I just LOVE Alan Grayson and how his brain works. :) "We Lost the Jobs. And Now the Constitution?"

[in_cog_ni_to]

Email I just received:

We Lost the Jobs. And Now the Constitution?




Dear ******:

This week, we’ll see Congress vote on three so-called “trade agreements.” Did you ever wonder why they call them “trade agreements”? So that they don’t have to call them what they actually are – treaties.

Under our Constitution, a “Bill” requires the approval of a majority of both Houses of Congress and the President’s assent, or an override of the President’s veto. But under Article II, Section 2, Clause 2, a “Treaty” requires “the Advice and Consent of the Senate . . . provided two thirds of the Senators present concur.”

The Powers That Be know that these “trade agreements” couldn’t get the support of two-thirds of the Senate. In fact, they probably couldn’t get past a filibuster. So they just renamed them. They’re not treaties, they’re just “trade agreements.”

But they sure look like treaties, don’t they? They are agreements between our government and a foreign government. That’s a treaty.

If it looks like a duck, and it walks like a duck . . . and it quacks . . . it’s a duck.

But they don’t care. They can’t get the two-thirds that they need in the Senate, so they’ll just pretend that they don’t need it.

And the “fast track” treatment of these “trade agreements,” which thankfully expired in 2007? Also unconstitutional. That’s one Congress (the 93rd Congress, for those who are keeping score) purporting to dictate procedures and rules to subsequent Congresses. You can’t do that, according to Article I, Section 5 of the aforesaid U.S. Constitution.

So here we are in this mad rush to serve Mammon, not only shoveling jobs overseas, but trampling on our Constitution while we do it.

I hope that when the Panama, Colombia and South Korea “trade agreements” come before the House and the Senate this week, at least one Member of Congress (Dennis Kucinich, maybe? Ron Paul, maybe?) has the guts to stand up and say, “point of order, for the Chair. These bills are not properly before the House, and they require they concurrence of two-thirds of the Senate. I REQUEST A RULING BY THE CHAIR.”

Let’s see what the Parliamentarians say. If they end the charade, then it’s over. And if they go along with the charade, then let’s have a vote.

I just hope that if such a vote does take place, that every Member of Congress remembers that he or she swore to uphold the U.S. Constitution. Not the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Courage,

Alan Grayson

[ixion]

1. both have been bleeding for decades

it's not recent, it's just gotten bad enough that people are noticing.

[polichick]

2. And the prez is cool with this?

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. Seems like he is cool with it and he was a constitutional law professor. n/t

[polichick]

4. imo it doesn't seem as if he cares a whole lot about the Constitution...

At least when it comes to justice.

I'm glad people are starting to use the term "economic justice" in relation to the recent protests.

[Bandit]

17. Are you suggesting that the Constitution does not allow for Justice?

IMO the exact opposite is truth... There is no Justice if the Constitution is not adhered too. But I guess it is "just a piece of paper" after all.

[polichick]

18. No - I'm saying the Constitution IS about justice, but the prez disregards that.

[Dragonfli]

9. He has been pushing harder than anyone for these "free trade" deals, as usual the constitution

is just something he wraps fish in.

Unconstitutional wars
Unconstitutional imprisonment
Unconstitutional hit lists
Unconstitutional evesdropping
Unconstitutional trade treaties


There are more, but can you see a pattern hear?

He has taken an oath to fulfill THIS piece of paper
http://www.uschamber.com/sites/default/files/110905_jobs_letter.pdf

[polichick]

13. I don't know how he justifies this stuff to himself.

[Dragonfli]

14. I often wonder that myself, and then I remember that there are those that lack a conscious /nt

[chill_wind]

5. Me too. Send him some love right here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=103&topic_id=631572&mesg_id=631572

[in_cog_ni_to]

6. I didn't know he is a DU member! How cool is that? One of my favorite politicians is a DUer.

:loveya: Thanks so much for the link. I sent him my love. :)

[formercia]

7. The Constitution was outsourced to Blackwater.

using foreign Mercs.

[truedelphi]

8. I am sure that many would agree with me - if only that young

Articulate guy had won in 2008. You know, the guy whose wife is pretty and his kids are cute.

He had promised to end NAFTA and other trade agreements.

I seem to recall that he was in the lead on election night, that November. But then he simply disappeared from view.

After that election night, someone named Rahm Emanuel took over the WH, and since then, it's been a Big Uphill Battle.

And a total surprise, since Rahm had been one of the architects of NAFTA.

[in_cog_ni_to]

10. Yeah, but Rahm's in Chicago..fucking up that city now. So, what's BO's excuse

now? Rahm's not running his show anymore...

[Enthusiast]

16. It has been a shock.

[Uncle Joe]

11. Alan is correct, these are treaties and should be treated as such.

There has been too much Orwellian sleight of hand language relieving the Congress of its' duty and responsibility to the people.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, in_cog_ni_to.

[Mimosa]

12. Wow. The truth, well explained.

Thank you, Alan. You are among the few I still believe. And respect.

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. Isn't it amazing that we can name only maybe 3-4 honest politicians?

Grayson, Sanders, Kucinich, and Feingold. That's IT. Sad, Sad, Sad. :(

[Mimosa]

19. K&R! n/t