Manzella and JBS

by Eric Knutson, Dayton

Thank you to the 25 Senators who voted for Bill SJ2.

On 2/2/23, the Montana Senate voted 25-25 in the final vote on SJ2, the Convention of States (COS) Bill to establish some limits on Washington, killing the bill. Ellie Bordman flipped from a yes on 2/1 to a no. It was 15 Democrat No’s and 1 Yes, and 10 Republican No’s and 24 Yes’s.

There’s no valid reason for any freedom lover to oppose COS, yet 10 “Republicans” did. The opposition is bizarre: We don’t know how it might “open up the Constitution.” The COS stated purpose is to limit the federal government in three areas: federal term limits, federal jurisdiction, and fiscal restraints. Straightforward amendment ideas, so what is meant by this mysterious “opening up”? According to Article V, 2/3 of the states, 34 of 50, are required just to get a convention and propose Amendments. Nothing is changed or “opened up.” Nothing. Any proposals in any of the three limitation areas, which can’t be deviated from, get sent to all 50 states, and 3/4 of the states, or 38, are needed to ratify. That’s a tall order. All that’s unknown are the specific limitation proposals and whether any will get ratified. No liberal “hijacking” is possible. The claim is really bizarre.

At the top of the opposer list is Theresa Manzella, a loyal member of the John Birch Society. She votes JBS, and not for her district. She needs to be voted out. Some personal history on her follows.

I was part of the Telegram chat Manzella’s Mountain Movers. I liked it. Then, when I tried to support Convention of States, Manzella, the admin, went ballistic, and said she doesn’t suffer fools. Huh? Is she calling me a fool? I contacted her privately, and she apologized in the chat, but it didn’t end there. I continued to talk up COS, a few chat members called me names, and Manzella kicked me out because the few asked for it. That’s bullying and censorship, standard elitist tactics.

I was new with COS back then, but I learned about the JBS influence. JBS, of all groups, to actively oppose something that would work against Washington abuse. Seems JBS has other ideas, whatever they may be. They say “follow the Constitution.” Who, me? In case JBS doesn’t know it, the Constitution is for Washington, not you or me, to follow, and that’s the problem. If wolves are killing calves, just say don’t kill calves. Got it. But I think JBS knows that, so something else is afoot. Which Constitution does JBS mean? Oh, Article VI? JBS says nullification is “implied.” It’s neither stated nor implied. Nullification is a theory, perhaps based on Marbury v Madison, that might work in a few instances, but does nothing to rein in Washington, and benefits only whichever state or county uses it. The country is left even more divided. Tell us, JBS, what are you nullifying these days? Nothing that I can see, so what’s up? JBS sells itself in The New American periodical. Follow the money.

Finishing up, Senators Beard, Brown, Cuffe, Mandeville, Manzella, Sales, Tempel, Trebas, Usher, and Vance stabbed every liberty loving citizen and Lady Liberty in the back and through the heart. But the 25-25 vote is an improvement from two years ago, so we’ll be back. Come up with some real solutions besides hoping for Washington to fix itself. It won’t, which is why the framers added the states option to Article V, to bypass Congress.