Obama and the Oath

It seems that I have been thinking the same thing as Wall Street Journal columnist Steven G. Calabresi this week:

In a Sept. 6, 2001, interview with Chicago Public Radio station WBEZ-FM, Mr. Obama noted that the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Earl Warren “never ventured into the issues of redistribution of wealth and sort of more basic issues of political and economic justice in this society,” and “to that extent as radical as I think people tried to characterize the Warren Court, it wasn’t that radical.”

He also noted that the Court “didn’t break free from the essential constraints that were placed by the Founding Fathers in the Constitution, at least as it has been interpreted.” That is to say, he noted that the U.S. Constitution as written is only a guarantee of negative liberties from government —and not an entitlement to a right to welfare or economic justice.

This raises the question of whether Mr. Obama can in good faith take the presidential oath to “preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution” as he must do if he is to take office. Does Mr. Obama support the Constitution as it is written, or does he support amendments to guarantee welfare? Is his provision of a “tax cut” to millions of Americans who currently pay no taxes merely a foreshadowing of constitutional rights to welfare, health care, Social Security, vacation time and the redistribution of wealth? Perhaps the candidate ought to be asked to answer these questions before the election rather than after.

Barack Obama: Sandwich Sharer

This week, during a verbal attack on John McCain, Barack Obama uttered the following:

“Now, because he knows that his economic theories don’t work, he’s been spending these last few days calling me every name in the book. Lately he’s called me a socialist for wanting to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans so we can finally give tax relief to the middle class. I don’t know what’s next. By the end of the week he’ll be accusing me of being a secret communist because I shared my toys in kindergarten. I shared my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.”

If you voluntarily share your toys or your sandwich, it’s called charity. It’s what people, who, oh, I don’t know, “cling to their religion” do on a regular basis.

Communism requires forced sharing, which is closer to what Mr. Obama proposing.

But, hey, what do I know? I’m not the one with the law degree…

All the News That’s Fit to Bury

The Mormons and I don’t usually see eye-to-eye on too many things. Usually.

Orson Scott Card, a Democrat and Mormon, keenly takes the media to task for lousy, dishonest, and biased reporting about our current economic crisis.

If you had any personal honor, each reporter and editor would be insisting on telling the truth — even if it hurts the election chances of your favorite candidate.

Because that’s what honorable people do.  Honest people tell the truth even when they don’t like the probable consequences. That’s what honesty means. That’s how trust is earned.

(HT: Mick Wright)

Four Ways Barack Obama Will Raise Taxes for Those Who Earn Less Than $250,000

Small business owner Ned Barnett analyzes the Senator’s promises.

Hear Barnett discuss his article with Tara Servatius here.

Because I Simply Must Say It

As I’ve hinted online—and mentioned (in varying amounts of detail) to some of you—I want to take a moment to formally declare that I have recently rededicated my life to the Lord Jesus Christ.

I first repented of my sins and accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal savior at an altar call in 1986, but I have spent much of the last 22 years living on my own terms and actively disregarding the Lord’s will for my life. I have been sinful and selfish and I simply can’t live that way any longer.

I am ready to serve Him. I want to learn more about Him, talk about Him, write about Him, sing about Him, and tell others about what He’s done for me.