Archive for the 'Constitution' Category

A Second Revolution?

By Jacob | Related entries in Constitution, Crazy

I’ve found the base camp of crazy.
Have a look:
At the time that I am writing this, at least 20 – 30% of Americans understand thus far, know the true nature of President Obama, and the steps he is now taking to destroy freedom.  [...]  A real Second American Revolution is now on the [...]

August 15th, 2009 | Permalink| 12 Comments »

Does Congress Have The Authority To Take Back The AIG Bonuses

By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in Constitution, Politics

Since Nick raised the issue of the Constitutionality of Congresses efforts to recoup the bonuses paid to AIG executives, I figured it would be worthwhile to share this post I wrote yesterday on my personal blog:
The hyperbolic rage against the AIG bonuses has finally transformed itself into legislation:
While American International Group Inc.’s chief executive says [...]

March 20th, 2009 | Permalink| 5 Comments »

Russ Feingold Wants To End Governor Appointed Senators

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Constitution, Democrats, Good Decisions, Law, Senate

I like the idea in theory, but I always thought that Governors replaced Senators because it’s too costly to have special elections and somebody needs to serve in the interim.
Still, this seems like the type of amendment that could easily garner bi-partisan support.
From Political Wire:
The controversies surrounding some of the recent gubernatorial appointments to vacant [...]

January 26th, 2009 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Obama and Lincoln Day

By donar | Related entries in Barack, Cartoons, Civil Liberties, Constitution, Obama, Political Graffiti
January 20th, 2009 | Permalink| No Comments »

Are appointments of Senators unconstitutional?

By John Burke | Related entries in Constitution, Illinois, Senate

Thomas Geoghegan, a well-known liberal lawyer who is running for Congress in Illinois, had an op-ed piece in the The New York Times yesterday that raised a question I must admit I hadn’t known even was a question: are appointments by governors to fill Senate vacancies unconstitutional?
The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, adopted in 1913 [...]

January 8th, 2009 | Permalink| 1 Comment »

Does The Constitution Bar Hillary Clinton From Becoming Secretary of State ?

By Doug Mataconis | Related entries in Constitution, General Politics, Hillary, Law

It hasn’t reached the mainstream media yet, but in the days since Hillary Clinton’s nomination to be Barack Obama’s Secretary of State became official, there’s been some discussion of a little-known provision in the Constitution that could bar Hillary Clinton from serving at Foggy Bottom:
[S]pecifically, Article One, Section Six, also known as the emoluments clause. [...]

November 24th, 2008 | Permalink| 50 Comments »

Russia Extends Presidency From 4 To 6 Years

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Constitution, Law, Putin, Russia, The World

Vladimir Putin continues to consolidate power…
From TNR:
If any proof were needed that the Russian political system operates in its own time-space continuum, it came this morning, when the parliament decided to deal with the country’s economic meltdown by amending its constitution.
The Duma fixed the 1993 text by decoupling presidential and parliamentary elections and approving [...]

November 22nd, 2008 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

On Gay Marriage

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in California, Constitution, Law, Sexuality, Video

Jon Meacham and Ashton Kutcher discuss Prop 8…

I agree with both of them, but Ashton more so. The idea that people voted on somebody else’s rights and relationships is crazy.
In the end, I wish the government would get out of the business of marriage and set up a separate civil union system so people [...]

November 16th, 2008 | Permalink| 13 Comments »

Meet Marge Tartaglione, Philly Voting Czar

By American News Project | Related entries in 2008 Election, Bad Decisions, Breaking News, Constitution, D.C., Democrats, Discuss, Dumb Things Said By Smart People, Electoral College, General Politics, In The News, Law, Media, Pennsylvania, Republicans, United States, Voting, WTF?

Philadelphia is shaping up to be a key city in a key battleground state in this election, but machine problems and long lines may plague the polling stations and voter disenfranchisement will be a serious risk. Unfortunately for voters, the people charged with running a smooth election in Philly seem surprisingly unconcerned. Philly’s veritable election czar, Marge Tartaglione (D), in particular, shocked ANP with her comments at a recent hearing. See more videos at http://americannewsproject.com

November 1st, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Is Palin This Clueless About First Amendment Rights?

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Constitution, Law, McCain, Media, Palin, Veep

I’m sorry folks, but the following argument is RIDICULOUS and I can’t believe it’s coming out of the mouth of somebody so close to the presidency…much less the Governor of one of our states.
I mean…WTF?
Palin told WMAL-AM that her criticism of Obama’s associations, like those with 1960s radical Bill Ayers and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, [...]

October 31st, 2008 | Permalink| 30 Comments »

Palin And Biden On Separation Of Church And State

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Biden, Constitution, History, Palin, Religion, Video

She keeps on stumbling…

Doug breaks it down…
Palin’s statement is particularly interesting mostly because it ends up becoming a fundamental misreading of what Jefferson meant when he said that the First Amendment had erected a “wall of separation” between the political and clerical worlds — namely his assertion, widely accepted during the Founding Era, that true [...]

October 2nd, 2008 | Permalink| 2 Comments »

Happy Constitution Day!

By mw | Related entries in 2008 Election, Constitution

until such time that additional protections for the governed can be built into the Constitution, we the governed can address this Constitutional defect on our own – by never voting one party into control of the Presidency, Senate, and House or Representatives. By voting for divided government.

September 17th, 2008 | Permalink| 3 Comments »

“A black mark, not only on Democrats, but on the Congress, and the history of the United States.”

By mw | Related entries in Barack, Civil Liberties, Congress, Constitution, Democrats, FISA, Law, Legislation, McCain, News, Republicans, Video

How are you feeling this morning? I’m not feeling great. I am a little unhappy about the news.
You might not have noticed, as this was only the third most important story yesterday. Based on television news coverage, the most important political story yesterday was Rev. Jesse Jackson caught making crude remarks about Obama [...]

July 10th, 2008 | Permalink| 8 Comments »

Olbermann Agonistes

By mw | Related entries in Barack, Civil Liberties, Congress, Constitution, Partisan Hacks, Video

Keith Olbermann reverses himself (sort of) and expresses some mild criticism of Obama’s position on FISA (sort of) in a “Special Comment“

July 1st, 2008 | Permalink| 8 Comments »

Lets play Obamamann Oddball – Part Deux!

By mw | Related entries in Barack, Civil Liberties, Constitution, Democrats, Liberalism, Partisan Hacks

On Wednesday Olbermann completed a pair of truly jaw-dropping contradictory broadcasts on the issue of FISA, telecom immunity, and of course, Obama’s support for same. Glenn Greenwald called him on it in his column Thursday and kicked off a left field food fight in the process.

June 27th, 2008 | Permalink| 14 Comments »

Supreme Court Rules D.C. Handgun Ban Unconstitutional

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Constitution, Guns and Ammo, Law, McCain, Supreme Court

The decision was 5-4, and I would have hoped that this wouldn’t be so evenly split because I think most people in this country acknowledge that the 2nd Amendment grants people at least the baseline right to arms themselves. I mean, we’re talking about owning a gun in your home without having to put a [...]

June 26th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

Through the looking glass with Obama, McCain, the Constitution, and FISA.

By mw | Related entries in 2008 Election, Barack, Civil Liberties, Constitution, Democrats, McCain

between the sitting President and the two candidates to replace him, all believe in expanding the power of the executive branch, even to the point of overruling the protections of the Bill of Rights as they see fit. All three – Bush, McCain, Obama. Actions speak louder than words, and when the rubber meets the road on real bills like the compromise FISA bill, there is no qualitative difference on their views of the unitary executive, regardless of what they say to gullible supporters.

June 24th, 2008 | Permalink| 14 Comments »

Guantanamo Decision Not “Worst in History”

By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in Constitution, Guantanamo Bay, Law, McCain, Supreme Court, Terrorism, The War On Terrorism, War

George Will takes issue with John McCain’s statement that the recent Supreme Court decision on Guantanamo detainees was one of the “worst decisions in history.”
Will’s complaint is as much about McCain’s hyperbole as it is about McCain’s opposition to the ruling. As Will notes, this is not a clear-cut matter and people of good will [...]

June 17th, 2008 | Permalink| No Comments »

McCain: SCOTUS Detainee Decision One Of The Worst In History

By Justin Gardner | Related entries in Constitution, Guantanamo Bay, Law, McCain, The War On Terrorism, War

Can you tell it’s an election year?
From Swampland comes this transcript of McCain’s statements during a town hall…
The United States Supreme Court yesterday rendered a decision which I think is one of the worst decisions in the history of this country. Sen. Graham and Sen. Lieberman and I had worked very hard to make sure [...]

June 13th, 2008 | Permalink| 11 Comments »

Canadian Speech Laws Being Used to Punish Bloggers

By Alan Stewart Carl | Related entries in Blogging, Canada, Civil Liberties, Constitution

As Americans, we are fortunate to have the First Amendment. For us, free speech is not just a value, it’s the law. Some nations are not so fortunate, and I’m not talking about poor third-world dictatorships. I’m talking about Canada.
Currently, the “Human Rights Courts” in Canada are busy punishing conservative Canadian bloggers because of their [...]

April 11th, 2008 | Permalink| 9 Comments »