CNS
“Well, that’s under certainly the laws of the–protect the health, welfare of the country,” said Burris. “That’s under the Constitution. We’re not even dealing with any constitutionality here. Should we move in that direction? What does the Constitution say? To provide for the health, welfare and the defense of the country.”
James O’Connor, Burris’s communications director, later told CNSNews.com that although the word “health” does not appear anywhere in the Constitution, the senator was referring to the Preamble of the Constitution…
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Is it so much to ask that legislators take a constitutional law class before being sworn in? They take an oath to something they know nothing about, and don’t care to know anything about.
Meric1837 on November 5, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Doesn’t say that in the preamble either, though there is something in the Constitution somewhere which says Minnesota motorcycle riders should be provided new Harley’s every year on the taxpayer dime.
Bishop on November 5, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Yes. “To provide for the health, welfare and defense of the country and to make Obama the boy-king, President for Life.”
It’s in there!
LibTired on November 5, 2009 at 9:19 AM
Our brilliant Leaders are at it again telling us what we know to be false as though it is gospel to justify their unconstitutional acts.
ThackerAgency on November 5, 2009 at 9:20 AM
You read that too?
MarkBoabaca on November 5, 2009 at 9:21 AM
Oh dear God…
The good thing is, this disregard for the Constitution is becoming so blatantly ignorant that the present reform will never stand and be taken down piece by piece.
katy on November 5, 2009 at 9:21 AM
This is an example that if it comes to Kirk in Novemeber, I will vote for him.
WashJeff on November 5, 2009 at 9:28 AM
But the Founding Fathers were thinking it when they wrote the Constitution. Right, Maureen Dowd?
SouthernGent on November 5, 2009 at 9:28 AM
Are are sure it is not free golf carts?
WashJeff on November 5, 2009 at 9:30 AM
The left is full of hypocrites… if the general welfare clause in the preamble allows for virtually anything (Such as government run health care) then shouldn’t it also allow for warrantless wire taps, guantanamo bay, and all the other crap the lefties hate?
BPD on November 5, 2009 at 9:30 AM
A living, breathing, excreting document…
abobo on November 5, 2009 at 9:31 AM
He isn’t trying to sway those who know what is in the constitution. He is playing to his constituents.
If the people of Illinois aren’t smart enough to figure out what their representatives are, we get what they deserve.
cozmo on November 5, 2009 at 9:31 AM
Michele Bachmann is going to be on Laura Ingraham now.
OmahaConservative on November 5, 2009 at 9:32 AM
Burris don’t care bout no stinkin constitushun. he just wants the perks of the job.
Mark Boabaca on November 5, 2009 at 9:35 AM
Ideological intoxication. Is there a field test for this? Can someone pull these hipsters over and make them blow a level? I have a feeling that too many people in charge of writing and interpreting legislation are waaay too buzzed up on it. Many need an intervention as they will never admit it to themselves.
Itchee Dryback on November 5, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Oh dear. Is Roland Burris literate?
If he can read words, I doubt he has any real comprehension.
Burris is only qualified to parrot talking points.
marybel on November 5, 2009 at 9:36 AM
So we’re sighting the pre-amble to the Constitution now as the basis for legal law?
It’s a generalized statement – meant as an introduction to the document itself.
Okay I’ll play – Socialist Medicine has nothing to do with “promoting the general welfare”.
HondaV65 on November 5, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Oh, that’s what he meant.
ElectricPhase on November 5, 2009 at 9:37 AM
The preamble answer is even worse. His initial answer was the ignorance of the moment, however he then comes back with the preamble, which gives no power to the government. So after he has a while to think about it, he still gives a piss-poor answer.
God save us from these people.
Verbal Abuse on November 5, 2009 at 9:37 AM
Well, if the Constitution can be read that liberally … my reading of it says the people can round up the communist progressives and ship them off to Somalia. It’s right there in the Constitution.
Prepare the ships!!!
darwin on November 5, 2009 at 9:37 AM
Can someone tell me why this unelected corrupt hack is a senator? Most ethical congress ever!
Shtetl G on November 5, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Hey Burris you dork … if that’s what the founders meant then why didn’t they institute universal communist death care back then?
darwin on November 5, 2009 at 9:40 AM
Because he was selected by a corrupt hack to fill another corrupt hack’s seat.
darwin on November 5, 2009 at 9:41 AM
Blago’s revenge on a corrup Illinois Democratic Party which cut him off after he commmitted the unnpardonable sin of getting caught being corrupt.
Wethal on November 5, 2009 at 9:42 AM
Burris = Imbecile
PappaMac on November 5, 2009 at 9:43 AM
It is a travesty of the highest order that this idiot is in power.
WisCon on November 5, 2009 at 9:44 AM
Burris then cited the “Preamble” episode of Schoolhouse Rock, as well as the one on multiplying eleven.
Terry_Dyne on November 5, 2009 at 9:45 AM
I think if the Founding Fathers had figured on the emergence of todays traitorous liberal communists then The Constitution would have been worded a lot more strongly and there would have been a provision in there to allow the beating, torture and imprisonment of anyone who so much as dared to hint at the unmitigated horsesh*t spewed by asshats like Burris.
Sharke on November 5, 2009 at 9:45 AM
And people had the nerve to complain the Mr. Hoffman was polished enough. There are some very scary folks in D.C..
Cindy Munford on November 5, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Good for Orrin Hatch, but why aren’t all Republicans shouting this from the rooftops. Maybe it’s because they know that too many people believe the constitution is outdated since it was written by a bunch of “dead white guys”. *sigh*
CityFish on November 5, 2009 at 9:45 AM
Racist!!!
How dare you call a black man an imbecile for talking like an imbecile!
darwin on November 5, 2009 at 9:46 AM
Which is why we have had Universal Gubmint Health Care for 233 years, NOT! I would like to make the argument to the ignorant ass that if that is what the Constitution intended, they would have started this 233 years ago, when they knew what it meant
Full Frontal Lobotomy must be required for being a Dem.
rgranger on November 5, 2009 at 9:47 AM
Words have meaning – depending upon who’s doing the reading.
OldEnglish on November 5, 2009 at 9:49 AM
Burris’s communications director, later told CNSNews.com that although the words “Unicorn” and “Double Quarter-Pounder” do not appear anywhere in the Constitution, he’s sure that someone in the room must have said those words while they were writing it.
Lehosh on November 5, 2009 at 9:50 AM
That has to be the worst job in the world!
ElectricPhase on November 5, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Just to be clear, Burris said something stupid at a moment of confusion and pressure. And then his spokesman followed up, after much thought and analysis, with an equally stupid remark.
Thank the Lord the adults are in charge now, huh?
amerpundit on November 5, 2009 at 9:55 AM
You know, Kucinich made a big deal about carrying around his pocket Constitution. I wonder how he’s voting?
Kafir on November 5, 2009 at 9:58 AM
Heh! Actually I thought it required everyone to be given a brand new $35,000 banjo on thier 18th birthday, or something like it – it’s in there, along with whatever else you want, all on Roland Burris’ dime. Yeah, I really saw that. Please.
jdawg on November 5, 2009 at 9:59 AM
If the idiots in Washington want to play word games when the interpret the Constitution to justify their crap, then lets turn the table on them. If they are going to focus on the General Welfare idea, then lets hit them with promote. It does NOT say provide like it does for defense, it says promote. Which means 0bama can tell us eating our vegetables are good for us, but can not force us to eat them.
Wolftech on November 5, 2009 at 10:00 AM
The Constitution and the Bill of Rights are the real enemies of the communist progressives.
They have to ignore it, change it, or use force to accomplish their goals.
darwin on November 5, 2009 at 10:00 AM
You know, he’s so entertaining he’s almost worth keeping around.
Mr. Bingley on November 5, 2009 at 10:03 AM
Can the Howard University School of Law retroactively retract Sen Burris’ law degree? He and the President are bretheren in the Illinois State Bar.
clorensen on November 5, 2009 at 10:03 AM
I think it also says in the Constitution that everyone gets a Peace Prize. Google it!
The Monster on November 5, 2009 at 10:07 AM
That’s not the constitution I knew.
txag92 on November 5, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Agreed.
The key word is Promote, not provide.
ZenDraken on November 5, 2009 at 10:15 AM
Good to see that Burris is following in his predecessor’s footsteps. There’s a Constitutional Law Professorship in his future.
negentropy on November 5, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Can’t expect much from a TV droid.
Terry_Dyne on November 5, 2009 at 10:18 AM
It’s just this kind of contempt for the Constitution and rule of law, that makes me feel secession of the red states is inevitable.
Rebar on November 5, 2009 at 10:26 AM
C’mon ya got to link to it! Schoolhouse Rock Preamble! Not a single mmmm mmmm mmmm in it.
Maybe he will go watch some of the others: “I’m just a bill” or “no more Kings” or “Where the money goes” while he’s at it… nah he will probably just see the title “Zero, my hero” & think it’s about Obama.
batterup on November 5, 2009 at 10:32 AM
Doesn’t say much for Fairfield’s poli sci department, does it?
notropis on November 5, 2009 at 10:48 AM
I would love to be on the Capital steps at High Noon today for the House Call on Congress. Since I couldn’t travel, I mailed 40 Democrat Senators pocket Constitutions, each with a post it note marked with pithy comment like, “Got Freedom?” and “Hey! These guys were pretty smart!” I made some personal. John Kerry is getting one that says, “Not Toilet Paper!” I sent Burris one that says, “Not Fundamentally Flawed!” That should be perfect now that I read that he cites the preamble itself as a mandate. Good grief! That shows exactly that he has fundamental flaws in his reading comprehension! Is there no one on their side to explain this kind of stuff to these people?
Elektra on November 5, 2009 at 10:55 AM
So … Burris has problems speaking English, to start. That’s great. Just great.
This was the attorney general of Illinois? The friggin’ ATTORNEY GENERAL? This is beyond insanity.
progressoverpeace on November 5, 2009 at 11:02 AM
Doesn’t the Constitution also have a clause in there about the tree of tyranny needing to be watered regularly with the blood of tyrants?
(Hey, if our would-be overlords want to claim that the federal government can do absolutely anything it wants, and that we peons have to shut up, bend over, and take it without complaint, because the Constitution has this “interstate commerce clause” thingie, then WE can just make s__t up too.)
Aitch748 on November 5, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Does this Constitution cover all 57 states?
modnar on November 5, 2009 at 11:23 AM
I have to click over to something else. My blood pressure just shot up.
marklmail on November 5, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Didn’t Burris swear an oath to defend the Constitution?
This then is treason.
pseudonominus on November 5, 2009 at 11:32 AM
I heard it this morning. I love them both, on the inside and outside. Bachmann rocks.
Back on topic:
Roland Burris = incompetent, incoherent fool.
UltimateBob on November 5, 2009 at 11:38 AM
I know you’re being facetious, but the saying goes, “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”
Thomas Jefferson said it. I don’t believe it appears anywhere in the Constitution.
UltimateBob on November 5, 2009 at 11:43 AM
I see you folks are on the same page as me, I have had the Schoolhouse Rock song in my head the entire time I have been reading the article and comments.
HawaiiLwyr on November 5, 2009 at 11:45 AM
Obama = genie…gets out of bottle = chocolate bunny, with lots of sheen, which melts in less than a year = turd
Burris = turd
Schadenfreude on November 5, 2009 at 11:56 AM
Listen to the rap video Breitbart found, where the school kids idolize the Pretender…and you know what state/stage our country is in – the laughing stock of the world.
Michelle O. is glory/camera hungry and lacks any kind of class, not to speak the kind of former first ladies. The Obamas are everywhere – therefore they have degraded themselves to Nothing.
The populace is just waiting for the next election, in dismay at what they’ve wrought, because the liberals of the world needed a ‘friend’.
Schadenfreude on November 5, 2009 at 12:00 PM
If the Preamble was all that is needed, why does the Constitution even have articles? The existence of Articles would seem to imply that they are what is important, not the Premable.
Looking at the words, the Preamble refers to the People ordaining and establishing this Constitution. That’s it. People. Ordain. Establish. Nothing else. It is not an executory clause but an explanatory one, and it’s work is finished with the ordaining and establishing–which was been done long ago. It is thus a dead clause.
It is an explication of what is to follow–the Constitution which has been so ordained and established. It is not the amble, it is the “pre”–before one takes a leisurely stroll through this Constitution, here is why is why the People established it–and oh by the way, it is established. It is executory in that sense only–the Constitution is established. Nothing else. It is not the executive summary, but the reasons before a candid world why it was done.
But, once again, the Preamble is not the Constitution. It is the transmittal letter, the cover sheet. The Constitution begins with Article 1. The proof of this is once again in that last sentence–”do ordain and establish this Constitution of the United States of America.” That is what the subject of the paragraph that is the Preamble is–not a description of the powers of the Constitution, but a notice that this Constitution has been established, and, if one cares, a description of the motivations of the people in so doing. It is not not not a summary of the new Federal Government’s powers.
Now, if folks of Mr. Burris’ ilk are ready to go for originalism in their defense of their interpretation, more power to them–but it will need to be a consistent viewpoint, applied throughout the document. I doubt they are ready for this.
I am afraid this time the Federal government will, will, will have to start learning it has limits. I thus leave with a quote by Shaw which I think best describes those of Mr. Burris’ acumen:
“you chaff and sneer and taunt them…And all the time you laucgh! laugh! laugh! Eternal derision, eternal envy, eternal folly, eternal fouling and staining and degrading, until, when you come at last to a country where men take a question seriously and give a serious answer to it, you deride them for having no sense of humor, and plume yourself on your own worthlessness as if it made you better than them.”
This is how revolutions are made.
Horatius on November 5, 2009 at 12:14 PM