politics « de oppresso liber

Congress Is Now Irrelevant

March 14, 2012 by Aaron Graves

http://www.moviespad.com/photos/leon-panetta-images-d6613.jpg

Ok, so I’ll admit, the title is a bit misleading. Technically, Congress has been irrelevant for quite some time. 535 little busy bodies out to line their own pockets and those of their corporate buddies. Ok, so not all of them are evil.

On the 7th of March, testifying before a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Martin Dempsey and Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta both stated that President Obama needed only an international legal basis to go to war, and Congress would be an afterthought.

Wait, what?

Yea, that’s right. In complete defiance of Article I, section 8 of the Constitution which provides that only Congress may declare war, this administration says it doesn’t need congress.

After 9/11, Congress by and large ceded power to the Executive branch to execute a loosely defined “war on terror.” Essentially, they marginalized themselves. And Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) had the nerve to act surprised when the Administration asserts its emperor-like powers.

Congress Continues to Ignore 1st Amendment, Limits Rights

March 13, 2012March 11, 2012 by Aaron Graves

Here is the complete text of the 1st Amendment to the United States Constitution (emphasis mine):

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

So, how then will our congress critters explain H.R. 347, the “Federal Restricted Buildings and Grounds Improvement Act of 2011” bill? To be fair, this is not a new law. It amends 18 USC § 1752 “restricted buildings and grounds,” that has existed in various forms since 1971. The most significant amendments to the law occurred in 2006. ((http://www.salem-news.com/articles/march082012/hr347-clarity-mvh.php))

But there are a few changes that make one’s eyebrow raise.

Pat Robertson: The War on Drugs Has Failed; Legalize Marijuana!

March 27, 2012March 9, 2012 by Aaron Graves

Pat Robertson probably just shocked a large number of his followers when he made this statement on Wednesday the 7th:

“I really believe we should treat marijuana the way we treat beverage alcohol,” Mr. Robertson said in an interview on Wednesday. “I’ve never used marijuana and I don’t intend to, but it’s just one of those things that I think: this war on drugs just hasn’t succeeded.”

Mr. Robertson’s remarks echoed statements he made last week on “The 700 Club,” the signature program of his Christian Broadcasting Network, and other comments he made in 2010. While those earlier remarks were largely dismissed by his followers, Mr. Robertson has now apparently fully embraced the idea of legalizing marijuana, arguing that it is a way to bring down soaring rates of incarceration and reduce the social and financial costs.

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