Can the GOP delegates nominate a Presidential candidate who openly defies the Constitution? 

There is a significant development unfolding that could very well become a "show stopper" for the Republicans expecting the nomination of John McCain to proceed smoothly in St. Paul at the GOP's upcoming national convention. 

Normally, convention delegates would be expected to cast their vote for McCain because he received more votes than Ron Paul or Mitt Romney during the primaries and caucuses. Beyond this, Party rules require the votes be cast for McCain.

However, the delegates are soon to face a new -- and very troubling and very public conundrum:

What if there were a set of new, irrefutable facts regarding Senator McCain and Rep. Paul that would "stop the show" and bring forth the possibility of a convention upset?

These startling facts would force the delegates to question their consciences, and put each of them on the horns of a practical and deep moral dilemma that will require them to search their souls for an answer to a VERY important question, "Can I cast my vote for a man who openly defies the Constitution?"

Between now and the end of August, the delegates will learn that the voting record of John McCain puts him in the company of Alan Dershowitz, who has publicly stated that "The People have no unalienable Rights, the Constitution is merely a piece of paper and the Government should not be held accountable to the Constitution by the People." The delegates will learn that that candidate's voting record also puts him in the company of President Bush who was recently quoted saying, "The Constitution is just a God d***** piece of paper.

The delegates will also learn that Senator McCain has cast his Senate votes squarely in cooperation with Rep. Henry Hyde who, as Chairman of the House Committee was responsible for the passage of the Iraq Resolution on October 2-3 of 2002 (five months before the invasion).

During the Hearing, Hyde responded to committee member Ron Paul's stirring defense of the war powers clauses of the Constitution and Paul's opposition to the Resolution by slamming Paul and the Constitution, saying (quoting from the Hearing transcript), "There are things in the Constitution that have been overtaken by events, by time. There are things that are no longer relevant to a modern society- things that are inappropriate, anachronistic."

On the other hand, the delegates will learn between now and August that the other candidate - Ron Paul, as a member of Congress has never cast a vote for legislation that was repugnant to the Constitution of the United States of America, and that he believes the last ten words of the First Amendment guarantee the Right of the People to hold the Government accountable to the Constitution.

In fact, the delegates will learn, that candidate Paul publicly declared in 2001, "[T]he right to a formal response is inherent in the constitutional right to petition the government."

The delegates will learn that McCain: 1) violated the war powers clause of the Constitution by voting for the Iraq Resolution; 2) violated the money clauses of the Constitution by voting in favor of Fiat money and the Federal Reserve System; 3) violated the privacy clauses of the Constitution by voting in favor of the USA Patriot Act, warrantless wiretapping and surveillance; 4) violated the tax clauses of the Constitution by voting in favor of the enhancing the federal income tax system; 5) violated the Second Amendment by voting in favor of gun controls;  and 6) violated the general welfare clause of the Constitution by voting in favor of foreign aid and intervention in the internal affairs of foreign countries.

Very importantly, before the start of the convention in September, these two GOP candidates, as sitting members of the Congress of the United States, will be given a most public opportunity to declare their intentions as to their personal commitment to the Constitution.

On June 30, 2008, the People will claim and exercise their Rights under the accountability clause of the First Amendment - they will Petition the Government for Redress of constitutional torts.

Both Ron Paul and John McCain, President Bush, the Attorney General and every other member of the U.S. Congress will be served with seven comprehensive Petitions for Redress, one for each of seven violations of the Constitution by the federal Government.

Based on the recorded responses of these Presidential candidates, the delegates to the convention will learn what the candidates personally believe about the roles and constitutionally guaranteed relationship between the People and their servant Government, including what each candidate truly believes regarding the essential principles of popular sovereignty and limited government. 

Per the fundamental legal principle articulated in Section 61 of the Magna Carta in 1215, and subsequently articulated in 1774 in an official Act of the first Congress and in 1789 as the Accountability clause of the First Amendment, each Petition will state a Grievance and request a formal, specific Response, within forty days - i.e., by August 8th.  Each Petition for Redress contains a short series of pointed "Admit or Deny" type questions regarding U.S. law or policy. The questions are specifically designed to expose the Government's contempt for the Constitution.

By exposing the open disdain that most of our elected leaders hold for the Constitution, the People can thus begin to resolve the conflict between the behavior of the Government and the requirements of the Constitution.

We know Ron Paul will respond. He has previously declared his position publicly that the Government is inherently obligated by the First Amendment to Respond to Petitions for Redress. Click here http://www.wethepeoplefoundation.org/UPDATE/misc2008/ronpaul7-17-01.htm to read Ron Paul's statement which was read on July 17, 2001 at a Capitol Hill press conference with Bob Schulz during Bob's hunger fast to secure Redress for the first of the seven constitutional torts currently being addressed by the Petitions for Redress, i.e., the un-constitutional enforcement of direct, un-apportioned taxes on labor.

We know it will be difficult for John McCain to respond given his largely unconstitutional voting record.

We know what the delegates ought to do. As Americans, they should place the Constitution and its essential principles above the Party and its rules. As Americans first, their loyalties should flow to their Constitution before Party.

Prayerfully, the delegates will be forced by conscience to cast their votes for the candidate who has earned the trust of the American People by living his oath to honor and defend the Constitution of the United States of America.

The time is at hand when those who support the vision of the Republic and Freedom espoused by Ron Paul will be able to move that vision forward by "bootstrapping" the exercise of Petitioning for Redress into a potent campaign issue, with the potential of altering the outcome of the convention by exposing those candidates who -- by their own record -- are incapable of honestly swearing the Presidential Oath of Office.