John Eastman, a REAL Constitutional Law Professor, Speaks for VC CRA and Ventura County Tea Party 8-8-12

About 80 patriots heard and participated-via extensive Q&A, in the really excellent John Eastman presentation. We have had some really great events this year: Our pre-primary endorsing convention which created the voter guide, the Lord Monckton Global Warming and Obama eligibility presentations, Tom Ballantyne on Obama deceptions, multiple religious freedom rallies done with the Catholic Church and Trinity Church– and now the John Eastman Obamacare presentation, which turned out to be more than just Obamacare.

John is one of the top Conservative constitutional law experts in the nation, from the famous Chapman University. 

Dr. Eastman unsuccessfully sought the office of California Attorney-General in 2010. As most knowledgeable CA Tea Partiers know, the Democrats swept all statewide offices that fateful year, catapulting the Communist Kamela Harris into the AG position, a downgrade from her predecessor, if  that is possible. Can you imagine him in that office instead of her? Our AG election fraud criminal complaints might have played out a bit differently.

Here’s our event report- Video and more verbiage will follow (video by Sunday).  Photos start HERE

Event Video:

Dr. Eastman wasted no time in setting the stage, then ripping apart the Roberts court ruling, which mostly upheld Obamacare. He was merciless with Roberts, in essence calling him unethical, intimidated and dishonest. He quickly debunked the so-called pundits who characterized Roberts as a  brilliant chess player, sacrificing a piece for a checkmate down the road. “Why would he burn down our house to save the barn?” he quipped, an analogy to compare throwing the most important constitutional case in many years for future hypothetical victories. He concluded that the decisions limiting the commerce clause  and reinforcing states’ rights to reject portions of the Medicare (medicaid) rules didn’t make up for a crushingly awful precedent of upholding an awful, oppressive, statist, unconstitutional law and a legal path for more of the same.

He faeels Roberts was intimidated — and motivated by a perceived legacy fantasy, into making the profoundly misguided and unconstitutional ruling.

He mocked the mental gymnastics of reclassifying it to a tax, to pretend that it is constitutional. He commented on Congress previous gymnastics, such as stripping down another bill, making it into Obamacare, to claim it was originated in the House, “deeming it passed,” etc. He did not get into the other illegal moves, including alleged bribes and intimidation, to get it passed. He is of the school that believes SCOTUS initially voted against it– and then Roberts had an epiphany and reversed himself, shortly before the ruling. He supports that with his observations of the text construction and the nature of the joint dissenting opinion (such things are virtually never done).

Disappointingly, he didn’t cover most other awful and likely unconstitutional provisions of Obamacare, possibly because the challenges focused on the mandate, hoping to knock out the entire mess that way.

Next- Obamacare? He saw multiple routes out of that disaster.

1. Defeat it via budget reconciliation- 51 votes in the Senate (House is already there). This can be done since SCOTUS reclassified the infamous “mandate” as a tax and tax bills are immune from filibuster, ergo, no 60 vote supermajority needed.

2. State choices not to avail themselves of certain portions of it. I asked him about the Tenth Amendment to address that, knowing full well he doesn’t believe in the Tenth Amendmant, from two 2010 encounters I had with him. He rejected the Tenth Amendment as a solution, claiming it was too disruptive to have multiple interpretations in multiple jurisdictions. It was pointed out to him that several laws, such as Real_ID, marijuana prohibitions and gun laws, were already having just tat done to him. He further stated that the federal supremacy clause is, well, supreme.

I could write all day about it, but better for you to just watch the video. 

Other topics covered

Although many are very pessimistic about the state of government and the serious violations of the Constitution, he postulated that it could be a self righting ship- if and when the “character of the People” soundly rejects and vilifies these decisions. he gave as an example the Alien and Sedition Acts, which, although still technically on the books, wetre so soundly rejected after a few years that officials didn’t dare go there again. I wonder if we’ll see something similar with the infamous “Kelo” eminent domain monstrosity. 

Doug asked about the constitutionality of NDAA arrest and detainment clauses. It was Eastman’s opinion that these are just minor technical changes over the Bush era stuff and that some of that well predated that, although it doesn’t make it right. He conceded that this could have been an opportunity to correct mistakes.

I got the distinct impression he thinks Bush did many horrible things and set dreadful precedents, which Obama has exploited and exacerbated.

He feels that it is extremely important to get Obama out, even if we have to elect an unsatisfactory candidate to do it, because Obama is so horrible. He shudders at the thought of second term court appointments that a re-elected Obama would make. When asked if Republicans would fail to confirm these, he said we would have to first win back the Senate and secondly avoid the huge bipartisan majorities his other appointees enjoyed.

Wrap-Up

What was impressive about all of these events is not just the awesome speakers, but the audience participation. There were so many excellent questions and observations, such enthusiastic audience reaction, that I was really proud and pleased to claim membership in both sponsoring organizations.

As usual, actual attendance eclipsed RSVP’s by a factor of more than two, necessitating begging, borrowing and stealing chairs, from other offices, the lobby, peoples’ vans and cars, even pressing ice chests and tables into service.  
CRA-VC President, VCTP member and CC Chaplain Regina Risolio

We have to thank Regina Risolio for booking Dr. Eastman and making most arrangements. The Tea Party takes much of the credit for filling the room, videotaping the presentation (David Stewart) and doing a lot of the grunt work.

There were leaders there from four Tea Parties-  and members from 6- Restoring Patriotism, Santa Barbara, Simi/Moorpark, Ventura County, Thousand Oaks, Conejo. Several announced candidates for office were there, Including Doug Crosse (Simi City Council), John M (Simi City Council) and noted GOP political consultant Steve Frank. Also, people from VCLP, CAPR, VC-GOP, Christian Coalition, JBS and Salt and Light.  I probably missed more- tell me.