Congress voids Constitution! (Film at 11!)
The US House of Representatives today voted that the phrase "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance was so important that it was worth ditching the constitutional principles of separation of powers, and checks-and-balances. Sadly, this will be portrayed as a vote FOR American values, and not as a vote to destroy the basic mechanisms of government that have made us great.
The House approved, 247-173, the Pledge Protection Act, which would prevent federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from hearing cases challenging the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Apparently, the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of the phrase wasn't enough to make those Congressmen feel safe about this critical bastion of our freedom. No, we need to make sure that no court will ever again be able to review a case trying to make this change to our beloved Pledge. Apparently, whether or not something is a violation of the First Amendment, or I assume, any part of the Constitution, is now a question for Congress, not the Judicial Branch, to decide.
Given the urgent need to fundamentally restructure our governmental system this way, I can see why this bill took precedence over the work on restructuring our intelligence system, or getting to those pesky appropriations bills that have been stacked up.
Of course, the venal House Republicans know that this will go nowhere in the Senate, where people prefer more sophisticated pranks. So they have the privilege of staging bizarre carnival acts in hopes of attracting the rubes and conning them out of their votes. And that is SO much better than the responsibility of acting like honorable legislators in the Great Democracy they profess to love so much.
A great day for the Republic.
The House approved, 247-173, the Pledge Protection Act, which would prevent federal courts, including the Supreme Court, from hearing cases challenging the words "under God" in the Pledge of Allegiance. Apparently, the recent Supreme Court decision in favor of the phrase wasn't enough to make those Congressmen feel safe about this critical bastion of our freedom. No, we need to make sure that no court will ever again be able to review a case trying to make this change to our beloved Pledge. Apparently, whether or not something is a violation of the First Amendment, or I assume, any part of the Constitution, is now a question for Congress, not the Judicial Branch, to decide.
Given the urgent need to fundamentally restructure our governmental system this way, I can see why this bill took precedence over the work on restructuring our intelligence system, or getting to those pesky appropriations bills that have been stacked up.
Of course, the venal House Republicans know that this will go nowhere in the Senate, where people prefer more sophisticated pranks. So they have the privilege of staging bizarre carnival acts in hopes of attracting the rubes and conning them out of their votes. And that is SO much better than the responsibility of acting like honorable legislators in the Great Democracy they profess to love so much.
A great day for the Republic.
posted by Paul at 3:47 PM |
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