Senator Chuck Schumer today expressed a desire to target specifically the recipients of the AIG bailout with a targeted tax rate of 100% on their bonuses. This is clearly unconstitutional and Schumer is well aware of the illegality of his proposal. Article I, Section 9, paragraph 3 of the constitution provides that: "No Bill of Attainder or ex post facto Law will be passed."
For those who may be unclear on exactly what this means we can refer to the Federalists papers and James Madison. He wrote the following, "Bills of attainder, ex post facto laws, and laws impairing the obligations of contracts, are contrary to the first principles of the social compact, and to every principle of sound legislation."
The bonuses of course were in poor taste, but the government owns 80% (and thus complete control) of AIG, and chose correctly to honor the original contracts. President Obama himself has argued that their is nothing legal that can be done.
But Schumer proposes to suspend our constitution and pass this one illegal act. The question one must ask is which of your rights may Senator Schumer decide to suspend next? There can be no doubt that this is a deliberate and traitorous attack, and that Schumer should be immediately impeached and removed from the Senate. While liberals and Democrats may argue this point, those who value civil liberties as a high priority must be moved to action by this attack.
The economy is in a tough spot, and the public is right to be outraged. But the outrage should be at those who voted to bail these businesses out in the first place. Had they gone bankrupt, the contracts would have been voided legally. To suspend the constitution to rectify a wrong that senators like Schumer and Dodd voted for in the first place, is not only stupid, it is dangerous.
In these divisive times, perhaps here is a principal that we as Democrats, Republicans and independents can rally around. If we give up the constitution, all is lost. I urge everyone to write his or her Senator and demand removal of Charles Schumer from the senate as the first order of business.
Though we are divided on many issues, we must stand together in support of the Constitution and against those like Mr. Schumer who wish to tear up one of history's greatest documents to score political points. He can go no lower, and for this we cannot stand.
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http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE52G4ZV20090317
An attempted suspention of the constitution is beyond any realm of reasonable actions Arjay. Once suspended it would be shredded to allow the reinstitution of the document.I realize that you believe that socialism is the way to go, but not like that. The suspention of our constitution is a slap in the face for every veteran who has fought for and served. When you win a fight by deception and lies you never really win. If socialism is the destiny of this country let it be by a vote. NOT by a lousy fucking trick.
Think what you wish about others, but I have been very firm in my opposition to unconstitutional encroachments to the point of making myself an object of ridicule by all for daring to call attention to the violations made even by 'great' Presidents. I stand by my comments on this and on every other issue.
We can all pick out our pet examples of violations of the Constitution. I find it funny how so many are jumping Schumer's shit who said nothing when Republicans were taking cracks at the Constitution like a pinata. It's a little weak to say it now, Mike. Especially when you have Hawk and Friday, among the least apologetic partisan hacks here, jumping a Democrat. I agree with the spirit that the federal government is bound to the Constitution, and because precedents weren't set decades ago concerning punishment for its abuse, it's now seen as a plaything. What I seriously question is general rightwing sincerity. Just call it what it is, it's a partisan hackjob, Republicans finding a reason to stomp a Democrat, when there have been plenty of abuses for Republicans to own up to. When I see a little even-handedness, I'll buy that it's all about the Constitution. Until then, I think it's all just nasty jealousy from Republicans who can't stand losing in 2008.
AIG should have been allowed to have failed.
Arjay, I am not seeking his arrest. I just think any Senator who thinks suspending the Constitution to get what he wants is unfit to sit in that body. What about all the ex post facto environmental laws that are forcing companies to clean-up waste that wasn't illegal to dump when it was dumped? What about Kosovo, Bosnia, Haiti or all the way back to Jefferson's undeclared war on the Barbary pirates? I'm not condoning any of the wrong acts and I have spoken against them. Two wrongs don't make a right and neither do a thousand. If Schumer thinks the Constitution should be suspended so that he can get punish people he dislikes, then he is unfit to sit in the Senate. It is one thing to violate the Constitution, which although utterly despicable can be corrected by the courts. It is another thing to advocate and/or attempt to suspend the Constitution entirely as then there is no appeal, no rights at all. That is far, far worse than the usually crookedness (and believe me that takes a lot to top).
I agree. Let's also arrest George W. Bush for treason for calling the Constitution "just a god damn piece of paper". Let's gather every Republican who was woken in the middle of the night, flew to Washington, in order to pass an ex post facto law to try to save Terry Schiavo's life, and put them in front of the firing squad. Let's also grab every supporter left of the War in Iraq and read to them a hundred times a day where it says in the Constitution only COngress can declare war. I think the rightwing blind enthusiasm to roast a Democrat is bleeding through whatever facade of fairness they ever put up, if ever they put one up. The honesty of the U4Prez right is severely lacking these days, and even those I've respected in the past, I'm starting to reconsider.
Schumer should indeed be expelled from the Senate for seeking tyrannical powers.
if we are going to start txing people at 100% for being crooks then the entire congress, senate and the administration should be taxed at 100%. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. ( I worked in a bird reference)
I think the AIG bonus babies should be taxed 150%!
a modern day Huey Long
The problem isn't that I'm a socialist. The problem is that you are not.
The problem here is that you are a socialist and you think all businesses should be owned by the government. It doesn't have to do with whether they are failing or not.
If we would've let them fail, lots more jobs would've been lost. We should've saved the company, got rid of all the bonuses and fired the execs. Plain and simple. AIG should be owned by the government, and in turn the tax payers now. I do expect them to run like a government agency and get their shit together. SOme government agencies suck, but holy hell.
Instead of firing them, we funded them. What do you expect them to do? They are no different than our failed congress who happily takes their raises every year as our government sinks trillions of dollars deeper into debt every time Obama gets out his pen.
Well maybe we should have let the company go into the ground instead of bailing them out. Once we bail them out we can't expect them to start acting like a government agency instead of a business.
ummm....I didn't run my company into the fucking ground.
And what is so special about you that you should get your paycheck but they shouldn't get theirs?
Hopefully they get 100% taxes from those bonuses.
If I was NY, I would be pretty upset at Schumer. How much in taxes would they have gotten off of these bonuses? Instead Schumer wants to give it all to Obama. I wonder if NY voters are any smarter than western PA voters.
Friday, the reason you lack credibility is because you don't know anything about anything, and you have an "I" next to your name even though you are by the far the most partisan Republican on u4prez, except for maybe Kempite.
And that is why you lack any credibility.
As I said, "I don't care how they get the bonus money from AIG as long as they get it."
Imagine, you could get a group of masked men together, execute the AIG execs and take their bonuses by force. You wouldn't even have to call it a theft/homicide, you could just call it a revolution.
I don't care how they get that bonus money from AIG as long as they get it.
If we didn't want AIG spending bailout money on bonuses, we shouldn't have given them bailout money. But that's just my personal opinion.
Suspend it, and we will never get it back.
Be pissed off at the bonus money, get mad at AIG, stand on top of the mountain and scream bloody murder but be sure you know who you are mad at. remember, Dodd protected these bonus's with language he inserted into the bailout bill. Suspend the constitution? this can not be allowed!!!! I know the left hates the Constitution but it must be protected and defended!.... Great blog!
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