Sunday, March 7, 2010

Eric Zorn on the US Constitution

Chicago Sunday PM 7 March 2010


Voice of the People, Chicago Tribune


Gentlepeople:


The Chicago Tribune's Eric Zorn writes in a Sunday, March 7, 2010 column of the possibility the Democrats may “employ 'the nuclear option' to enact health care reform legislation.” Zorn further explains “the phrase 'nuclear option' dates back to at least 2002 when Republicans used it to refer to changing — blowing up — longstanding Senate rules to get rid of the ability of the minority party to filibuster. “


The Republicans were not trying to 'blow up' anything. They wanted to expand Senate filibuster rules to specifically state what had been a tradition since the first use of the Senate filibuster in 1837, that by 'consent' in Article II, Section 2, (The President “...shall nominate, and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint... Judges of the supreme Court, and all other Officers of the United States....”) the Founders meant a straight up-or-down vote.


But then, the Democrat Party is not known for letting the Constitution get in the way of what they want to do, nor is Eric Zorn known as a particular student of the Constitution.


Arnold H Nelson


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