David Macko for Congress

No, this is not a picture of Ben Stein. This is David Macko, candidate for Congress in Ohio’s 14th district. Macko is a Russian Orthodox Christian, and is (or was, personal communication) the chairman of the Ohio chapter of Libertarians for Life. I don’t know why he is not listed among the candidates on either the national LP site or the Ohio LP site. But here he is listed as Libertarian. I wonder why.

He supports the Sanctity of Life Act . “Abortion is against Christian principles and L/libertarian principles properly understood…I believe that abortion is murder but punishment for that crime should be administered by the states,” he says. “Use of embryonic stem cells is the moral equivalent of cannibalism,” he says.

Macko believes that 14th amendment was improperly ratified because southern states were not included in the voting even though they had been readmitted to union, their votes for 13th amendment were counted, and Abraham Lincoln maintained that their secession was not legitimate in the first place. Although this amendment grants the right to “life, liberty, and property” and “equal protection under the law”, Macko believes that this amendment is heavy-handed and points out that this is the very amendment which the Supreme Court used to justify their authority to impose Roe v Wade. He argues that repealing it would be an admission that it is legitimate and passing a law through Congress to invalidate the 14th (and all ruling based on it) would set a bad precedent that would open the door for legitimate amendments to be repealed without the necessary approval of 2/3 of the state legislatures. The solution is to resubmit legislation to ratify the 14th. Quite interesting, wouldn’t you say?

http://www.mackoforcongress.com/webpage/7

He believes that real marriage is between a man and a woman, but would “vote to repeal all federal laws which discriminate against homosexuals, except where it would compromise our national defense,” and would not deny homosexuals the right to ordinary, voluntary contracts. He would not include sexual orientation or gender identity in federal anti-discrimination laws.

He supports the Liberty Amendment which would sell all unconstitutionally held federal businesses and lands and end the personal income, gift and death taxes. He would also get rid of the Federal Reserve and replace it with a sound, commodity-based monetary system. He also supports the RTBA (Read the Bills Act) as well as an amendment to the Constitution which would state: “Neither Congress nor the states shall hinder, impede or otherwise limit commerce among the states.”

“I support … a two to three percent tariff as the only tax which is necessary for the legitimate functions of the federal government, to protect the lives, liberty and property of citizens from foreigners, operate federal courts and make sure that federal elections are honest,” he says. He opposes the U.S. involvement in WTO, the FTAA, NAFTA, the North American Union and “other underhanded deals”. He supports the Bricker Amendment to end anti-sovereignty trade deals and other ill-advised treaties. He supports ending all foreign aid as it is both costly and unconstitutional.

Macko supports the limited, sound use of our military. “We should bring all of our troops home safely now from Iraq, Afghanistan, Germany, Japan, South Korea and everywhere else in the world and put them on the southern border where they are needed,” he says. He goes on to say, “We invaded Iraq in less than 90 days. We can safely get out likewise…Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice, Gates and the rest of them should be tried as war criminals for lying us into the Iraq war, murdering hundreds of thousands, bankrupting this country and making us hated.”

“I oppose the USA PATRIOT Act, the Military Commissions Act, the John Warner ‘Defense’ Act, the Real ID Act and all of the police state measures which the Bush and also the Clinton administrations scared the Congress into supporting,” he says.

Macko opposes the draft, the Selective Service System, and any other forms of compulsive "national service" by reason of the Thirteenth Amendment.

He believes that all federal campaign laws are a violation of the Constitution and supports instant run off voting.

On crime, he says, “Drug laws, prostitution laws, gun laws and all other victimless ‘crime’ laws should be repealed and prisons should be used for criminals.” He would abolish the ATF and FDA. He opposes the National Minimum Age Drinking Act.

He favors the elimination of the Department of Education and supports vouchers, but says they should be phased out with the income tax. Tax credits are better than vouchers.

He opposes the funding of Child Services. (He calls them kidnappers.) He opposes the Violence Against Women Acts of 1994 and 2005.

On energy, he says that global warming is a “nonmanmade natural cycle” and that we have a 200 year supply of oil reserves on Gull Island, Alaska.

He believes that the right to bear arms is a God-given right and is “the last barrier preventing the establishment of a police state”.

Macko believes that healthcare should not be tied to either employment or government and that this is the real cause of rising healthcare costs. He would eliminate both Medicare and Medicaid. “If the American people allow the government to take over health care completely, you will be regulated from morning until night in your eating habits and other behavior, just like livestock.” He believes that Social Security should be phased out gradually.

He believes in the principle of jury nullification. This concept, while almost entirely unheard of in modern America, is an essential feature of the Republic and has made us what we are today. "The jury has a right to judge both the law as well as the fact in controversy." - John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court 1789.

A vote for Macko is a vote for sound libertarian principles. Click here to contribute.