BREAKING: Texas Gov. @GregAbbott_TX is about to announce he’s calling for a Convention of States to pass 9 amendments to the US Constitution
— Brian M. Rosenthal (@brianmrosenthal) January 8, 2016
Here are the nine amendments to the U.S. Constitution that Texas Gov. @GregAbbott_TX is calling for #txlege pic.twitter.com/xbziSVL6Zs
— Brian M. Rosenthal (@brianmrosenthal) January 8, 2016
Courtesy of Slate:The first four, the seventh, and the eighth are fairly unremarkable and in line with a lot of conservative rhetoric about federal overreach. The sixth is a little odd, but vague. The fifth and ninth, though, are very specific and completely bonkers. (The ninth calls to mind nullification, one of the Southern concepts that helped bring about the Civil War.) Keep in mind that, given the way population is distributed, a "two-thirds majority" of states wouldn't actually have to include anywhere close to a majority of the country's population. (The combined population of the 34 smallest U.S. states, for instance, is slightly more than 100 million out of a total population of 318 million.) At this very moment, in fact, there are 32 Republican governors and 31 Republican-controlled state legislatures despite the fact that a Republican presidential candidate has only gotten more than 50 percent of the vote once since 1988. (George W. Bush got 50.7 percent in 2004.)
Abbott's proposal, in other words, could quite easily give a party that was in the minority nationally the ability to veto duly passed congressional legislation and to overturn Supreme Court decisions like Roe v. Wade or Brown v. Board of Education, destroying the balance of powers and, really, defeating the purpose of having a Congress or a Supreme Court in the first place.
Good job Texas.
Perhaps when it comes time to elect your next governor you might shoot for somebody sane.
Just saying.
Yeah, let him knock himself out.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the tweet that "warns against unexpected consequences". Abbott is an idiot who clearly does not understand or is willfully ignorant of the brilliance of the present Constitution.
ReplyDeleteMarco Rubio is pushing this delusion as well. All I can say is good luck getting 37 States agreeing to meet, let alone passing this foolishness.
ReplyDeleteTexas should really look more seriously at secession. And if not secession, I think 37 States should meet to throw Texas out of the Union. Just saying........
That is why they are working so hard in each state to have Republican majorities in the legislatures.
DeleteAdd Florida and I'm good with it.
DeleteI would support Texas leaving and Puerto Rico joining. That way we don't have to change the flag.
DeleteIf Florida goes we get The Virgin Islands.
Abbott's problem with the Constitution is that it's not more like the Articles of Confederation.
ReplyDeleteYes! You're right. And the Articles worked so well! Does this guy even know why the Constitution was written and ratified in the first place? Why it took EIGHT YEARS from the battle of Yorktown to our Constitution?
DeleteDid he ever read about the furious, long-drawn-out fight it took? Did he ever read the Federalist papers? (Hint, Gov.--they were written to persuade the states of the necessity of adopting the present Constitution.)
No! It wasn't like that! Yahweh Himself came down from heaven and handed the papers to the Founding Fathers....but wait, doesn't that mean that God led us astray, putting all those pesky things in there that the Governor of Texas doesn't like??
What an ignoramus this guy is. Fortunately, his idiotic propositions will never be ratified.
Has this guy even READ the constitution. He obviously doesn't understand it but I question if he's even read the document.
DeleteLet's see, hmm, abortions happen wholly within each state. Public education happens wholly within each state. Voter registration for state/local elections happens wholly within each state.
ReplyDeleteI'm not too keen on that "wholly" amendment.
Marriages happen wholly within each state. So much for protecting same sex marriage.
DeleteAnd we thought George W. was a loony Texas governor; and then Perry was worse. Have we finally met the worst possible Texas governor?
ReplyDeleteBeaglemom
I don't think so, B. When Cruz gets eliminated from running fro President, he'll run for governor there. Now won't THAT be fun.The idiot repubes who put him in the Senate can put him in the top seat of the state!
DeleteIn a state with a population of almost 30 million, is this really the best they can do???
Delete(Then again, in a country of 300 million, the top GOP candidates for President are Trump and Cruz!)
Cruz will have to become a citizen first. No preferential treatment or free rides. He'll have to apply for a green card by virtue of marrying a U.S. citizen and then wait years, go to classes, etc. Then after 10 years or whatever it is, he can take his oath. Then if the voters still want (or remember) him, he can run for governor.
DeleteGov. Abbott, keeping TEXAS weird, bizarre, and cartoonish.
ReplyDelete"Perhaps when it comes time to elect your next governor you might shoot for somebody sane."
ReplyDelete----------------------
Thoughtful of you to phrase this in terms the gun goobers would understand.
Long live the 2nd Amendment.
ReplyDeleteI thought we couldn't change the 2nd amendment because of the infallibility of our "founding fathers."
ReplyDeleteExactly, they pick and choose constitutionality just like they pick and choose their bible verses.
DeleteBack in 2009-2010 (or whenever it was) when Rick Perry was talking about seceding from the United States of America the other 49 states should have actively encouraged him and taunted him until he did it. Texas could be its own country. No more US tax dollars. No more Louie Gohmert, Ted Cruz, Greg Abbott.
ReplyDeleteThe inmates are running the asylum in TX, and have been for a long time.
ReplyDeleteMy condolences to those sane individuals stuck in Gomerville.
Bashing all Texans for the acts of one idiot Governor is Gryphen's way of pretending he has a big, bad penis. We all know that you are sorely lacking in that department as well as brains.
ReplyDeleteHey, he was voted into office.
DeleteThere were enough goobers to override any sane voters that bothered to drag their asses to the poles.
And let's remember the board of education they have that decided to change history through their history books.
If you're sane and you choose to live in a state where the inmates control the asylum, you have no right to complain if people think you're crazy too.
Who's Abbot's counsel? Sarah Palin? Seriously. Can we force a few states to secede from the union?
ReplyDeleteHey 4:07 , Gryphen is a Rock Star and not
ReplyDeletejust in the United States. Also...world wide! He hits the nail on the head every time ,no matter what subject!!!!!!
Why can't you be gracious and invite him to
Texas and show him your great State. I bet
he would surprise you with much historical
knowledge. I have a feeling that he is a fun guy. No, I don't have a crush . I am
almost 80 and still crazy about my 81 year old ,cutie husband. Now, if I were quite a
few years younger............
younger..........
I'm younger.
DeleteCalifornia is lovely this time of year.
Well, all he needs to do is get Texas to successfully secede from the U.S., then he can write any old constitution he wants.
ReplyDeleteUntil then, sucks to be him. None of that is going to fly.