"This is the way the establishment
handles grass-roots movements," he added. "They humor people
who are not expert or not fully cognizant. And then once they've humored
them and those people go away, it's right back to business as usual. It
looks like this will be business as usual -- except for the half-hour or
however long it takes to read the Constitution out loud."
A constitutional plan
Reading is a nod to tea party
SUNDAY, JANUARY 2, 2011
House Republicans will start the next Congress with a reading of the
Constitution.
The planned reading on Thursday is part of a package of rule changes
proposed by Speaker-designate John Boehner after he is sworn in and
control of the House shifts to Republicans.
Lawmakers will take turns reading portions of the 4,543-word document
with all 27 amendments, which could take a half-hour or so. In a
bipartisan spirit, Democrats will be welcome to participate.
The gesture will play well with conservatives and tea partiers who
believe the government has strayed from the Constitution. It will likely
be interpreted as a GOP-led return to the principles of the Founding
Fathers.
But others are less convinced about the significance.
Kevin Gutzman, a history professor at Western Connecticut State
University and tea party sympathizer, believes it is "entirely
cosmetic."
"This is the way the establishment handles grass-roots
movements," he added. "They humor people who are not expert or
not fully cognizant. And then once they've humored them and those people
go away, it's right back to business as usual. It looks like this will be
business as usual -- except for the half-hour or however long it takes to
read the Constitution out loud."
Then after the grandstanding, the House can get down to
business.
http://www.watertowndailytimes.com/article/20110102/OPINION01/301029961
--
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.
