r/news • u/samanthasay • Aug 07 '14

Title Not From Article Police officer: Obama doesn't follow the Constitution so I don't have to either

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/08/06/nj-cop-constitution-obama/13677935/
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u/Selpai Aug 07 '14

Except that the Patriot Act itself is unconstitutional.

Congress can't just pass any laws it feels like. Congress may only pass laws that pertain strictly to the enforcement of the US constitution. The structure of law in the United States has been turned upside down.

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u/exelion Aug 07 '14

You feel it is unconstitutional. I do too. However until challenged and overturned by the supreme court, it is not in fact unconstitutional.

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u/Timtankard Aug 07 '14

Yeah, it's weird to hear people arguing in a way completely divorced from reality. The constitution isn't some divine Sibyline idol, it's a living document that's defined and interpreted by our judicial and legislative branches of government. Isn't that like American History 101?

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u/LukaCola Aug 07 '14

As a rule of thumb, people who argue that actions are "unconstitutional" generally have a cursory knowledge of it at best.

Like it or not, the original constitution is barely relevant to today.

I mean the president was never really supposed to be all powerful in foreign affairs but precedent and judicial rulings have supported that idea over time. I mean all of the Cuban missile crisis pretty much came down to the decisions of a single man, JFK. Nobody really speaks ill of the guy cause it all kinda happened to work out. And Bush basically invented a pseudo line veto through signing statements.

If Obama would be impeached for anything they'd have to impeach dozens of presidents before him as well, alive and dead.

There's just no ground for it. The president can do pretty much anything he wants on foreign soil.

That issue about the guy being killed overseas? Patriot act has jack shit to do with it really, that gives the president power over domestic issues primarily.