5.6.10 - Michael F. Shaughnessy - Since the 1980’s, I have been involved in exercising my stewardship responsibility to be an informed voter. In 1979/80 Dr. Tim LaHaye and Phyllis Shalaffly were at the front end of leading the Christian community into what was later identified as the “culture wars”

An Interview with Pastor Stephen Edward Broden: What’s Broke in Washington and How to Fix It

 

Michael F. Shaughnessy
Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, New Mexico

 

1)      First of all, what got you interested in running for public office? How did this come about?

 

Since the 1980’s, I have been involved in exercising my stewardship responsibility to be an informed voter. In 1979/80 Dr. Tim LaHaye and Phyllis Shalaffly were at the front end of leading the Christian community into what was later identified as the “culture wars” the fight for the life of the unborn and traditional marriage. Their fight fast became my fight and I entered into the push back from the Christian right against the liberal lefts progressive agenda. 

 

Over the years, I have stood for the unborn, for traditional marriage, and for the Judeo-Christian heritage that made this nation great. I have written letters to Representative, Senators and Presidents in my fight for Christian conservative issues in order to push back against liberalism. It seems that more is required to win against the persistency of the left.

 

It was apparent to me that the progressive agenda included an effort to remove the Christian influence out of the public square. This administration in connection with the democratic majority seems to be focused on making their left wing ideological agenda a reality in America. As a believer in the constitution and the Judeo-Christian principles that made this nation great I could not stand by and witness this concerted effort to marginalize, negate and assault the churches role as the prophetic voice of God, the salt and light agent of the kingdom and do nothing.

 

It was Edmond Burke who said, “All that is required for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing.” This was my call to enter politics in order to resist from within our government the liberal agenda to change our nation into a socialistic paradigm.

 

2. In your mind, what is broke in Washington and how do you propose to fix it?

 

What’s broken in Washington is the resolve of our elected officials to exercise their constitutional duty to protect our constitution from domestic terror. Much of what we are witnessing today with this crowd in Washington is unconstitutional. The fix or remedy is for principled leadership from men and women who are strict constitutionalist to filter every piece of legislation through the constitution and the founding principles given to us by our founders. Simply put we need to return to governing by our constitution.

 

3. Let me quote Ray Stevens who has said “the tea parties” are just the “tip of the iceberg”. Your thoughts?

 

I agree, we are experiencing in our nation an awakening. Americans are uneasy with our government taking more and more of our freedoms away. The tea parties are just the beginning of patriotic engagement to push back against the tyranny of big government. We must push back or we will lose our liberties. Thank God for the “tip of the iceberg”

 

4. Let’s talk about money. I know exactly what is in my checking account and I know exactly what I have in the bank and “it ain’t much“. What is your view on this seemingly reckless spending in Washington?

 

There seems to be a deliberate attempt by this administration and a power elites who gives advice to this administration to spend despite it adverse impact on our economy. You and I know when your bills exceed you income you cut back on your spending; you alter your behavior to reverse your debt to income ratio.  The one thing you don’t do is to continue to spend money you don’t have!  It seems to me that those in Washington who persist on spending our grandchildren’s and their children’s money, is intent on creating an economic crisis that will facilitate changing America forever. How else can you explain this reckless behavior?  Let me try.

 

There is a theory of manufactured or orchestrated crisis created by two professors at Columbia University back in the sixties that may be in play here. It postulates that in order to over throw capitalism you must put extraordinary demands on it economic system to overload it and cause it to fail.  This crowd in Washington seems to be spending with a purpose. The only way to explain what appears to be an act of national suicide is that it is intentional. We need to stop them in November 2010 before it is too late.

 

5. There seems to be a good deal of skullduggery going on in Washington with politicians selling votes for kickbacks, bribes, payoffs and the like. What can the average citizen do other than to “vote the bums out”?

 

The only cure for the culture of corruption in Washington is to vote the bums out! What the average citizen can do until the next election is to find those candidates who are honest men and women of integrity whom they can support with their time, talent, and treasure and push them quickly to Washington to replace these bums. Stay informed, educated and engaged.

 

6. Some feel the Constitution, we well as the Articles of Confederation are being trampled upon. What is your position on preserving the Constitution?

 

It is an absolute necessity if we are to survive this onslaught. Our constitution is the remedy to this madness. 

 

7. Should the American public just accept the fact that we are just now a representative democracy or a semi-participatory democracy or just moving inexorably toward socialism?

 

It is my hope that as Americans awake to what the liberal left is doing to us and juxtaposition their agenda with what the founders have given to us in the constitution we will affirm who we are through those founding principles. What was given us was a Republic, a representative democracy that requires our active participation and engagement. This government derives its just powers from the consent of the people. We the people must ever be vigilant in ensuring we maintain a government by the people, nothing less will do.

 

8. As a pastor, you know that this country was founded on very religious, spiritual principles. How do we return to what the founding fathers dreamed of?

 

We must educate the average American citizen of the legacy of faith connected with the greatness of our nation. There has been a deliberate effort on the part of the progressives to remove any reference to our religious heritage from our schools, colleges and university. Unfortunately, with activist judges and the ACLU they have been successful in pushing our religious heritage out of the public square. We who recognize and know our history must fight to reintroduce to our children and their children to come the true history of our nation and its early dependency on God, and the principles of scripture.

 

9. Now, on to education. What changes would you like to see in our educational system and how do we bring this about?

 

I believe the answer to the challenges of education in the 21^st century is parental choice. Parents should be able to shop for a school that provides the kind of training that will enhance their child’s academic development and prepare them to compete is a 21^st century economy. Giving a voucher to a parent who in turn will seek a school who has demonstrated it capacity to effectively train its students will introduce competition into the education arena. I believe competition is best for changing the status quo in education. This can happen through persistent legislators who will fight to implement this idea in the House of Congress.

 

10. You have a web site entitled “www.BrodenforCongress.com.” What will our readers find there?

 

They will find out more details related to my positions, a place to make contributions to my campaign and opportunities to get involved with the removal of a long term socialist who acts as a rubber stamp for Nancy, and Harry.