the govt according to Sen Schumer..is made up of the In the new Schumer model,House, Senate and President??
the Judicial Branch has apparently been removed. Also disturbing was that CNN host Candy Crowley did not raise an eyebrow at this significant error. One wonders just how much time Chris Matthews will dedicate on Mondays Hardball program to denigrating the Senators lack of understanding of the Constitution and what the Founding Fathers meant when they created the Three Branches of U.S. Government.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fG0Jpu9g … r_embedded
Elected officials flunk U.S. Constitution quiz
Select group clueless on basic questions over Electoral College, who declares war
January 14, 2011
By Drew Zahn
© 2011 WorldNetDaily
In a survey of thousands of Americans, one subset – elected officials – proved particularly clueless on questions about the U.S. Constitution.
In fact, fewer than half could correctly answer such basic questions as "Who can declare war?" and "What are the three branches of government?"
The Intercollegiate Studies Institute reports it conducted the quiz of over 2,500 adults, asking 33 basic civics questions, many taken from nationally recognized instruments like the U.S. Citizenship Exam, including 10 questions related to the U.S. Constitution.
Of the sample size, 164 identified themselves as having been successfully elected to government office – whether federal, state or local positions – but the subset performed even poorer than the national average on questions about the government.
For example, only 15 percent of officials answered correctly that the phrase "wall of separation" appears in Thomas Jefferson's letters – not in the U.S. Constitution – and only 57 percent knew the purpose of the Electoral College.
Twenty percent of the officials, reports Richard Brake in AOL News, thought that the Electoral College was a school for "training those aspiring for higher political office."
"The fact that our elected representatives know even less about America's history and institutions than the typical citizen (who doesn't know much either) is troubling indeed," writes Brake, who is co-chairman of the Intercollegiate Studies Institute's National Civic Literacy Board, "but perhaps helps explain the lack of constitutional discipline often displayed by our political class at every level of our system.
"Given this dismal performance," he continues, "it would seem that last week's House reading of the Constitution shouldn't be described 'presumptuous and self-righteous' [as a New York Times editorial dubbed it], but as a necessary national tutorial for all elected officials."
http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=251081#ixzz1CjEjnN6f
Candy Crowley is a hack now, she avoids the hard questions of her interview subjects at every turn that benefits her employers, her political leanings, nothing but a hack now, quite shameful really.
In the context of what he was saying I think he meant the three branches of the legislative branch -- Congress, Senate and POTUS the "holy trinity" of law-making in the US.
Then again, I could be misinterpreting...
Also incorrect. There are three branches of Government. Legislative, Judicial and Executive. We have a bicameral legislative branch, comprised of TWO parts, the House and the Senate.
Law and the constitution doesn't matter to liberals... their ends justifies their means! I don't think enough of America realizes how down right evil the left is!!
Yes we want to put you all into slavery and make you work for nothing and deprive people of health care and eat all your babies
All true, except the eat babies part, libs just want to be able to kill them.
Erm, who exactly is arguing against the minimum wage and against the health care act?
I don't think it's the left is it?
Unless of course you are playing some silly little game where you claim to believe the opposite of what you really believe.
Im sorry but it gets exhausting explaining things to you, besides you're such an ideologue you only see what you want and manufacture what isn't there to support your arguments.
I'm speechless with laughter! You are telling me that really you are in favour of a minimum wage and the health care bill!
The beauty of the right is they can switch views the very instant Fox News says we were never at war with Eurasia.
I'm not so sure I'd use the word beauty!
It is amusing though to watch them seamlessly change their point of view by 180 degrees and then accuse the other side of inconsistency.
Well, sheep do what the dog wants them to do, right?
It will be interesting to see what the GOP proposes for heallth care and how much of it has previously been torn to shreds as awful liberal ideas by our resident right wingers. Could be a lot of fun.
Its the liberals that are the sheep remember their salvation lies in the collective!
Obama: "My individual salvation depends on our collective salvation"
Talk about the herd mentality!
It is much more fun to eat live babies, isn't it? At least that is what I have heard. Stupid liberals killing their babies first. Where is the fun in that? No thrashing about or screaming, that sounds rather low in entertainment value.
Leftie Kool Aid Drinkers like Schuman are so totally evil.
After all they like to try to pass things like the Smith Bill.
You know the one that would say "rape" using a roofie is not really rape, or even how about assaulting someone mentally handicapped who doesn't fight back.
...Oh wait that wasn't the left. My bad.
Conservatives love to point to the liberals and lay any blame for anything not right in their view. When are people finally going to realize that this side vx side crap is a ruse played on the American citizens? How do we EVER expect anything more than hate talk, finger pointing and the blame game from our officials when that seems all we are capable of as a populace?
Neither liberals nor conservatives are the sole blame to any of our problems. As long as big biz and big gov can keep us bickering over the small stuff they will continue to play us for the fools we almost always have been.
The only fools are those that expect government to solve their problems! The fools are those that push for more force and a greater role of government in our lives. What we need is the exact opposite... not a government that oppresses but one whose only function is to insure our freedom and leave us alone to rely on our own resourcefulness to solve our problems.
Wondering what the last eight post have to do with the OP? Didn't someone rail against "straw men" lately.......
Personally, I don't care about trivial misstatements like this. Where is the harm? What horrible injustice has been wrought?
If it were a statement made by Sarah Palin (and truthfully it sounds like one of hers), the hubpages thread on the gaffe would run for miles....
True enough - but she is well known for her ignorance.
Um, Schumer isn't exactly an intellectual luminary, my friend,.....
I think you said earlier you did not care about trivial mistatements?? Or is that only applicable to liberals?
Palin hasn't made trivial misstatements. She is a dangerous fool.
Of course she is stupid. She doesn't read what I think she should read. Wait she said she doesn't read. So she must be stupid - Michelle Obama, that is, who said she did very little reading in an interview with Barbara Walters.
But if Palin or Bachman said it, you'd be all over them, ridiculing them. Speaking of inconsistency.
No, I don't bother with trivia. Plain IS ignorant. Even most of the GOP understands that,
Of course bc you and the left haves deemed it so... and we all know the left is far superior in intellect... how else could they pass a bill that's unconstitutional? It must be the rest of us lower folk that just don't have the capacity to understand such complicated arrogance ... er... I mean... matters.
Funny. The left generally is superior in intellect, but no great intelligence is necessary to understand the value of health care. All that is necessary is to understand that selfish greed is not helpful at all.
But you take great pride in your selfishness, right? And, with amazing disregard of the incongruity, your Christianity as well.
Tell me, what WOULD Jesus do about universal health care?
God gave us free will bc He wants us to do the right thing on our own! We certainly don't need the government to compell us to be charitable.
Its nice to see you own up to your arrogance.
You deny that highly educated and highly intelligent people tend to be to the left?
I'm not saying that intelligence is of any particular value in solving political problems, just that the demographics do skew that way and that a great wave of ignorance obviously pervades the right on issues like teaching creationism and perhaps a few other places.
Obviously! LOL So if one believes in God they lack intelligence?? That just shows how much you lack in understanding.
Belief in gods decreases with intelligence and education. That's fact, but it doesn't imply that belief itself indicates inferior intelligence.
Religion is based in emotion. Intelligence definitely moves people away from fundamentalism, but it doesn't eliminate religion.
Agreed.... then God gave us free-will and the ability to choose to break the backs of the existing healthcare monopoly in this country. And I define monopoly as bascially 7-8 large healthcare providers who have more than 50% of the private market sewn up tight. You think they collectively meet along with the A.M.A. and decide how deep they are going to stick it in the consumer? No.... heaven forbid - They wouldn't do that! Goes something like this, "Hey what are you guys going to charge for this, what is reasonable and customary? Oh ok, we can raise premiums accordingly - not problem! - provided we make are generous cut" Let's factor out the lobbying money on BOTH sides and see if the people want to continue being beholding to the whims of the A.M.A and their Mafia mesenger boy, the American Healtcare Lobby. But just to keep it fair, let's factor out the multi-hundred million dollar disinformation campaign first...
Its much more complicated than that but a big driver of costs is regulations. Insurance is the most regulated business in the country each state has their refs in addition to fed refs.
Right - it would be really, really dumb to regulate drugs and doctors. You are so right: the left is insane!
Next thing they'll want to keep poison out of food, air and water. What's next, airbags in cars?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20 … 011343.htm
There are hundreds of dead children that would like to thank you for the airbags. I would suppose those mothers whose infants were decapitated by airbags would especially like to thank you.
Of course you'd have that opinion. I would expect nothing less from you.
Fortunately, your opinions aren't common enough to affect our laws very much.
Not really expressing my opinion regarding airbags more my opinion regarding you. The deaths caused by those first generation airbags are merely blood sacrifices on the alter of "good intentions." Those intentions that pave the path to hell and the ones you so readily embrace. The accidents that resulted in the deaths of infants were low velocity collisions and resulted in the decapitation of infants already protected in child safety seats. Way to go. I just love liberals regulating babies to a mutilated death in front of their mothers - awesome! Yet another example of why liberals are so much smarter than everyone else. Please kill one of my children so you can feel better about your self.
That is expressing an opinion - learn to embrace the difference.
You have an interesting notion of "monopoly." You are aware that 47cents of every health care dollar spent in America is from the tax payers.
My notion of monopoly is this: There are relatively few players (health insurance carriers) to choose from in the US - about 7-8 large insurers have most of the market sewn-up. Auto insurance and homeowners insurance is also heavily regulated, but their premiums rise more in step with inflation. And of course there are thousands of private auto/homeowners insurance companies in the US - there aren't thousands of private healthcare insurers. Private healthcare insurance is simply pricing itself out of business. Do you really believe that if it weren't so incredibly expensive and potentially abusive to the consumer, anyone on the Left or any side for that matter would be seeking reform or some other "option?" What do you truly believe will happen to private health insurance when annual premiums reach, as predicted in the next 5-10 years, 20-25% of an average American salary? You can do without a car and possibly live in an apartment, but you can't realistically live without some kind of healthcare insurance. Do you think that is sustainable? Here's what going to eventually happen - all but the very wealthy will be forced into a "public option." The Right often accuses the Left of being naive, but who is really naive? All rhetoric aside - what do you think will happen???
I think we are Greece. The demographic bomb is about to explode that will sink Social Security and Medicare. The ever expanding state will soon owe more than our economy is worth. The Federal Reserve with the tacit permission of a complicit Federal Government will soon destroy the value of the dollar. China will abandon that worthless currency and massive inflation will ensue. People will turn to the state because it has is where people now turn to solve all their troubles and offer up their souls for bread.
Be patient the world you want is not far off.
Wow.. and all THIS because of healthcare reform? Are you a member of the same party Ronald Reagan belonged to? Of course you didn't answer my question - it was simple really - what do you believe will happen if healthcare insurance premiums continue to rise at the current rate? I mean this isn't a loaded question - it's pretty basic. What happens when private insurance ultimately prices itself out of business? Because that's exactly what it's doing - that isn't a subjective observation on my part - it's pretty objective really. I mean when does it reach a truly crucial level in the mind of a conservative, when it reaches 30-40% of annual income for the consumer? Let's say no one has any real solution - at least none that a majority of the country can agree on; but the problem still exists. So do we just ignore it and let private insurance implode in on itself or do you try to save a very profitable sector of private business? You know it might be, and give me the benefit of the doubt here, that reform is not an effort to put an industry out of business but maybe it's an attempt to keep it from going under.
In the 70's Richard Nixon, a conservative by name but actually very much of a liberal in action, put a national wage freeze into effect to help quell inflation. That's the truth. But the questions is, did a Republican president do this in order to try to subvert capitalism? No..I think he did it in order to prevent a bigger problem - run-away inflation. And ironically, perhaps due to the civility of the time, no one accused him of being "anti-American," a "socialists, " a "communist," etc. But then again, that was in the days before Ronald Reagan and the great drain of wealth from the middle class to the upper...
That certainly was not your question.
"All rhetoric aside - what do you think will happen???" Was your question and I told you exactly what I think will happen.
Surely you mean the last nine posts unless you think Lady Love should be allowed to make provocative statements unchallenged?
Note I did count her response to you. I didn't count the one that was a direct response to my assertions regarding the branches of our government. Her statement there, while provocative was offering an explanation as to why people could be so easily confused about our governments structure. Our governments structure is germane to the OP.
Perhaps Speaker Boehner can rally the incoming freshman class of Tea Partiers. These elected officials have an important role to fill. They can give tutorials on the fine points of the Constitution to those who have been focusing for years on writing and enacting laws and in the process have forgotten their 11th grade civics lessons.
Possibly, however many will succumb to the coruption in DC. This will be the first test. Are Tea Party members willing to do the work? Will they be a watchdog for their elected officials? The second test of the Tea Party will be in how they behave if the economy improves prior to the next election. Harry Reid has even stated that when the economy improves the Tea Party Movement is over. Lets see how concerned they are about the Constitution when they are fat dumb and happy.....
Hey kids, I have an idea!
While I must agree with UCV that eating live babies indeed the BEST entertainment of all, how about we play a different game today?
Let's see how well each side has been listening to the other. Let's see if we can try to verbalize the points the other side has been making (practicing our active listening skills, as it were). And let's see if we can actually laugh at ourselves.
Personally, I predict this idea will last exactly one post. But I'm willing to give it a shot (word selection not intended as either pro or anti-gun, btw).
Ok, I'll start:
We (liberals) are so dumb that we....
Elected a Muslim terrorist who wasn't even born in the US to be our POTUS!
Anyone care to join in? Or am I talking to myself (again ?)
And I must want to legislate atheism and ban all religions. After that, we'll nationalize all businesses, seize all private property and put Lady Love and Jim in forced labor camps.
Oh yes abortion is funny! Did you read what that abortion dr that was arrested did? Be aborted a viable fetus and watched it squirm on a stainless table for 20 minutes before plunging a scissor in the back of its neck and severing the spine... and you call the right wingnuts?
Where does it state that he was a left winger?
Oh sorry, he must be right wing nutters don't perform abortions do they, like they never go to war or shoot people either.
In the States one of the primary dividing lines between liberals and conservatives is abortion. Though not universally so, support for abortion among liberals and opposition among conservatives is a rather reliable predictor of reaction and opinion.
Hypothetically speaking then, there are no right wing doctors who place money before principles then?
People, regardless of espoused principles, occasionally compromise themselves when they run low on things like integrity or character.
to continue MMom
Commie Liberals......
kill and eat babies or I guess like LL says watch them die on a table for fun - so I guess we are sociopaths
get all the scientist on their side to deceive the masses regarding pollution and climate change so they can steal everyone's money and rule the world
Want to take over the US and the world and with communist socialist policies that include: evolution, health care for all, and social justice
Want to protect the very animals that we have a god given right to kill to extinction.
Social justice is a code for communism. There's nothing wrong with believing that is a better way to be governed execpt when you want to impose that on the rest of us.
Global warming has been shown to be a farce. In any case trading carbon credits wouldn't be a remedy and would hurt the poor and middle class... you know those people the left claims they want to help. I don't know anyone that is for the extinction of any other species except maybe Bill Gates who is starving mosquitos by providing African children with nets.
So, you're for social injustice, yup, thought so.
Global warming hasn't been shown to be a farce, just some opponents have been shown to be farcical. The jury is still out on the matter.
Agreed carbon credits is a cop out, probably by those wanting to keep their gas guzzlers.
Is there a difference between wanting to see a species extinct and not giving a sh1t if a species is driven to extinction or not?
No im not in favor of social justice where did I say that?
You are so right lady love. In fact I think liberals should be referred to as Castro's Manchurian Army. You know about Castro right? He was a communist and his actions are so so much like what the Liberals want, not anything like want the Conservatives want. So communism must really be social justice right?
I mean Castro cared about people. Like the moderates and teachers he locked up, you know to torture for their own protection- Just exactly want the liberals want.
Next they will want everyone to be nice too. Urgh.
No No we cannot let that happen!
(insert evil laugh here)
UCV is actually the one who brought up the idea of killing live babies. It was obvious to me he was being facetious.
For a brief and shining moment there was some LEVITY here.
... ladies and gentlemen ... we interrupt our regularly scheduled partisan sniping to bring you an opportunity to step back and see how silly this all is... what's that? you don't understand the concept? God told you not to listen to liberals? Oh, you have a stick up your bum and your hands over your ears...
Really a nice antipasto of thinly sliced baby with prosciutto and honey dew melon on white toast drizzled with basil balsamic and olive oil is the perfect complement to brazed rich fat cat in white man's liver bechamel.
Baby with melon and prosciutto, definitely something to consider.
I would not recommend the liberal tartar. It tends to be bitter, predictable and it repeats leaving you with a foul wind or a sour mouth.
Oh yes and some Fava beans and a nice Chianti.
Ain't THAT the truth!
Maintaining integrity is hard work, especially when the exchange is power, money, fame, or all three .
That was funny!
Just out of curiosity, what do you think Michelle Obama should be reading that she is not?
Answer wasn't really about Michelle Obama more to do with the opinions held about Sarah Palin.
Of course she is stupid. She doesn't read what I think she should read. Wait she said she doesn't read. So she must be stupid - Sarah Palin, that is, who said she did very little reading in an interview with Katy Couric.
Of course she is stupid. She doesn't read what I think she should read. Wait she said she doesn't read. So she must be stupid - Michelle Obama, that is, who said she did very little reading in an interview with Barbara Walters.
But one is smart and the other dumb?
Well we all know Katie Couric was gunning for Palin.
She's like that, you know.
And Palin said she DOES read -- although she couldn't name a single newspaper or magazine that she reads on a regular basis.
Michelle Obama probably did more than enough reading while getting her undergraduate degree at Princeton and her law degree at Harvard. She's made it pretty clear for many years her priority is raising her kids. She's not running for office. Palin was.
Do we have a different standard for First Lady than we have for Vice President? I would have to say yes.
Although I dare say some of our First Ladies have been smarter and more qualified for office than some of our Veeps...
What is more than enough reading? I have been reading since I was six, am I done yet? I have been reading to my sons since before they were born. I still read to my 23 year old, just read what ever funny thing Mark Steyn has written lately. I still read to my 20 year old, just read what ever amazing historical sports fact I discover. Is till read to my 16 year old, just read whatever silly thing is written by some liberal on Hubpages.
I usually read 3 or 4 books simultaneously. So when am I finished. I am pretty sure I have read enough - for a know it all food diva.
"Although I dare say some of our First Ladies have been smarter and more qualified for office than some of our Veeps..."
That's because it takes a strong person to be married to a person with a HUGE ego. Most Presidents have HUGE egos. These women have spent a lifetime managing their husband's lives and keeping them grounded and focused. This is often under valued....
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