June 04, 2014

The Constitution: Once the "supreme law of the land." Now? Not so much

We have this thing called a "Constitution."  If you've never done so you really should read it some time.  It's...very enlightening.

One of my favorite parts is Article 2, Section 3:  The article governs the powers and responsibilities of "the executive power"--the president.  It says that  he "shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

In theory the president doesn't *rule* the country, but rather *executes* laws passed--hopefully after weeks of intense, thorough debate and analysis of same, followed by majority approval by both chambers of congress.  The Constitution doesn't let the president *make* laws, but instead mandates that the president enforce them.

All of them--even ones he doesn't personally like.

So what should be done--if anything--when a president willfully, deliberately, intentionally not only doesn't bother enforcing laws duly passed by congress, but overtly breaks those laws?

See, the problem with a president breaking laws is that once he gets away with breaking small ones, it's a fair bet he'll keep pushing the envelope.  "It's only a little law--not an important one.  And surely you're not gonna get upset about such a small thing, are ya?"

By his direct acts Obama has violated the War Powers Act, U.S. immigration law, a law explicitly banning the federal government from giving money to the Palestinian Authority, U.S. bankruptcy law, and now a law requiring the president to notify congress 30 days before releasing any prisoners from Guantanamo.

Of course Democrats see no problem with any of these instances of lawbreaking.  Cuz, you know, "if the president does it it's legal.  It's right there in the Constitution!"

Of course that line about "it's not illegal if the president does it" was Nixon's famous rationalization, and Democrats of that era correctly called bullshit.  But now, 40 years later, with their Precious in power, they suddenly see no problem with presidents violating laws they don't like.

If fact now we've got talking heads on the networks saying things like "Maybe the Constitution isn't as important as we thought."  We've got 23 big states writing a compact to get around the Constitutionally-prescribed method of electing presidents by electoral votes.  And almost no one seems to find any of this unsettling.

I suspect the time left to save the country from anarchy is running out fast.  And I predict the outcome will depend on how many members of our armed forces end up supporting and defending the Constitution instead of the Democrats/statists/"progressives."

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