happen. And if you are thinking of not voting, please think again. Our government is at state. Your rights are at stake.

The “Repeal The 17th” movement is a vocal part of the overall tea party structure. Supporters of the plan say that ending the public vote for Senators would give the states more power to protect their own interests in Washington (and of course, give all of us “more liberty” in the process.)

Tea Party-Backed Repeal Of The 17th Amendment Gets Republicans Into Trouble | TPMDC.

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/05/tea-party-call-to-repeal-the-17th-amendment-causing-problems-for-gop-candidates.php?ref=fpa