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July 31, 2007

Constitution Controversy

Our country’s leaders seem to be overlooking important amendments

Story by: Barbara Gelinas

The Shorthorn Staff

Click to enlarge

The Shorthorn: Isaac Erickson

It’s our fault, really. Americans require that the president and his administration swear to uphold the Constitution, but we don’t require that they read it.

It’s clear that no one in the Bush administration has read the Constitution. That’s the only rational explanation for their policies.

It explains why Attorney General Alberto Gonzales endorsed the warrantless wiretapping program in 2005. Warrants are covered in the Fourth Amendment, and the amendments are at the very bottom of the Constitution. Maybe he’s only had time to skim the Constitution. Or maybe he’s read Article One, and plans to finish the rest later. I don’t blame him. He’s a busy man. When he finally reads the part about “probable cause” I bet he’ll feel really silly.

We shouldn’t be surprised that he supported torturing and holding prisoners without trial at Guantanamo Bay. The right to a trial and the law against cruel and unusual punishment are in the Sixth and Eighth Amendments. He’ll get to those eventually.

I don’t think Vice President Dick Cheney has read the Constitution either.

When the National Archives requested information about his office’s classified documents, Cheney said the vice president is not “within the executive branch.” He forgot to read the first sentence in Article Two, stating that he is part of the executive branch.

Cheney’s suggestion that the office of the vice president is unique is a little confusing mainly because he has claimed “executive privilege” to other agencies who wanted to see documents from his office.

Cheney solved that paradox when he said, “The vice presidency is a unique office that is neither a part of the executive branch nor a part of the legislative branch, but is attached by the Constitution to the latter.”

Umm, what?

No one who has read the Constitution could actually believe that.

I’m sure the administration is only making these claims because they don’t know any better. If they did, they would be recklessly disregarding the foundation of our government.

I’m certain they would never do that – it must be really hard to find a copy of the Constitution in Washington D.C.

Maybe Cheney had it classified.

— Barbara Gelinas is a journalism senior and a staff writer for The Shorthorn