John Edwards: Constitution revisionist
Posted by BrianThe Democrats have been bemoaning Bush’s questionable (kind euphemism) regard for our Constitution for years - and for good reason. The only problem is that their candidates have a tenuous grasp at best on what the Constitutional role of government actually is. The biggest offender: John Edwards. Just watch this YouTube interview (Kudos to Rob).
Near the end the interviewer asked Edwards a series of rapid fire, short answer questions. Edwards was asked to define whether something should be a right or a privilege.
Question: A college education?
Edwards: Right.
Q: Health care?
E: Right.
Q: A livable wage?
E: Right.
Q: Owning a handgun?
E: Privilege.
…
Q: Access to the Internet?
E: That should be a right.
For all of the complaining Democrats have done about Bush’s Constitutional disregard I don’t understand how this can be one of their leading candidates. The man’s grasp of Constitutional rights could be generously described as tenuous.
Contrast Edwards with Ron Paul - who has not only actually read the Constitution, but fully understands it and seeks to run the government according to its limits. Here is the Ron Paul YouTube interview:
This is one of Paul’s better interviews because he doesn’t focus on the Iraq War. His position on the war turns off many rank and file Republican voters because they conflate his position on the war with the Democrats position. But I believe that if anyone who truly favors lower taxes and smaller government studies Paul’s platform they will find his beliefs very convincing. None of the other Republican candidates - and certainly none of the Democratic candidates - want to actually reduce the size of the federal government and have a legacy of votes to reinforce their honesty on this matter.
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July 22nd, 2007 at 8:46 pm
Thanks for the comparo. The interesting thing is that I don’t think I’ve really heard any of the other Republican candidates speak strongly to truely lowering taxes and reducing government. Especially since most of them think it was a good idea to layer ANOTHER beaurocracy and call it the Dept of Homeland Security.
I know the Iraq war is a big issue for Republicans, but they better wake up fast. They need to realize that they are walking into the sea with Bush if they continue to “stay the course”. That will be the easiest way to hand the WH to Bill and Hill.