GOP 'Pledge to America' Looks Unlikely to Inspire - Newsweek

Newsweek (no surprise there) offers possibly the dumbest piece of political commentary ever committed to paper (or pixel).

Not so harmless, however, is the promise to require every bill to be certified as constitutional before it is voted on. We have a mechanism for assessing the constitutionality of legislation, which is the independent judiciary. An extraconstitutional attempt to limit the powers of Congress is dangerous even as a mere suggestion, and it constitutes an encroachment on the judiciary.

Simply mind-boggling. One would think that it would be at least benign, if not actually beneficial, to have Congress think about the constitutionality of legislation before passing it, rather than doing whatever the hell they feel like doing and passing the buck to the courts to protect the constitution, a task at which they've notably failed on many occasions. And it's difficult to see how a pledge by a group of Congresspeople to refrain from passing unconstitutional legislation is somehow "dangerous as a mere suggestion." Indeed, the idea that Congress would not assess the constitutionality of legislation before passing it is a far more dangerous suggestion, as that institution has demonstrated. Repeatedly. And the idea that there's any conceivable way to read this as a "encroachment on the judiciary" is just silly. One might as easily say that a bank robber's decision to retire from a life of crime somehow constitutes "an encroachment" on the police or an obese person's diet is "an encroachment" on McDonald's.

As to the idea that the "mechanism for assessing the constitutionality of legislation...is the independent judiciary," one wonders whether the author is aware of the oath of office that each member of Congress takes:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

As I say, the column was exactly what you'd expect from Newsweek. I included the link, but I'd have to advise you not to click and follow it. I read it so you don't have to...

Profile in Courage

Howard Fineman

A Democratic senator I can't name, who reluctantly voted for the health-care bill out of loyalty to his party and his admiration for Barack Obama, privately complained to me that the measure was political folly, in part because of the way it goes into effect: some taxes first, most benefits later, and rate hikes by insurance companies in between.

Besides that, this Democrat said, people who already have coverage will feel threatened and resentful about helping to cover the uninsured—an emotion they will sanitize for the polltakers into a concern about federal spending and debt.

Any commentary there about it being "the right thing to do?" "Making the country stronger?" "Reducing the budget deficit?" "Covering the uninsured?"

Nope. Party loyalty.

Do you suppose this guy's constituents might be interested in knowing that they, who have put him into this exalted and power position, are of less interest to him than Harry Reid and Barack Obama?

Here's my advice to all voters - since Howard won't tell us who he's talking about, you have to assume that ALL Democratic Senators are more interested in Harry Reid and Barack Obama than their constituents' best interests, and VOTE THEM OUT!

The mother of all corrections

Thank goodness the mainstream press has higher journalistic standards than blogs do...