I have been getting some angry emails from people who object to what I said in the David Lightman / McClatchy story about the new Congress. Here is what I said: "This is to make the tea party people happy. It's like a religious ceremony."
Anyone who reads this blog even occasionally knows I am a fan of the Constitution. The reason I think that the "reading ceremony" in Congress is idiotic is that I know for a fact the Republicans know they are LYING when they say they admire the Constitution. They have no intention of cutting spending, none.
Or maybe they don't know, and they are just idiots. Daniel Henninger explains the "perhaps they are idiots" position in today's WSJ quite nicely.
The Republicans are reading their little pocket Constitutions, and as soon as they get a chance they are going to increase the deficit dramatically. Because that is what Republicans do. You can't blame dogs for eating out of the garbage.
3 comments:
In the GOP's defense, they did pass first a line-item veto, which was declared unconstitutional.
Paul Ryan correctly hailed President Obama's call for enhanced rescission authority back in June 2010, when the Republicans were a minority. (All Presidents ask for it, the Democrats are never for it, Republicans sometimes tempted.) As Henninger argues, it would make a difference, and be more significant than anything else in the long run.
Because that is what Republicans do.
I'd say that the evidence as to "what Republicans do" when they're paired with a Democratic President is more positive than you're letting on. But I suppose you have your own religious certainties.
The reason I think that the "reading ceremony" in Congress is idiotic is that I know for a fact the Republicans know they are LYING when they say they admire the Constitution. They have no intention of cutting spending, none.
This is a nonsequitur. It is entirely true -- the Republicans do not really admire the Constitution, and have no intention whatsoever of cutting spending -- but the two facts are unrelated.
To treat them as related is to assume that wanting to cut spending is a necessary component of having respect for the Constitution.
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