Check out Josh's interview with Politically Driven. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE JOSH WELLE.

Hi David,

Check out Josh in his recent interview with Scott Salmon of Politically Driven. Hear him share some Navy stories and why he's excited to run for Congress this Election Year to unseat Chris Smith in New Jersey's 4th District.

Service First, 

Team Welle

FEATURE ARTICLES. THE DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS- WHAT THE FRAMERS OF THE U.S. CONSTITUTION UNDERSTOOD, AND WHAT MANY AMERICANS FORGET.

FROM A TIME WHEN WORLD LEADERS COULD DO OR SAY ANYTHING

WITHOUT SANCTIONS. DOES IT REMIND YOU OF ANY CURRENT HEADS OF STATE?

"...I have the absolute right to PARDON myself..."

DONALD TRUMP.

We have a great division in the U.S., and it is a tragedy of certain groups using religion as a tool to bend every American to their restrictive code of morality.  Too often, they listen to populist media outlets and self-serving political pundits, and suspend their ability to think critically.  

In past articles, I have reviewed the text of the U.S. Constitution and analyzed any sections that were related to religion.  As we have seen, this can be found in only two places; Article Six and the First Amendment.

From these passages, we can understand the place religious faith was meant to occupy in terms of public policy making and the creation of new laws.  Since that topic has already been covered, I will not repeat it here.  However, I would like to address a subject that is seldom discussed among students of American History: The role European History had in shaping the opinions of those drafting and creating the Constitution, in terms of what role religion would play in forming the new government.

The Framers of the Constitution were a product of the "ENLIGHTENMENT", a philosophical movement that emphasized the use of reason and intellectual reflection in solving social and political conflicts, with less emphasis on faith and traditional church doctrine. 

Too often, European Monarchs used the idea of the "Divine Right of Kings" as a justification for their throne. Throughout the middle ages, the average "Citizen or Subject", lived a life filled with disease, hunger, and physical hardship. Religion and the concept of "A Heavenly reward for the righteous" offered a promise that Death would bring what life couldn't:  Eternal Happiness.

It was under these conditions that European Royalty realized an important truth; To secure the Throne, and guarantee succession of their Bloodline, endorsement by a Religious Hierarchy would naturally lead to obedience from the faithful.  After all, who was going to tell GOD that the wrong person was on the throne.

Organized Religion also benefited, for while they claimed to have GOD on their side, there was no Martial Force to protect them from rival faiths who wished to compete for the souls of the citizenry.  However, put the right person on the Throne, and your opponents may suddenly become very quiet.  Cold Steel can be a powerful persuader, if it is pressed to your neck.

The Framers of the Constitution realized the inherent hypocrisy of this "European Tradition", and did not want it transposed to the new Constitutional Republic.  That is why the following words mean so much:  "WE THE PEOPLE...", no reference to a Deity or a Sovereign.  Perhaps, for the first time in history, intellect alone was the foundation for forming a Government.

Religious Faith can be a great source of comfort and relief to the faithful.  However, spiritually, it must come from within.  If it comes from a ruling class, and their ecclesiastical allies, then it is a case of might makes right.  

[D-23] Photos from the trail. CONGRESSIONAL CANDIDATE PAT RYAN.

Hi David,

The past couple weeks on the trail have been awesome. From bumping into folks on the street, to letters we’ve received, energy among NY-19 voters is high and we’re feeling tremendous momentum at the doors and on the phones. Just a few highlights: I had a live interview on CNN, we launched our second TV ad, and hosted a Memorial Day picnic for our volunteers. With just [D-23] to go until our primary, I wanted to share some of my favorite moments from the past couple weeks. 

 

After our first TV commercial was viewed over 1/2 million times, I was invited on CNN’s New Day with Alisyn Camerota. I talked about protecting our kids from gun violence, the importance of serving our country and local communities, and remembering those who gave their lives for our nation. You can watch the full interview here.

 

 

Support is growing! This month we received the endorsements of 10 local current and former elected officials -- I'm humbled knowing they have my back in this race. Here’s a photo of me and Hannah Black, Dutchess County Legislature Minority Leader.

 

 

We launched our second TV ad. I'm incredibly proud of what our team put together and I can't wait to get this in front of voters all across NY-19. You can watch the ad here.

 

 

My team and I hosted a Memorial Day picnic to thank our amazing volunteers for all their hard work. Being able to connect with our supporters on a day that means so much to me was moving. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day.

 

 

 

 

With only 23 days until the June primary, we're heading to as many events and meet and greets in NY-19 as possible to talk to voters about why I'm the best candidate to take on Faso in November.

 

 

Can't thank supporters like Annie Reed enough -- she hosted a get together for me in Hurley, NY. She said she's never been involved in politics before, but the direction our country is headed motivated her to stand up and get involved.

 

 

Annie's motivation to get involved is exactly why I’m running -- in times of trouble, our great democracy has survived because people stand up and take action. And being able to talk with supporters and voters across the district about the issues we're up against has been my favorite part of this campaign.

 

Our momentum on the ground is strong because of my top notch team, our army of volunteers, and everyone who keeps our campaign going. I truly can’t do this without you all. It’s go time.

 

Want to join in on the fun? We're looking for volunteers to knock on doors and make phone calls with us to make sure our message reaches across our district. If you're interested, reach out to our amazing Field Director Brit at Brit@patryanforcongress.com.

 

Thanks for being on our team.

 

Talk soon,

Pat

WHAT MOTIVATES MOST PEOPLE? IS IT NOTORIETY AT ANY COST? PT 1.

As We Continue to see Politicians Doing and Saying Things that seem to Border on Behavior you would expect from a Minor Child, what does this Indicate about Our Country, Our Species, or Our World?

I Think the Best Way to Understand this Phenomena, is to look at the Type of News Programming that Dominates the Airwaves. Why? Because it seems this is Where Most Americans Get Their Information about Government, and The Leaders who Create Law and Policy.

By Turning the Channel Selector, we find Different Options Available to us.  While the Title, Station and Hosts may be Different, The Writing, Dialogue, and Commentary are Often Interchangeable.

No Longer is the News Person just a Respected Member of the Media, a Seeker of Truth, and the Guardian of Free Speech.  While at one Time Journalism was a Position of Trust for all Citizens, in Todays Society it has Often Become the Purveyor of Gossip, Rumor, and Innuendo.  Such Types of News Items, Would Have in the Past, Been Rejected as BENEATH THE DIGNITY OF ANY TRUE NEWS PROFESSIONAL.

Not Anymore.