GOP Hypocrisy and Constitutional Amendments

[LiviaOlivia]

TNR Notebook
THERE YOU GO AGAIN
03-08-04 issue

This week, as congressional Republicans tried to explain why, contrary to President Bush's wishes, they were in no hurry to pass a Constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, many cited their party's longstanding reluctance to monkey with the sacred document. "Amending the Constitution is a huge issue," Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist told reporters. "We're going to go about this in a very thoughtful way." From that statement you might think the GOP has a history of considering such changes with the high-mindedness the Founding Fathers surely intended.

You'd be wrong: They do it almost every election year. In 1980, then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan announced his support for a constitutional amendment banning abortion, and the measure was enshrined as a plank in the GOP platform (where it has remained ever since). In 1988, George H.W. Bush made a call for a constitutional amendment outlawing flag-burning a central element of his campaign. And, in 1996, Bob Dole routinely voiced his support for constitutional amendments on flag-burning, the balanced budget, and school prayer. Indeed, the Republican platform in 1996 included planks calling for constitutional amendments not only on those three issues but on term limits, citizenship for children of illegal aliens, and victims' rights, too. Let's hope the effort to pass a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage proves just as successful.

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Author forgot to add Orrin Hatch's attempt to help his pal, the
Governor of California, with an amendment on the presidency and
birthplace requirements. Livia

[struggle4progress]

1. Well, lend a hand!

Helpfully clarify proposed amendments: No Congress may incur debt while a Democrat is President. No state may recognize as lawful any marriage that involves, or that could involve, nonprocreative sex. No one, other than the President or his designees, shall desecrate the flag.

Suggest new useful amendments for the right-wing: Why haven't they suggested the Biblical Law Amendment that they so obviously want? For the last forty years, the rightwing has been shrieking that folks should leave the country if we want to criticize a President; they ought to go ga-ga over: No one may criticize any Officer of the United States, unless traveling abroad.

We ought to be able to serve some tasty treats: My favorite last week (Trillin?) was something like: No one, having less than a C+ undergraduate average, shall be eligible to serve as President.

There might be some serious proposals, too, that (without having much chance of winning) could be useful organizing tactics: for example, why can't we ditch that nineteenth century SCOTUS ruling that interprets corporations as "persons"?

[grannylib]

2. Love theone about only the pResident being able to desecrate the flag

fucking stupid asshole moron...
what the hell has he EVER done to make people think he's a leader??
Can someone please tell me??

[Grins]

3. Repubs are bad, but the Bush's were/are the worst

Should have mentioned that Bush has embraced SEVEN AMENDMENTS! – “…reflecting breathtaking contempt for the principles embodied in the work of our Founding Fathers. in this, the president is following the example of his father, who endorsed five proposed amendments. Conspicuously, however, neither man supports the Equal Rights Amendment, the only time when they hypocritically claim that mucking around with our basic document is unwise.”

The amendments Bush has supported:
1.
A ban on burning the American flag.
2.
Inserting into the above - a balanced budget amendment. A huge joke from the jerk that created the largest deficits in modern history.
3.
Ban the burning of the American flag.
4.
An amendment to outlaw abortion.
5.
Of course, prayer in the public schools, ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
6.
To give presidents a line-item veto.
7.
An amendment to protect victims' rights, which was endorsed by President Clinton but has never generated much enthusiasm in either party.

And one more…
Others have, but Bush has not spoken out on an amendment to allow foreign-born citizens to become president. Give him time.

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