a:1:{s:15:"field_blog_body";a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:5:"value";s:2438:"<p>Charity is no part of the legislative duty of the government.</p>
<p>What? Hard-hearted SOB! Nazi! Republican!</p>
<p>These are some of the names I'd be called for uttering such a phrase in the presence of your average Obama voter.</p>
<p>I have to admit that I stole that line - it's actually a quote from James Madison, the Father of the Constitution. He flat out vetoed a bill that called for the construction of canals and roads because the bill was unconstitutional. As <a href="http://townhall.com/columnists/WalterEWilliams/2011/01/12/what_our_constitution_permits">Walter E. Williams</a> asks:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Here's my question to any member of the House who might vote for funds for &quot;constructing roads and canals, and improving the navigation of water courses&quot;: Was Madison just plain constitutionally ignorant or has the Constitution been amended to permit such spending?</p>
</blockquote>
<p>Ah, when presidents read and understood the Constitution... Of course, President Madison had an unfair advantage over all of today's politicians - he was instrumental in writing it. People today have it much easier,&nbsp; they just have to read and understand it. Doesn't seem that hard, and yet here we are, with trillions in debt and trillions more on the way.</p>
<p>And get a load of this:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>In 1854, President Franklin Pierce vetoed a bill to help the mentally ill, saying, &quot;I cannot find any authority in the Constitution for public charity. (To approve the measure) would be contrary to the letter and spirit of the Constitution and subversive to the whole theory upon which the Union of these States is founded.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I think we can agree that President Pierce would also be called a Nazi by certain left-leaning Obama-voting people.</p>
<p>There is a brand new House rule that states:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>&quot;A bill or joint resolution may not be introduced unless the sponsor has submitted for printing in the Congressional Record a statement citing as specifically as practicable the power or powers granted to Congress in the Constitution to enact the bill or joint resolution.&quot;</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I love the sentiment, but the reality is that Democrats aren't the only big spenders who consider the Constitution an anachronism. Still, hope springs eternal, and let's hope that the new Congress has better sense than the last one.</p>";s:6:"format";s:1:"2";}}}