Home > Perspective Boxer Tries to Rope-A-Dope the Constitution by Conservativity Staff, Originally Posted: 3/23/2005 11:20:38 AM
Muhammad Ali is arguably the greatest boxer ever. Why? Was it because he was a hulking behemoth who could take a knockout punch, smile, and then whack his opponent to Valhalla with no effort? Nope. It was because he was fast, agile, and could dance away from his often-stronger opponents’ blows. His styple was called the Rope-A-Dope. Ali summed up his mannerisms quite eloquently: "Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee..." No boxer has ever been able to match Ali’s dominance of the sport, not even the feared Mike Tyson, who in my opinion would tire from the rope-a-dope and fall to Ali in eight rounds were the two to meet in their respective prime years. Now, however, we have a Senator trying Ali’s tactic on the United States Constitution.
"Senator Boxer is suggesting that this ought to be enforced without any change to the Constitution!"
Barbara Boxer said on Monday: "Why would we give lifetime appointments to people who earn up to $200,000 a year, with absolutely a great retirement system and all the things all Americans wish for, with absolutely no check and balance except that one confirmation vote? So we’re saying we think you ought to get nine votes over the 51 required. That isn’t too much to ask. For such a super-important position, there ought to be a super vote, don’t you think so? (Applause.) It’s the only check and balance on these people. They’re in for life. They don’t stand for election like we do, which is scary." Senator Boxer is suggesting that this ought to be enforced without any change to the Constitution! This is a truly scary thing. What is even scarier is the fact that, were the tables turned, and the socialist leftists the ones in power trying to get their judicial nominees past a GOP Filibuster, they would be saying exactly what the GOP is: The Constitution does not provide for a three-fifths majority to confirm the president’s nomination of a United States judge.
I personally have trouble with the notion of a supreme judiciary, and I even agree with Senator Boxer that there is an insufficient check on the judiciary. However, I have written that the judiciary needs to be reigned in, not by a tougher confirmation vote process, but by a Congressional supermajority override of Supreme Court cases. Unlike Senator Boxer, however, I did not propose trouncing our Constitution with Senate "traditions," which by the way have been often changed; I proposed an amendment to the Constitution.
If Senator Boxer is not happy with the fact that a simple majority of the Senate is all that is needed to confirm a Federal Judge, then she should get up, write a Constitutional Amendment bill, and present it to the Congress for submission to the states. The Constitution provides an explicit process for changing its terms. The Democrats, knowing that they are on the wrong side of the issue, and not supported by the people, will not send up an amendment. Even if the GOP were to vote to send it to the States, the amendment would be soundly trounced.
So, the leftists who have used the judiciary to cram their awful doctrines down the throats of the people, are now terrified. Moveon.org is running a propaganda ad blaming Dick Cheney for the Nuclear Option! (Source: The one and only Rush Limbaugh). Aside from the fact that this is a complete lie fabricated from whole cloth, it’s symbolic of the desperation of the leftists, who hate the people, who hate their rights, who hate anyone who does not agree 100% with them. They still think that you do not know how to live your own life and need judges to tell you how to do so. They think that you do not deserve to control your own investments; they think you need to be dependent on the government.
These fearful types now resort to unconstitutional rope-a-dope arguments in order to allow their shrinking minority to put their boot on the people’s neck. However, the people are coming around.
I simply hope that the Senate does not lose its resolve and nukes this unconstitutional garbage with the nuclear option.
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