About That Constitution

Radley Balko | February 17, 2011

The GOP shows that for all their recent rhetoric about the sacredness of the Constitution, the document is really little more than a political prop.

Today, Democrats offered a motion to recommit on legislation to extend expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act to ensure that PATRIOT Act powers are not used to violate the Constitutional freedoms and protections guaranteed to all Americans. The motion included two parts:

No Constitutional shortcuts. When investigating American citizens, the government must comply with the Constitution, even in national security investigations

Challenging unconstitutional action. If a citizen challenges the government's use of PATRIOT Act power in a court of law, the case must be expedited to ensure the individual's rights are upheld.

Just two House Republicans voted for the measure. Sure, this was a stunt by the Democrats. Sort of like the "read the bills" proposals from Republicans are, also, stunts. But that's sort of the problem. We've reached the point where merely asking the government to respect the constitutional rights of American citizens, or that members of Congress actually read bills before they vote on them, have become quaint notions; handy for political posturing, but they're ideas that tend to elicit only scoffs from serious Washington people.

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|2.17.11 @ 10:08AM|#

How will the FBI entrap functionally retarded malcontents, if these onerous restrictions are put in place.

Ragin Cajun|2.17.11 @ 11:03AM|#

The same way it does now, via the hiring process.

TSA|2.17.11 @ 11:17AM|#

We don't "entrap" our employees!

Barely Suppressed Rage|2.17.11 @ 12:41PM|#

+1984

|2.17.11 @ 1:17PM|#

++1984

|2.17.11 @ 10:20AM|#

Uh, didn't way more House Republicans vote against extending the Patriot Act in the first place? Something's fishy here.

|2.17.11 @ 10:29AM|#

Something's fishy here.

Once they were made aware of the treasonous nature of their frivolous theatrics, they got back in line.

a|2.17.11 @ 10:31AM|#

Hey, was one of those two Republicans Jeff Flake?

Gadfly|2.17.11 @ 11:02AM|#

No, but I'll give you one guess who the other one was..

Gray Ghost|2.17.11 @ 11:06AM|#

From TFA, the Republicans were Ron Paul, Texas and Walter Jones, North Carolina.

a|2.17.11 @ 11:11AM|#

I know. I'm just having a little fun with Reason, which totally doesn't exaggerate Jeff Flake's libertarianism (or even mere constitutionalism) at all. Let's clone him!

http://reason.com/blog/2008/09.....jeff-flake

Spiny Norman|2.17.11 @ 11:19AM|#

They're just smitten with that beefcake picture.

Sovereign Immunity|2.17.11 @ 11:32AM|#

I gotta admit, Flake is strong with the sexy!

not so young|2.17.11 @ 3:13PM|#

That Flake beefcake is as good for me as Lobster Girl is for you. Or it would be if the pic were more of a close up.

Old Mexican|2.17.11 @ 10:57AM|#

We've reached the point where merely asking the government to respect the constitutional rights of American citizens, or that members of Congress actually read bills before they vote on them, have become quaint notions[...]

Yes, you've reached that point. Congratulations.

Colin|2.17.11 @ 11:07AM|#

Why didn't the Democrats offer these motions when they controlled the House?

What a bunch of frauds.

Mr. FIFY|2.17.11 @ 11:19AM|#

If they did that, Colin, it might prevent ICE from shutting down 84 thousand websites for no good reason.

Democrats pine for a police state as much as Republicans do... in their own respective images, of course, but the end result is the same.

|2.17.11 @ 1:14PM|#

""Why didn't the Democrats offer these motions when they controlled the House?""

When was the last time it was renewed? Not sure but I'm thinking 2005 or 2006. The Ds didn't take power until Jan 2007. Not that they would have necessarily offered those motions, but having a chance to do so is necessary before that question is valid.

robc|2.17.11 @ 2:28PM|#

They could have done it at anytime, not just "upon renewal".

|2.17.11 @ 4:25PM|#

Sure, but being the renewal is the activity at hand, I was trying to compare apples to apples.

Should I expect the house repubicans to do something about it other than status quo. No.

|2.17.11 @ 2:53PM|#

And the Democratic-controlled Senate is going to renew the Patriot Act in 2011.

|2.17.11 @ 4:21PM|#

They probably will. The P.A.T.R.I.O.T. act was a bi-partisan bill.

|2.17.11 @ 11:32AM|#

I sure do hate me some political parties.

Paul|2.17.11 @ 12:44PM|#

But I love me some stunts.

|2.17.11 @ 1:15PM|#

I blame Evil Kneivel

Almanian|2.17.11 @ 11:40AM|#

the document is really little more than a political prop

*shocked face - runs from room crying*

Founding Father|2.17.11 @ 12:22PM|#

"This document smells like semen!"

Bill Clinton|2.17.11 @ 2:09PM|#

I did not... have... sexual relations with that document... the Constitution.

Congress|2.17.11 @ 12:53PM|#

What?! What'd I say this time?

jtuf|2.17.11 @ 12:13PM|#

It's sad when congress reps pick one bill and motion that it should be subservient to the Constitution. It's like having one entry in the ship's log that reads, "The Captain was sober today."

|2.17.11 @ 12:17PM|#

Cue our Terror Warriors: "Teh Constitution is not a suicide pact!"

Because nothing says "Land of the free and home of the brave" like hiding from a dude living in a cave.

Paul|2.17.11 @ 12:43PM|#

I hate to say it, but demanding that government actually pay attention to the Constitution being a stunt says as much about the group pulling the stunt as it does about the receipients of same.

|2.17.11 @ 1:11PM|#

lets just face the fact that the republs jumped the shark long, long ago. The dems were OK for about 2 more episodes, but than they went surfing too, caught the shark after they jumped over it, and than made ultra cool sharkskin shoes.
Everybody says jumping over a shark is stupid, but man, those sharkskin shoes sure are cool...

If it's a stunt, the republicans should stick it to them by voting for it. That would show those Ds not to do that again unless they were serious.

|2.18.11 @ 6:52PM|#

Just shows that NEITHER party cares about the Constitution , the citizenry, or our nation.There is NO real difference in the parties, just their utterly meaningless rhetoric. They are bi-partisan in their goal to rid our nation of all jobs, and line their own pockets.

puma pas cher|2.22.11 @ 6:50AM|#

good done

puma soldes|2.24.11 @ 7:25AM|#

well

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