WASHINGTON – It's not exactly a conventional approach to a political activist cause.
But that doesn't worry Joseph Farah, founder and editor of WND. He's been in that position before.
He coordinated the "Send Congress a Pink Slip" campaign in 2010 that succeeded in delivering some 9 million pink notices to members of Congress – putting them on notice as to what eventually befell them in the midterm election.
Then he launched the "No More Red Ink" campaign in January of last year, delivering more than 1 million red letters to House Republicans in an effort to convince majority-party members to freeze borrowing by opposing a hike in the debt limit.
While that campaign failed as Republicans approved the debt limit hike last summer and abdicated their power to stop another one this year, Farah is determined to try, try again over the next year to lobby GOP members of Congress, GOP candidates for Congress, GOP presidential candidates and others with political influence to take a pledge to stop borrowing effective January 2013.
"The consequences of this action, if we can convince only Republicans, is breathtaking in its scope," says Farah. "It will require a $1 trillion cut in spending in the first year. It will effectively balance the budget overnight. It will return America to something resembling constitutionally limited government almost immediately. It will relegate to the dustbin of history wasteful, inefficient and massive bureaucracies like the Department of Education and the Department of Energy. In short, this simple plan will radically change the direction of the federal government. And what I want the public to understand, in no uncertain terms, is that Republicans, assuming they maintain control of one house of Congress, will have complete power to do this – without any help from Democrats."
The campaign has kicked off already with a reprise of the "No More Red Ink" campaign. The program allows anyone to send red letters to every House Republican promoting the idea of a freeze on borrowing next January – the next opportunity Congress will have to do it.
"We have an entire year to lay the groundwork for this dramatic action," says Farah. "I intend to work with conservative organizations, tea party activists, radio talk-show hosts, TV pundits and anyone of influence with Republicans over the next 12 months to make this a mission, a goal, a pledge, a vow – to take our country back and save it from bankruptcy and hemorrhage. I will be speaking about this, writing about it and campaigning to hold Republicans to their word that they oppose any new debt and support constitutionally limited government and will use their power to achieve it in the short term."
Farah has taken a cue from anti-tax activists and created a simple pledge for Republican members of Congress and Republican candidates for the Senate, House and president: "I pledge to my constituents and to the American people that I will oppose any and all efforts to allow the federal government to borrow additional money by raising the debt limit, thereby forcing Washington to begin living within its means as taxpayers and their families must do."
"I'm enlisting the help of Americans from coast to coast to copy that pledge and get it signed by Republican members of Congress, Republican candidates for Congress and every remaining Republican presidential candidate," says Farah. "Get them signed and send them to me and we will keep running tabs on who is pledged and who isn't."
He adds: "This is the only way to return to constitutional government and save America from bankruptcy – one year from today. There is no other way. You can't solve a debt problem by borrowing more. There are no viable five-year or 10-year plans to extricate ourselves from this mess. It's time to bite the bullet. And it's time for Republicans to stand up and use the power they have and are likely to have in the next Congress."
Farah is available for media interviews on this subject by emailing [email protected].