Constitutional Convention

Government has become very corrupt, with our politicians owing their souls (and their reelection hopes) to monied special interests.  Even SCOTUS seems to now be affected as the Court decision in Citizens United v. F.E.C.—which permits unlimited independent corporate campaign expenditures illustrates.

The framers left open a path to amendment that doesn’t require the approval of Congress: a convention. Article V of the Constitution requires Congress to call a convention to propose amendments if 34 state legislatures demand it. Any proposed amendment would then have to be ratified by both houses of 38 state legislatures (three-fourths of the states). This entails 76 separate votes in the affirmative by two houses of 38 state legislatures. (Nebraska, with its unicameral legislature, would be an exception.)

Is this where we’re headed?  Odds are against it, but it is certainly possible.

Even if 34 states don’t call for a convention, history teaches that a real threat is often enough to get Congress to act. The only amendment in our history that changed the structure of Congress (the 17th, making the Senate an elected body) was proposed by Congress because the states were close (just one state short) to calling for a convention.

Read more here.

Reconciliation only for GOP

Thanks to the 2006 and 2008 elections, conservatives no longer control the American government. They do, however, continue to essentially control the American media. As a case in point, you’ve probably heard that part of the Obama administration’s plan to pass health reform is to use the budget reconciliation process. The reason you’ve probably heard is that the press has been obsessed with the topic, repeatedly labeling it a “controversial” move that would “ram” legislation via an end-run around the normal legislative process.”

In fact, though most bills do not go through the reconciliation process—typically because their subject matter makes them ineligible—the process has been invoked frequently since 1980. And the reason it’s remained obscure until 2010 is that until the health-care debate, the press never saw fit to go into conniptions over congressional procedure.

Some of the mainstream media coverage of the reconciliation issue has been bad. Some of it, like this excellent NPR story, has been good.

Continue reading here.

Being Gay “Was a Positive Factor”

Pundits are claiming that not only did Annise Parker’s openly gay status not adversely affect her election bid, it may have been “a positive factor” in her election.  Cities like Houston (with a 2.2 million population), Orlando, and Charolotte are becoming international communities and therefore not subject to the petty bigotries of smaller, less diverse places. 

Parker’s adversary resorted to smear tactics which emphasized her being gay.  This strategy backfired on the opposition.  Refreshing, no?  Former mayor Bob Lanier, “Houston is long past the years in which an appeal to bigotry is the winning ticket,” – he added, her sexual orientation was “more a positive factor for her.”

Parts of our dear country are moving ahead, it would seem.  How do we get places like Kansas to keep pace?  All ideas appreciated…

iggydonnelly

Friday, 09/25/09, Public Square

See the yellow button near the top that reads, “Republicans Are People Too”?  Do you think that’s still a true statement.  🙂

Friday has rolled around again!  How does that happen so quickly?

When are we all getting together to go to PrairiePond’s place?  Ya know, it doesn’t have to be a weekend!

fnord

How Did We have the “Paranormal Casebook” end up linking to US? ? ?

Kansas life can be very frightening.

Our political life can be even more extremely scary.     I would be willing to discuss this further in late October. 

How about you???

BOO!!!

The Moral Philosophy of Conservatives and Progressives

When I was in grade school, my maternal grandmother gave me a set of hard cover American Heritage books.  My favorite one was the historical treatment of the 1920’s.  In that book there were citations of  some jokes from the Harvard Lampoon of the 20’s (maybe the precursor to the National Lampoon?).  The joke follows:

A linebacker, who was having a hard time passing his philosophy class, made a deal with his professor that if he could answer only one question in class, he could receive a passing grade and play in the Championship game on the following Saturday.

The exchange went:

Professor:  “Name one German philospher.”

Linebacker: “Can’t sir.”

Professor: “Congratulations, Kowalski, you have passed.”

Emanuel Kant is our pictured guest above.  And, also a German Philospher.

Moral Philosophy was the precursor to the study of ethics.  Kant has very interested in deontological ethical frameworks.  Simply put, deontology posits that there is a morally correct resolution of all ethical problems and those should be sought, regardless of the outcome.  An example:  “People get hurt, so be it.  Executing God’s will is more important. “

Contrast the deontological framework with the Utilitarian perspective;  the major tenet of this latter approach was that the action that produces the greatest amount of good, for the greatest number of people, is the ethical solution that should be sought.

Guess which of the above approaches matches best with the two major U.S. political Parties. 

Most ethical codes try to resolve and use both of these approaches.  Sometimes including both can work and sometimes not.

The value of both approaches is what makes it important to me that the Republican party does not cease to exist.

Your thoughts?  I am taking a home study ethics course; so I apologize for this digression.

iggy donnelly

 

The Woman Who Almost Became Our “Winker in Chief”

This Vanity Fair article has ALL of the dirt on ole Sarah.

Thank Goodness Trump Did Not Strip Prejean, After She Stripped…

 

 

Sarah Palin backs up her bff Carrie Prejean:

“‘What I find so remarkable is that these politically-motivated attacks fail to show that what Carrie and I believe is also what President Obama and Secretary Clinton believe — marriage is between a man and a woman,’ Palin said.

“The Alaska governor went on ‘applaud’ Donald Trump for not stripping Prejean of her Miss California crown after risque photos of her emerged following her answer in the pageant.

“‘I respect Carrie for standing strong and staying true to herself, and for not letting those who disagree with her deny her protection under the nation’s First Amendment Rights,’Palin said.”

Read more:

http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0509/22511.html

iggy donnelly