Thom Hartmann: Grover Norquist, Enemy of the State?

[marmar]

AlterNet / By Thom Hartmann

Grover Norquist, Enemy of the State?
Norquist has connived over the years to get hundreds of members of Congress to violate their own oath of office by pledging to keep billionaires' taxes low.

November 26, 2012 |


Is it possible that Grover Norquist, the multi-millionaire K-Street lobbyist long funded by billionaires, is an enemy of the state?

Pretty strong language, but consider that he has connived over the years to get hundreds of members of Congress to violate their own oath of office by pledging a higher oath to keep billionaires' taxes low than their pledge to the Constitution itself.

The requirement for Members of Congress to swear an oath to our country is in the Constitution itself, in Article Six: “The Senators and Representatives … shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution…”

So, starting with the first Congress, in 1789, members were sworn in by saying, “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support the Constitution of the United States.” ................(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.alternet.org/grover-norquist-enemy-state

[Cleita]

1. I always considered his actions pretty close to treason.

I mean when you have more loyalty to your political party than your country, something is wrong.

[jsr]

2. The way the whole damn bunch of them swore allegiance to him and kissed his ass

you'd think Grover Norquist founded this country

[Tigress DEM]

3. Maybe we need a NEW OATH

THIS IS GOOD:

enacted in 1884 and is used to this day. Its first sentence says: “I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion;…”

THIS IS BETTER:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States on behalf of my Constituents and for the People of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion and that I hold myself accountable to my Constituents and the American People who have conferred this privilege of service upon me to fulfill this oath to the best of my abilities.

LONG LIVE THE CONSTITUTION, however, maybe it's easier for elected officials to be unfaithful to a piece of paper, no matter how cherished the content than the flesh and blood electorate standing outside their office wanting answers PRONTO.

Maybe it's time WE THE PEOPLE put OUR BACKBONES into the documents to make it harder for those who want to shred these words and disrespect OUR Rights and OUR Country's Defense of OUR Rights. This way the offenses committed are not against a Constitutional "interpretation" but against THE PEOPLE themselves, so we can bring suit against them for dishonoring this oath.

They have put themselves above the law for too long at the expense of everyone but those paying them to dis-service US.