Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Why do they even pretend anymore?

The Obama administration is considering asking Congress to give the Treasury secretary unprecedented powers to initiate the seizure of non-bank financial companies, such as large insurers, investment firms and hedge funds, whose collapse would damage the broader economy, according to an administration document.
You show me in the Constitution where the Treasury secretary has the power to "seize" anything other than his own trouser snake. As a matter of fact, you show me in the Constitution where there's even mention of a Treasury secretary. (Hint: there isn't.)

Why are we even going through the motions of Constitutionality anymore?

You've got Presidents that legislate via executive orders (also nowhere mentioned in the Constitution), judges that legislate from the bench, unelected bureaucrats who make up federal agency regulations that have the force of law, and a Congress that hasn't paid any attention to Article I, Section 8 since Roosevelt. The first one.

So why don't we just stop pretending and tear the damn thing up? It's not like we're actually using it for anything.

26 comments:

Jay G said...

But, but, but...

Bush was teh eeeevul! Patriot Act! Gitmo! Bush lied people died!

The silence from those on the left and the media (redundant) is most telling...

Tango Juliet said...

Sheep only have two speeds, grazing and stampede.

staghounds said...

Actually the Supreme Court already said he can, if he gets statutory authority first-Youngstown Sheet & Tube Co. v. Sawyer, aka the Steel Mills Seizure case.

Anonymous said...

Well SAID T.
this is what gets me.....
“The government at present has the authority to seize only banks.”

That answers the question doesn’t it? More devious government control.

They will continue to TAKE as long as they can with whoever is in the treasury position!

Anonymous said...

I thought the question was what the Constitution said, not the Supremes. After all, they said Dred Scott had to go home. Being the nation's smallest and longest-termed legislative body hasn't prevented them blowing in the breeze like the rest of the two-dollar DC whores.

If Marbury and Madison had fought the duel instead of Burr and Hamilton, everything might have turned out differently.

Jay G said...

"Sheep only have two speeds, grazing and stampede."

That's quote of the day material right there...

the pawnbroker said...

no, see, as a commenter said about this yesterday...we've just been doing it wrong lo these past coupla centuries; free market capitalism? pffft.

jtc

Yosemite Sam said...

At this rate, we'll have Directive 10-289 before the year is out. I wonder who is going to play the role of Wesley Mouch?

Anonymous said...

"When Hitler was acclaimed...."

Now I gotta MUCH better picture of how that swastikashix went down.

Could gun owners, and similar anti-social undesirable vermin, be a future species of 'semit', as per the 'woid verify'

John the Red

Hunsdon said...

"A Republic, madam, if you can keep it."---Benjamin Franklin

Dan said...

Sheep grazing... TFF ;)

Is it wrong to wish that I didn't care?

wv: flutoria - South of the Border Flute store?

Anonymous said...

Constitution, Smanstitution.

Anonymous said...

Oh Tam, but you are wrong... we are using it for something. The folks up in Washington need toilet paper too....

*sigh*

Fuzzy Curmudgeon said...

All this simply reinforces my growing conjecture that the South was right (even if for the wrong reasons). And me a Union boy!

I may well relocate to the first state that secedes.

Gun Shy Tourist said...

Tam said:

“You show me in the Constitution where the Treasury secretary has the power to "seize" anything other than his own trouser snake.”

(Gun Shy picks self off from floor still laughing) I just released this commentary which shows more skewed thinking of Mr Obama and his gun grabbing supporters. As Mr Spock would say "It is illogical" :-)

http://aroundotown.blogspot.com/2009/03/they-stole-police-chiefs-gun.html

theirritablearchitect said...

"So why don't we just stop pretending and tear the damn thing up? It's not like we're actually using it for anything."

Now we're talking!

Seriously, it's probably the best outcome that I can think of.

Once people wake up to the fact that the governmental hooligans are just running amok, MAYBE there will enough anger to make some real and lasting change...toward freedom, instead of bullshit nannyism.

Assrot said...

Hmmm... Maybe the Treasury Secretary is man handling the Obamessiah's trouser snake.

That's why he's getting his way. Sex sells baby!

Joe

Anonymous said...

Tam - Your thoughts are the same as many of us. What is required is to think it over, avoid running around wildly, then do what ever it will take to change their course of action. Taking over businesses is scary -- imagine them taking over S&W, Ruger, Winchester, and Remington (because of National interests). We are in danger of taking all this for granted. Our best thinkers will come up with a good plan - I hope. I love your blog. Best Wishes: Ron

BobG said...

"On every question of construction, let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text, or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed."
- Thomas Jefferson

Anonymous said...

"I regret that I am now to die in the belief, that the useless sacrifice of themselves by the generation of 1776, to acquire self-government and happiness to their country, is to be thrown away by the unwise and unworthy passions of their sons, and that my only consolation is to be, that I live not to weep over it."
--Thomas Jefferson

Anonymous said...

"You show me in the Constitution where the Treasury secretary has the power to "seize" anything other than his own trouser snake."

Oh good Lord, that's the funniest thing I've read in a long time. I don't care who you are, if you don't at least chuckle at that, then you need some counseling.

Thanks Tam!

Unknown said...

The left has not just crossed the line, they've pole vaulted over it. Seizures, ex post facto taxation, "fairness"...

Apparently, liberals think that the founding fathers were as stupid and impetuous as they are. They believe that the Constitution was only drafted out specifically for 1780's and should be updated, with more trivial bullshit, every couple of years like a history textbook. The founding fathers never envisioned the world lasting past 1800, so they left fatal flaws in there that must be corrected! And now those idiots run the country.

Anonymous said...

I jsut finished reading the book, "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. Even though it's a bit of a long read, I highly recommend it to all Constitutional Patriots.

While I have no desire to see my beloved Republic in the throes of destruction and misery, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes to restore it to its intended glory.

"And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."- Last sentence of the Declaration of Independence.

Paladin

Anonymous said...

Tam You might want to pull a search on Bill of Attainder, I caught someone discussing it today and it was interesting. Wiki has some items about it's British origin and American usage.

Matt G said...

I was about to reference Youngstown, but Staghounds beat me to it.

Of course, in THAT case, Truman's reason for seizing the steel mill was that we were at War, and the US needed steel.

But, with the war on Nouns going on, we'll ALWAYS be at wars*, from here out.

________________________________
*And rumors thereof.

theirritablearchitect said...

"...finished reading the book, "Unintended Consequences" by John Ross. Even though it's a bit of a long read, I highly recommend it to all Constitutional Patriots.

Um, I think you'll find that most of the regular readership, here, probably read that one about a dozen years ago, and yes, I'd say most of us liked it...a lot!

You need to go read Matt Bracken's stuff next. Trust me, if you liked Ross, you'll dig EFAD.