Today on The BradCast, we catch up on a number of stories — amusing, disturbing and otherwise — from late last week, over the weekend, and today, in advance of tomorrow’s big Primary election in Indiana. [Audio link to the show follows below.]
Among the stories covered on today’s program…
- Satan’s minions are offended by the comparison of Lucifer to Ted Cruz;
- Last week’s outbreak of mass shootings around the country surpassed the number killed in similar shootings in all of Europe for the entire year;
- The GOP promises legal push-back against the VA Democratic Governor’s executive order last week allowing some 200,000 former felons the right to register and vote;
- Dumb Democrats gleeful about a Clinton “landslide” if Trump wins the GOP nomination (Talking to you, Rob Reiner!);
- Bernie Sanders believes there will be a “contested” Democratic Presidential nominating convention this summer.
- The U.S. Supreme Court’s (somewhat encouraging?) order late last week on the TX Republicans’ unlawful Photo ID voting law;
- Senate Democrats call for their Republican counterparts to hold hearings on the Voting Rights Act (before millions of more legal voters are disenfranchised this November), as well as on Obama’s nominee to the Supreme Court;
- And finally, a few words on the White House Correspondents Dinner over the weekend, which is, on the whole, a dreadful affair, some excerpts from Obama’s amusing final speech there, and the fisticuffs that broke out afterward.
Also, my great thanks to the awesome Danielle and Shane-O from the Thom Hartmann Program for expertly filling in for Desi and me on Friday! Thanks, guys!
CLICK TO LISTEN OR DOWNLOAD SHOW!…
[audio:http://bradblog.com/audio/BradCast_BradFriedman_Guns_Voting_WHCD_050216.mp3]
(Snail mail support to “Brad Friedman, 7095 Hollywood Blvd., #594 Los Angeles, CA 90028” always welcome too!)
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From the people who brought you Photo ID…
“The GOP promises legal push-back against the VA Democratic Governor’s executive order last week allowing some 200,000 former felons the right to register and vote.”
Just which part of the consent of the governed do they not understand? Perhaps the Father of the Constitution could help them.
“…(W)e may define a republic to be, or at least may bestow that name on, a government which derives all its powers directly or indirectly from the great body of the people, and is administered by persons holding their offices during pleasure, for a limited period, or during good behavior. It is ESSENTIAL to such a government that it be derived from the great body of the society, not from an inconsiderable proportion, or a favored class of it; otherwise a handful of tyrannical nobles, exercising their oppressions by a delegation of their powers, might aspire to the rank of republicans, and claim for their government the honorable title of republic. It is SUFFICIENT for such a government that the persons administering it be appointed, either directly or indirectly, by the people; and that they hold their appointments by either of the tenures just specified; otherwise every government in the United States, as well as every other popular government that has been or can be well organized or well executed, would be degraded from the republican character.” (The Federalist Papers, No. 39; CAPITAL emphasis James Madison’s; italics mine)
The Second Amendment does not stand alone. It cannot be understood without reference to Article I and Article II of the Constitution. Neither of which the NRA ever invokes.
“If a well-regulated militia be the most natural defense of a free country, it ought certainly to be under the regulation and at the disposal of that body which is constituted the guardian of the national security….,” Alexander Hamilton observed in background remarks on the arrangement made by the Federal Convention. (The Federalist Papers, No. 29) Article I, Section 8, Clause 15 gives Congress the power “To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions.” Clause 16 of the same section gives the Legislative Branch power “To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress.” Article II, Section 2, Clause 1 makes the President Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, “and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual service of the United States.” Such are the functions of those parts of that body which is constituted the guardian of the national security.
http://www.marvinjones.blogspot.com/2013/08/much-is-required.html (included as part of the above)
Ah, but self-styled “conservatives” know more about the matter than one of the Framers who played such a crucial role.