Is it any wonder we can't reclaim the government?

[Dr.Phool]

Even with a majority? I found this little piece over at TPM. Not only do our elected representatives not read legislation before voting on it, it appears they've never read the constitution either.

Pitiful and sad.
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/015945.php




Dog Ate My Constitution
07.29.07 -- 11:41PM
By Josh Marshall

I don't want to get into a back and forth about whether it makes sense or sense yet to impeach Alberto Gonzales. But I assume we all agree that members of Congress should have a good enough working knowledge of the constitution to know how impeachment works. According this diary post at Daily Kos (well-known hate site), Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-CA) responded to a constituent letter advocating Gonzales' impeachment by writing ...

The Attorney General serves at the pleasure of the president in a non-impeachable office. Unless convicted of an illegal act, the Attorney General cannot be removed from office without the president asking for or accepting his resignation. However, please be assured that I will keep your thoughts and concerns in mind as I review the circumstances surrounding recent allegations of impropriety within the Justice Department.

This is whacked on a couple levels. First, cabinet officers can most certainly be impeached, as we noted yesterday. Second, convicted of an illegal act? To the best of my knowledge, there's nothing in the constitution whatsoever that makes a criminal conviction for anything relevant to removal from office. It's just not even part of the equation. Perhaps it's just nitpicky to point out that the president can simply fire any cabinet officer at any time for any reason, notwithstanding the faux-technical discussion of resignation. The whole letter is written in a hyper-specific sort of of pseudo-constitutional claptrapese to disguise the fact that what's being said is complete nonsense.

I admit that this has relatively little to do with the great issues on the table before us. And I should note that I do not believe the authenticity of the letter has been confirmed. But it would be nice to know that statements sent out over the names of important elected officials don't make claims that would garner you a F in high school civics.

[datasuspect]

1. many members of congress are not our "best and brightest"

it they are truly representative of the population, there has to be a significant number of dumbasses in congress.

we all know congress members are not elected for their statesmanship or vision. many get elected because they appeal in one way or another to a hate-filled constituency or because they can get things done for special interests.

[EFerrari]

2. Coming from Ellen, that's surprising.

Sometimes I think congress critters think of the Constitution the way realtors think of real estate law. You have to know enough to get your license but all that material has little to do with what you do daily as a realtor. :shrug::

[John Q. Citizen]

3. Plus it's hear say, twice removed. Is the letter real? We will never know.