The right wing approach to the U.S. Constitution, specifically, its desire to fiddle with it, adding more amendments while scrapping some old ones. As the GOP's interest in giving the 14th amendment a touch-up intensifies, let's take stock of where we are.
By my count, Republican leaders, including George W. Bush, endorsed six different new amendments to the Constitution over the last decade:
(1) prohibiting flag burning;
(2) victims' rights;
(3) banning abortion;
(4) requiring a balanced budget;
(5) prohibiting same-sex marriage; and
(6) allowing state-endorsed prayer in public schools.
Jon Chait runs a similar list today, and notes a few I missed, including amendments to require legislative supermajorities to raise taxes, a "parental rights" amendment, a term-limits amendment, and in one instance, an amendment to give Washington, D.C., a single voting representative. See http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/76748/constitutional-conservatism
Taken together, that's 10 constitutional amendments proposed, endorsed, and/or introduced by leading Republicans over the last decade.
I'd call this many things, but "constitutional conservatism," a phrase repeated ad nauseum by Michele Bachmann and the Tea Party crowd," it isn't.
On top of the new amendments the right has requested, there's also the existing amendments the right wants to "fix."
That means scrapping the 17th Amendment, See http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024049.php
repealing the 16th Amendment, See http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/09/paul-broun-repeal-amendments/
getting rid of at least one part of the 14th Amendment, See http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_08/025017.php
and "restoring" the "original" 13th Amendment. See http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/27/why-some-republicans-want-to-resto...
It's as if the right has begun to look at the entire Constitution as little more than a rough draft, in desperate need of deft conservative editing. (What could possibly go wrong?)
The Constitutional Accountability Center's Elizabeth Wydra recently noted: see http://theusconstitution.org/blog.history/?p=1722
It is encouraging that so many Americans are now discussing and debating the Constitution. It is, after all, the People's document.
But before Tea Party repeal efforts gather steam, 'We the People' should take a sober look at the text, history, and principles behind
the amendments the Tea Party would like to do away with.
Amending the Constitution is not an easy task, and generations of Americans poured blood, sweat, and treasure into adopting the
amendments that Tea Party activists would now like to repeal.
Of course, if this were limited to right-wing activists, it'd be easier to dismiss.
Alas, Republican officeholders and several statewide candidates are echoing the same ridiculous demands.
In recent weeks, both Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called for the partial repeal of the 14th Amendment, for crying out loud.
Given the alleged reverence for the Constitution in far-right circles, the irony is rich.
Proving, once again, that Republicans despise the Founding Fathers.
Harry Hope
Rightardia: Why do Republicans thinks they are strict constructionists? It is also alleged that GWB said that the Constitution is just a “G**-damned piece of paper”.
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(1) prohibiting flag burning;
(2) victims' rights;
(3) banning abortion;
(4) requiring a balanced budget;
(5) prohibiting same-sex marriage; and
(6) allowing state-endorsed prayer in public schools.
Jon Chait runs a similar list today, and notes a few I missed, including amendments to require legislative supermajorities to raise taxes, a "parental rights" amendment, a term-limits amendment, and in one instance, an amendment to give Washington, D.C., a single voting representative. See http://www.tnr.com/blog/jonathan-chait/76748/constitutional-conservatism
Taken together, that's 10 constitutional amendments proposed, endorsed, and/or introduced by leading Republicans over the last decade.
I'd call this many things, but "constitutional conservatism," a phrase repeated ad nauseum by Michele Bachmann and the Tea Party crowd," it isn't.
On top of the new amendments the right has requested, there's also the existing amendments the right wants to "fix."
That means scrapping the 17th Amendment, See http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_06/024049.php
repealing the 16th Amendment, See http://thinkprogress.org/2010/07/09/paul-broun-repeal-amendments/
getting rid of at least one part of the 14th Amendment, See http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_08/025017.php
and "restoring" the "original" 13th Amendment. See http://www.newsweek.com/2010/07/27/why-some-republicans-want-to-resto...
It's as if the right has begun to look at the entire Constitution as little more than a rough draft, in desperate need of deft conservative editing. (What could possibly go wrong?)
The Constitutional Accountability Center's Elizabeth Wydra recently noted: see http://theusconstitution.org/blog.history/?p=1722
It is encouraging that so many Americans are now discussing and debating the Constitution. It is, after all, the People's document.
But before Tea Party repeal efforts gather steam, 'We the People' should take a sober look at the text, history, and principles behind
the amendments the Tea Party would like to do away with.
Amending the Constitution is not an easy task, and generations of Americans poured blood, sweat, and treasure into adopting the
amendments that Tea Party activists would now like to repeal.
Of course, if this were limited to right-wing activists, it'd be easier to dismiss.
Alas, Republican officeholders and several statewide candidates are echoing the same ridiculous demands.
In recent weeks, both Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) called for the partial repeal of the 14th Amendment, for crying out loud.
Given the alleged reverence for the Constitution in far-right circles, the irony is rich.
Proving, once again, that Republicans despise the Founding Fathers.
Harry Hope
Rightardia: Why do Republicans thinks they are strict constructionists? It is also alleged that GWB said that the Constitution is just a “G**-damned piece of paper”.
source:
Newsgroups: talk.politics.misc, alt.politics.liberalism, alt.fan.rush-limbaugh, alt.politics, alt.politics.usa, alt.rush-limbaugh, alt.society.liberalism
From: Harry Hope <riv...@ix.netcom.com>
Date: Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:21:13 -0400
Local: Tues, Aug 3 2010 4:21 pm
Subject: How 'Bout Those "Hate The U.S. Constitution" Republicans
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