Our politicians have a way of inserting themselves into areas of Americans lives where they have no place, and our media seems oblivious to the infractions. The most glaring example of this is the current hand wringing over what the federal government should do to "solve" the health care problems in this country.
Democrats have always felt it their responsibility to meddle in our lives, somehow believing that the people simply cannot function without them. The surprising aspect of this all is that the Republicans allowed themselves to be dragged into an argument over an idea that should be summarily dismissed based on the Constitution.
Recently a reporter asked House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to show where the Constitution granted Congress the authority to mandate individual purchase of health insurance. Her response was, "Are you serious"? That bit of arrogance was quickly forgotten, when it should have elicited howls of outrage from everyone, especially the media.
Now, when Republicans are asked what Congress should do to "fix" health care, they offer their own solutions, but that is the wrong answer. The only correct answer to that question is simply, "Nothing. It's none of our business". Period.
Another item that leaves me nearly speechless is the current attempts by the Obama administration to bring Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) and his cohorts from Guantanamo Bay to New York to stand trial in civilian court. The raging debate in this matter continues to be over the judgement of the idea and whether such a spectacle would place Manhattan in jeopardy of more terrorist attacks.
In defending this decision, President Obama - an alumnus of Harvard Law School - assured the American people that KSM would get a fairer trial than he would have in Gitmo military tribunals. He also asserted that KSM would be found guilty and executed. This was also echoed by the United States Attorney General, Eric Holder. How could alleged experts in legal matters be so ignorant of the law? My Cousin Vinny would find it child's play to get these trials dismissed in the preliminary hearings.
And yet the powers that be, both at the federal level and the local level, continue to discuss the possibility of moving the "trials" elsewhere in New York, when anyone with a matchbook cover law degree knows that any possibility of conviction is futile, given the rhetoric of the administration.
One must wonder just what caliber of mental acumen is running our country. And the question must also be asked, what happened to the "watchdogs"?
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Debating Moot Points
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2 comments:
Woody:
You point to what is exactly wrong with our leaders in Washington today and Republicans can also be held accountable here. No one seems to think about the Constitution before heading off on trying to enact policy. It always seems to be an after thought. Or in Pelosi's case no thought at all.
"Are you Serious" is her reaction to what she considers a foolish question, when in fact it is a very straight forward and honest question about individual freedoms and rights. The same goes for KSM and his trial. As much as I hate it, he now is entitled to those rights covered by the Constitution. Obama and Holder have just made it harder to prosecute the case that otherwise was a slam dunk in the military system. There should be media outrage but alas it is mostly silent. The Constitution should always be the guiding light in what is good policy and bad.
Exactly, EJ. Republicans allowed themselves to be suckered into one-upsmanship when they should have had the good sense to shut down the Dems when they had the chance and the high ground.
Now they have little more than to look foolish and petty. What a shame.
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