Again the Press's story line is Palin will goof up and all ignore Biden's major gaps in ignorance on Foriegn Affairs and Constitutional law... Note Section 1 deals with the legislative Branch
http://minx.cc/?post=274758 >>> Biden is just plain wrong about this. First of all, Article I defines the >>> legislative branch, including its composition and the scope of its powers >>> and the powers and privileges of its members. Article I, sec. 3, clause 4 >>> is the first time the Vice President is mentioned in the Constitution. It >>> gives the Vice President an important role to play: The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided. The Constitution goes on to direct the Senate to chose a President pro tempore to preside over the Senate in the VP's absence. Though it is not explicitly stated, the VP is also the President of the Senate during all trials of impeachments other than trials of the President. In other words, when Biden says that the VP has "no authority relative to the Congress" the truth is actually that the VP has a special authority, reserved to no other unless the VP chooses to let another wield it. Article II does not extend to the VP any executive powers. Sections 2 and 3 specifically grant duties and powers to the President; the VP goes unmentioned. In fact, Article II provides for compensation for the President, but doesn't direct the VP to receive anything! So Joe Biden is talking out his ass when he says "Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the Vice President of the United States. That's the executive. He works in the executive branch." Article I doesn't define the VP's executive roles. In fact, neither does Article II, because the VP has no role to play within the executive branch except to take over in case of death or incapacitation of the President. Now, this wouldn't ordinarily be all that big of a deal, but Joe Biden is supposed to be Mr. Big Constitutional Lawyer who is going to cure all the excesses of Darth Cheney. But it doesn't seem like he's got much of a grasp of the Constitution at all. Nowhere in the Constitution does it give the Vice President the "primary role ... to support the President of the United States of America." Under the Constitution, the VP only has two things to do: break ties in the Senate and wait for the President to die. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
