Current Events vs. Founding Documents
This column presents facts regarding the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Wisconsin State Constitution, and various other documents in reference to modern topics. Mark hopes to encourage interest in those works so that others can consider whether our government is practicing within its constitutional limits. In the last category, he may indicate his opinion. Mark is a resident of New Berlin. Readers are encouraged to visit the following sites for more information on the United States Constitution and Thomas Jefferson's views on politics and government.
Speak Nicely or Regret It
Entry 179
Current Event
According to FoxNews.com, February 28, 2013
Former Clinton aide, columnist joins Woodward in claiming White House threat
Another member of the Washington political media stepped forward Thursday to claim he was threatened by the Obama White House, shortly after the White House denied reports that an adviser threatened famed Watergate journalist Bob Woodward.
The latest claim comes from Lanny Davis, who served as counsel to former President Bill Clinton and later went on to write a column for The Washington Times. In a radio interview on WMAL, Davis said that a "senior Obama White House official" once called his editor at the Times and said that if the paper continued to run his columns, "his reporters would lose their credentials."
Davis said he "couldn't imagine why this call was made" since he's an Obama supporter.
But he called the alleged threat "unfortunate."
The account comes after Woodward claimed Wednesday night that a White House aide sent him an email saying he would "regret" his recent reporting on the sequester battle. The aide was not identified, but an official familiar with the exchange told Fox News it was National Economic Council Director Gene Sperling -- the tone of the email was rather mixed, as it also included an apology. That was after Woodward wrote a column this past weekend claiming Obama was trying to re-write history -- regarding not only whose idea the sequester was, but also how it would take effect.
Woodward wrote that based on his reporting earlier in the budget battle, the president was trying to move the goalposts by trying to replace the sequester with a mix of tax hikes and spending cuts -- instead of solely spending cuts.
…
According to Politico, Woodward said he was "yelled at" by an Obama aide over his weekend column in the Post. Then, he said he received a page-long email from the aide -- apparently Sperling -- that said: "I apologize for raising my voice in our conversation today. ... You're focusing on a few specific trees that give a very wrong impression of the forest. But perhaps we will just not see eye to eye here. ... I think you will regret staking out that claim."
…
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According to The Washington Times, February 27, 2013
White House repeatedly asked Dr. Ben Carson for transcripts of prayer breakfast speech
Dr. Ben Carson of Johns Hopkins University made a splash at the National Prayer Breakfast earlier this month. He philosophically challenged the White House on taxes and health care in a way that garnered mass exposure but in a religiously-grounded way that never directly mentioned the president. But the speech he gave might not have happened if he had honored multiple requests by the Obama administration to turn over the full text beforehand.
“And that’s when I believe we begin to make progress. and one last thing about political correctness, which I think is a horrible thing, by the way. I’m very, very come — compassionate, and I’m not never out to offend anyone. But pc is dangerous. Because, you see, this country one of the founding principles was freedom of thought and freedom of expression. and it muffles people. It puts a muzzle on them. And at the same time, keeps people from discussing important issues while the fabric of this society is being changed. And we cannot fall for that trick. And what we need to do is start talking about things, talking about things that are important.”
VS
Founding Document
“The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted.” (James Madison)
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“Government is not reason, it is not eloquence. It is force, and like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master.” (George Washington)
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US Constitution, First Amendment
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
We the People:
This Administration favors neither a free speech nor a free press. It wants Bob Woodward and anyone else who speaks unfavorably of it to know they will regret it. In addition, the liberty of Lanny Davis to gather information was threatened as an example to reporters.
As he impugns those who would use certain speech, President Obama says “government is us” almost like it is as innocent as Toys R Us. Contrast that to the quotes from George Washington and James Madison.
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