Monday, May 26, 2008

The Conservative Myth: Strict Constructionists, Party of Law and Order

The Republican media machine claims it’s all true: they are the law and order party and unwavering strict constructionists of the Constitution.

Disputing these assertions is easy. Simply mention the suspension of Habeas Corpus, the disregard of international treaties, presidential signing statements claiming Congressional law as advisory, military force, warrentless wiretaps, , the politicazation of the Justice department and the “unitary executive” -where a U.S. President in the exercise of his Constitutional war powers cannot be restrained by any law national or international. This is a partial list of course.

The few conservatives I know who advocate the passage of a concealed carry law in Wisconsin tote one around with them anyway for the simple reason they don’t agree with the current legal ban. Bad laws can be ignored, especially if you assign blame those big government left wing liberals.-Me

In combination with the concept of justifiable lawlessness, they have now done away with the moral and ethical arguments once advocated by such books as…oh, the Bible.

Just look at how Republican’s work their magic with political ads. They deceptively mislead the public through omission and ambiguous terminology. Conservatives are quick to point out they did nothing illegal, never mind the moral and ethical bankruptcy of their tactics.

One lawyer representing a few right wing advocacy groups responsible for the defeat of a liberal Wisconsin Supreme court Justice said, in “the vast majority of ads they could find nothing untrue-they just thought they were unfair. The thing they need to get into their heads is, life is unfair.” He’s got a point. It might be unfair to mislead the voters, but certainly not illegal. Get over it.

Just for fun, I’ve included some classic statements from the former stars of the Bush administration.

Pentagon Neocon and now a professor at Georgetown University Douglas Feith
: “’The problem with moral authority, was ‘people who should know better, like yourself, siding with the a**holes, to put it crudely.”

Feith and his reason for the attack on Iraq, as written in his memoir, "War and Decision: "anticipatory self-defense."
Feith on whether the war in Iraq was the right decision; "I think the president made the right decision given what he knew. And given what we all knew. And to tell you the truth, even given what we've learned since." 60 Minutes

Karl Rove, formerly of the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, White House Office of Strategic Initiatives, now political analyst and contributor for Fox News, Newsweek, and the Wall Street Journal, on his feelings about a confrontation with a college student objecting to how he shredded the constitution: “He had no question, he just wanted to accuse me of undermining the Constitution and blah-blah-blah-blah-blah.” GQ Magazine

I rest my case.

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