“We are a nation of laws, not of men.”– John Adams
“A government big enough to give you everything you want is big enough to take everything you have”. ~ Barry Goldwater
A Constitutional Scholar appearing on the national cable news show a few weeks ago hypothesized what James Madison would say if he were brought back to life and observed how the Federal Government functioned today, Madison would most likely ask: “How long did the Constitution Last?” Of course we would respond to him that we were still living under the same constitution today that he helped craft so carefully over 200 years ago in which he would in response shake his head perplexed on how anyone could believe that based on the overwhelming power the federal government has over every aspect of our lives and the diminished power of the states and its individual citizens. For the past century the constitution was in the process of being made irrelevant by a death of 1,000 cuts but now I am convinced there are some in the executive branch of the federal government that now are outright tearing the constitution up and ignoring its restraints on its power.
The federal government not only directly intruded into the private sector by a de- facto nationalization of the automobile industry with the GM (General Motors) bailout but disregarded long standing federal bankruptcy law by giving the majority of shares of the re-constituted GM to the UAW (United Auto Workers Union) instead of GM’s bondholders. Congress isn’t stopping with the auto industry and Healthcare it now wants the executive branch through the Federal Reserve to have the power to take over any financial institution that it deems To be economically failing under the proposed “Dodd-Frank” bill under this proposed legislation the financial institution cannot appeal the Feds decision Through the courts., whatever happened to the 5th amendment and due process of law ?
The Federal Government is also considering getting its hands on the “fourth estate” (The press). Jon Leibowitz, the chairman of Obama’s Federal Trade Commission is now floating a proposal to subsidize news organizations. White house communications director Anita Dunn questioned earlier this year whether or not Fox News is a news organization or an “arm of the Republican Party”?, Wouldn’t a news organization being subsidized by the government in reality be more prone to bias. Wouldn’t they think twice before biting the hand that feeds them?. Wouldn’t such an intrusion into the free market of ideas & opinions cause news organizations to seek favor with the government and towing the party line to have advantage over its competitors? I think Thomas Jefferson would turn over in his grave if he heard of such a absurd and dangerous proposal.
Even the Obama’s administration’s nominee for the Supreme Court Elena Kagan seems hesitant to say the Federal Governments reach into Our lives is limited. When questioned by Senator Coburn this morning on the reach of the newly passed health care bill and the extent of the government’s power to impose mandates on Americans under the authority of the Constitution’s commerce clause, Kagan declined to say that the government cannot tell an individual on what to eat! Fellow citizens of the republic we better wake up soon or I will predict tyranny will be on our doorstep.
-Just my opinion- D.B.