ACORN And The Liberal’s Interest In The Constitution

Suddenly the liberals have found a new interest in the United States Constitution.  They are claiming that ACORN can’t be defunded because it is a violation of the Constitution.

As Ann Coulter remarked pithily, when Geraldo Rivera raised this issue, we should be happy anytime a liberal finds any reason to actually read the Constitution.  She also noted there is nothing in the Constitution that allows Congress to fund ACORN in the first place.

We have all seen the videos by now of ACORN employess demonstrating a willingness to aid illegal activity.  This comes on top of the many cases across the nation of voter fraud.  In reaction to this both houses of Congress have seen fit to cut off funding to ACORN.  It is not a done deal yet as both houses have attached these amendments to different bills.  Some final bill will have to come out of a conference committee and then pass both houses again and be signed by President Obama.  The liberals have apparently come up with their counter attack.

They claim not funding ACORN is a ”bill of attainder” and therefore unconstitutional.  Article I, Section 9 of the U. S. Constitution reads “No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law shall be passed.”  A bill of attainder is, in essence, a punishment passed by Congress before a legal trail.  This prohibition is to prevent “trial by legislature.”  But Congress has the power of the purse strings and can choose to spend or not spend the public’s money as it sees fit.  Not getting a government contract or having one cancelled does not constitute a bill of attainder any more than prohibiting public money be spent with a contractor employing slave labor in some country overseas would be a bill of attainder.

The previous attempt to pass a tax taking away all the bonuses given out by AIG (See Congress, The Constitution, and AIG) was a clear example of a bill of attainder and was promoted by the liberals.  Now suddenly they have discovered several new things.

1. There is such a thing as the United States Constitution.
2. There is something called a bill of attainder.
3. There is a Constitutional prohibition against a bill of attainder.

While they are busy exploring this strange new world which we will call for their benefit “Constitutionland” (that will make it all seem sort of Disney-like and maybe not scare them too much) there are several other items they should take special note of.

• The First Amendment:  Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
• The Second Amendment:  A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.
• The Ninth Amendment:  The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
•  The Tenth Amendment:  The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

When they are finished there they may want to go over to Article I Section 8 which actually lays out what powers they are granted.  They will be stunned to see they were not granted anything near the amount of power they have presumed to excercise.  In fact, they are only granted a few powers specifically.  And the Tenth Amendment is real clear who keeps the rest of the power.  They may even find out the Constitution does not give them the power to nationalize our health insurance.

In case they haven’t been paying attention this year, that is why people held the TEA parties in April, that is why they did it again on July 4th, that is why the TEA Pary Express crossed the country and why hundreds of thousands gathered in Washington D.C. on September 12th.  That is why people were so angry at the townhall meetings.  They are sick and tired of watching the country be sold down the drain by polititians of both parties who DO NOT SEEM TO HAVE THE SLIGHTEST IDEA OF WHAT THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL ROLE IS.

If these politicians don’t figure it out by November of 2010 the people will send a message loud and clear to them.  They HAVE HAD ENOUGH.  It is time for the people, as the only true defenders of the Constitution, to take it back.

Experience hath shewn, that even under the best forms of government those entrusted with power have, in time, and by slow operations, perverted it into tyranny.
Thomas Jefferson