> From: Dan Minette > > > > > >> Given that, it's unlikely for a politician to say "the > >> Constitution is just a piece of paper." It's much more > >> likely that they would say "that's not what it means" even if > >> it is clear to everyone else that's what it means. > > > >Dan, I find your optimism and faith in politicians > heartening, even if I > >don't find it easy to adopt such a positive stance, > especially about the > >current crop of leaders. > > With all due respect, I guess that you aren't totally > familiar with the US > constitution. I think that the point about Nixon is > absolutely critical. > Nixon was as amoral a politician as I've seen. He sent > burglers into the > Democratic headquarters, for goodness sakes. He argued long > and hard with > the Congress over "executive privledge" regarding the tapes > he had made of > White House conversations (virtually all of them in the Oval Office). > > The Supreme Court ruled against him....and that was that. He > gave up the > tapes. If he didn't, the impeachment would have proceded > very swiftly. >
But that is a matter of law. Nixon had no choice. It's the attitude to the constitution that is at issue. Even GWB knows he cant be seen to openly flout the constitution. But he could still call it a goddamned piece of paper. > The tapes had a "smoking gun" on it. It looked as though > most Republican > senators were going to vote to sustain impeachement. His > chief of staff, > Haig, made sure that he Constitution would be followed, instead of > Nixon...if he decided to keep power after impeachment. > > The alternative to the Constitution being supreme would have > to be some > kind of coup. From what I've seen and heard, the officer > corp of the US is > dedicated to the Constitution. Colen Powell is probably one > of the best > heads of the Joint Chiefs of Staff that we've had, but he is not an > anomoly. > > So, politicians would have to either be planning a military > takeover or be > very detached from the real world to think that the > Constitution was no > more than a piece of paper. > Again, its attitude. I know he is forced to obey it, but does he respect it? > > >One question though, is GWB a politician in the sense of the > word that > >you are using? I have never really seen him as one, but then > maybe I am > biased. > > He's actually a fairly good politician. If he were as good a decision > maker and manager as he is a politician, the US would be far > better off. > True Maru _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
