Constitution Class

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

--the Preamble to the Constitution of the United States of America

Ladies and gentlemen and children of all ages, I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You presents....

The Constitution of the United States of America!

Constitution of the United States of America

Constitution of the United States of America

Constitution of the United States of America

...and an auburn haired beauty in a tweed skirt because damn it, we can!

God bless America! 

The foundation of the United States of America is the Constitution. It is not just the framework that supports our governance but our way of life as a free nation. It is an extraordinarily well crafted document, providing a functioning framework not just for the nascent nation in its early days but for days and years to come.  The United States Constitution is a thing of incomparable intelligence and wisdom.

So we must ask ourselves: is this shit any good anymore?

Make no mistake, the inner workings of government as laid out by the Constitution are still as sound and valid as the time they were first laid out.

But think of the United States Constitution, if you will, as a very nice car with lots of leg room, trunk space and a powerful engine under the hood. But does anybody know how to drive the thing? Does anyone know how to change the oil? Or the tires?  

Again, is this shit any good anymore? 

Think about the separation of powers, the Legislative, the Executive and the Judiciary. Congress passes a bill, the President likes it, signs it and it becomes a law. 

(I bet that Schoolhouse Rock song, “I’m Just a Bill” is playing in your head right now. Or the song about the Preamble, right? Yes, I am evil.)  

Now the President can think, “Hey, Congress is making a mistake here” and can veto the bill. But if Congress feels really strongly about this bill, they can override the veto; it ain’t easy but it can be done.

So we have a process where Congress and the President have to work in concert together but they can also hold each other in check. 

But seriously, is this shit any good anymore?

The founding fathers who sat down to draft the Constitution probably could not anticipate the shitstorm we live with today.

A Republican controlled Senate AND House have no desire to reign in a Republican President because they’re too busy trying to stack the Supreme Court and all the Appellant Courts with conservative Republican judges.  So Trump can make potentially impeachable statements. His gripes that the Department of Justice is not easing off his back with the Russian investigation, not going after his political enemies AND chastizing the DOJ for pursuing criminal charges against 2 Republican Congressmen that might cost them the election? Any of this can be construed as obstructions of justice and in any other time, such statements would be grounds for at least investigations into the President or writing up articles of impeachment. And that’s just that stuff. Never mind almost everything else Trump says or does. 

There is a system in place for checks and balances on the excesses of the Executive branch. The framers of the Constitution put them there.

They do fuck all if everyone in power is too gutless to use it.

Seeing abuses of power from Richard Nixon in 1974, Republican Congressmen told made it clear: it was time to go. 

Seeing abuses of power from Donald Trump, Republican Congressmen shrug: Eh, whattaya gonna do, huh?    

The same United States Constitution that provided guidance in 1974 is still there today.

Damn it all to hell, is this shit any good anymore?

The Framers of the United States Constitution were wise and thoughtful men. The choices made in developing the Constitution make sense in hindsight.  For example, the process of removing a President. The Chief Executive of the United States is not a king, lacking the weight of legacy and history to hold on to power. The Legislative branch should not be able to unilaterally remove a President from office they just may not like.  We actually saw the wisdom of the Framers in action when the House passed articles of impeachment against Bill Clinton for the crimes of lying about getting his dick sucked on by an intern in the Oval Office. Yes, dick sucking in the Oval Office does not reflect well on the Presidency but is hardly an offense on a scale with treason. The Senate weighed in and said, “This shit is stupid” and stopped the impeachment.

So there are good reasons for making the impeachment of a President difficult. But it’s not impossible. Unless those with the authority choose to not to use that authority. 

And that’s where we are today. Ever day… every single god damn, fucking, shit filled day Trump says or does something that should result in him being called to account. Maybe not necessarily impeachment but some action to make it clear, “You can’t do that!”

But Trump is a gravy train for the Republican Party in both houses of Congress. They are motivated by self interest above service to their country.

Yes, the Framers of the United States Constitution were wise and thoughtful men. They were also incredibly fucking naïve. They didn’t anticipate deep partisanship putting the needs of the country second.

The thing is the United States Constitution is a formidable document, worthy of respect and praise. 

But it is not sacred.  Even one of the men who helped write the damn thing thought so. 

Alexander Hamilton, writing in Federalist No. 1, described as “reflection and choice” about whether our 18th-century Constitution serves us well today. And that was only a few years removed from the original creation of the Constitution. One wonders what he would think 231 years after that.  

Maybe it could stand a few edits.