Sunday, September 19, 2010

Portrait of an Ignoramus

Not surprisingly, he's from the same state as that other ignoramus, Sarah Palin, and he's running for Senate. Apparently, lack of any workable knowledge of the U.S. Constitution by Alaskan politicians who seek federal office is a pandemic of epic proportions.

From an interview on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Joe Miller struggles to explain how he'd help the 44 million Americans living in poverty:

WALLACE: Mr. Miller, if I may, I'm not sure you answered my question. Why are unemployment benefits unconstitutional? In the time of a tough economy, recession, and now kind of a jobless recovery, what are you going to do for the 44 million people who are living in poverty?

MILLER: I think what you need to look at is the context. We had an extension of unemployment benefits several weeks ago, which is beyond what we had in the past in this country. What we have in this country is an entitlement mentality. Entitlement, not just as individual but even at the state level. If all goes wrong, it's the federal government's role to get in there and provide for the general welfare and provide for solvency; particularly, of states and the auto companies, and the banks. Everything else that fails, the government should be involved in bailing out. The Constitution provides enumerated powers. I guess my challenge is to anybody that asks, show me the enumerated power. And then look at the 10th amendment that says if it's not done in the Constitution, it's a power that belongs to the state and the people. And I think we as a people need to stop being disingenuous about what the Constitution provides for. It does not provide for this all-encompassing power that we've seen exercised for last several decades. It's what got us in the bankrupt position.

My emphasis.

Uh, Joe, here's the preamble to the Constitution:

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

See, Joe? It's the federal government's job to make sure everyone in general is taken care of. And those who can't make need help. That validates the Social Security Act (which included unemployment benefits), which was upheld as constitutional by the US Supreme Court.

Dumbass.

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