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Team McCain sends Chris Matthews a copy of the Constitution

(He claims a constitutional scholarship 'cos he watched an HBO miniseries.)

By: Mark Kilmer (Diary)  |  October 25th, 2008 at 07:32 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

The MSNBC noisemaker Chris Matthews recently blasted Sarah Palin for remarks she had made to children regarding the role of the Vice President in the Senate, suggesting that the veep could have a policy role. Matthews screamed at McCain spokeswoman Nancy Pfotenhauer that Sarah didn’t understand the Constitution, that all the veep could do was to break ties in the Senate.

That is the only specifically enumerated duty of the veep in the Senate, besides presiding over it, but the role is not Constitutionally limited to only that. But still, Matthews is a dull blade.

Here it is, from Article I, section 3 of our Constitution:

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

It says that the veep shall not have a vote unless the Senate is otherwise tied, but it does not say that the veep will otherwise sit there and drool.

The McCain camp shot back:

“Chris Matthews further elaborated on his understanding of the role of the Vice President, saying that ‘it has nothing to do with policy making, nothing to do with Senate leadership on either side of the aisle. There is no policy role there whatever for the vice president. If you’d even watched ‘John Adams’ on television a few months ago, you would know that, going into the very beginning of our democracy.’

We have little hope that MSNBC will take a more even handed approach in covering this race over these last few days, but it is outrageous that Chris Matthews would rely on an HBO mini-series as the basis for his condescending attacks on Governor Palin.

If he wishes to pose as a Constitutional scholar, he should read the document. This campaign has sent a copy to his office.”

But hey, Matthews watches TV. He insists that he watched an HBO documentary once, and maybe he’s caught Bill Maher a few times. He’s required to watched MSNBC’s Counting Down with Keefums, and when he gets older, he’ll graduate from Sesame Street to Electric Company.

(The Michael Calderone post I’ve linked contains the vid of Matthews’s mental meandering.)

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COMMENTS

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  • Vladimir

    …is that the Constitution is a living, breathing document, m’kay?…

    …which means that it can be twisted into a pretzel to mean anything the Left wants it to mean, and then twisted back into shape when that interpretation no longer suits their purposes…

  • ColoKid

    if Vice President Sarah Palin could just drop in on the Senate once in a while, do a little presidin’ now and then, maybe make a motion or two, participate in the discussion in the “world’s greatest deliberative body”? Wouldn’t it be fun to see Patrick Leahy and Barbara Boxer and Dick Durbin and yes, maybe even Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama and all the rest of them asking for Sarah’s permission to speak? I could get hooked on C-SPAN. hahaha Get out there and vote, folks!!

  • JR_Griggs

    Maybe Chris Matthews just needs a dictionary!

    He used the word preside several times

    pre?side

    1. To hold the position of authority; act as chairperson or president.
    2. To possess or exercise authority or control.
    • JLenardDetroit

      Senate C-SPAN would become the real “must see tv.” Too bad Fox doesn’t still have/air their news spoof program anymore (can’t remember what it was called, loved it though it wasn’t on consitently). They could do a “future news” spot showing Palin taming the Senate.

  • RetiredFF

    a copy to Biden as well. God bless Sarah Palin, she is a true Maverick.

  • SteveLA

    A VP Palin would keep the Senate a Moose free zone…you bet ya!

    • Moe_Lane

      NT

      • Mark_Kilmer

        And we’d be watching C-SPAN2, which covers the Senate Gavel-to-Gavel. Watch Bob Byrd read a speech some time. It’s chilling.

        Most of the time, it seems, it’s the clerk reading the names — Mr. Bayh… Mr. Bennett… Mr. Biden… Mr. Bingaman — or a quorum call. The quorum calls are great, as they’ll play a classical piece. Of course, it will be interrupted at the call of the chair.

        Matthews was playing gotcha, and he was gotten.

        • Mark_Kilmer

          If you try to tell a lawyer that he or she does not understand the Constitution, you will surely die. (Unless they do tort; then, they probably don’t care.)

  • magnum1

    doesn’t know jack about the constitution,as with most of the lame stream media.

  • jeanedcrusader

    I love that McCain and Co. had a constitution sent to Matthews. When he gets done with it, maybe he can send it over to Obama and Biden. But don’t expect them to get the same thing out of it that we do. The liberal illuminati interpret the constitution however it best serves them at the moment.

  • Raven

    The VP isn’t a part of the Executive Branch.

    His powers and responsibilities are listed in Article I.

    That makes him a part of the Legislative Branch.

  • ImagineHope

    Jefferson was so concerned about looking like he was trying to exert executive authority when he was Adams’ VP that he literally hid when Congress was in session.

    Palin’s Constitutional revisionism should concern anyone who cares about this country.

    • Moe_Lane

      How were we supposed to know that Biden couldn’t even get the article right?

      Now shoo. I plan to hit the sack early tonight, and I don’t feel like waiting until you have enough spittle saved up to scream about Palin properly.

      • bs

        What’s wrong, sonny? Did you get lost somewhere?

        Now you run along and stop using Mom’s computer without asking permission.

        • Tim_Schieferecke

          That’s rich. You mean like FDR being the greatest POTUS of the 20th century? LOL Like the Democrat Party was the party of civil rights? LOL! Like Obama isn’t an out and out socialist? LOL! You funny obamatool you.

          • terilyn

            Have you listened to BO? BO/Reid/Pelosi/et. al. will alter every part of our Constitution!

  • SmellsLikebo

    We are issuing a CHALLENGE to the John McCain Campaign!

    Since NO News Media will cover this and only the people (Several Million), have brought this question up and have NOT! received a legal answer to it.

    *We Challenge the John McCain campaign and the GOP to ?Prove? Barrack Obama, is legally qualified to run for the office of the President of the United States of America. *

    Full post below.

    http://www.smellslikebo.com/blog/blog5.php?p=134&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1

    Thanks for your time.

    • Tim_Schieferecke

      He does get those tingly feelings you know.

      • JustLeaveMeAlone

        and a little Constitution. Start with the 12th Amendment. If you are going to talk about John Adams as VP, you need to realize he served BEFORE the adoption of the 12th in 1804. Further, it wasn’t until the late 19th Century that the whole “running mate” concept came to be.

        Hopefully Team McCain sent a copy of the Bill of Rights and the rest of the amendments, as well, to Chris Matthews. It would appear that even the Press needs a refresher on the First Amendment, among others.

        Anyone wanting a copy can send me their address, and I will be more than happy to provide a copy of the Constitution, with all Amendments. Or read it here:

        US Constitution

        • SmellsLikebo

          My apologizes I thought the URL links were set to auto, I added the HTML code to make it easier.

          Here is the Challenge page

          And here is the main page to enter the site.

          www.SmellsLikebo.com

          • SmellsLikebo

            LOL I LOVED READING THAT! Yes I want to see that happen, lets get to work!

  • Obamazone

    Let’s face it, when even David Frum is talking damage limitation, rather than victory, then Republicans are looking at a generation in the political wilderness. And perhaps even extinction.

    Don’t forget your sunblock!!!

    Ill, baby, Ill.

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/23/AR2008102302081.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

  • Paul_In_Houston

    This article, from Ace of Spades…

    Palin: Correct about the VP’s Role in the Senate

    shows a good example of VP Al Gore effecting a nomination awaiting approval in the Senate, just by being able to decide who has the floor and can speak.
    And also, by being able to decide when a vote can be cut off.

    That can be real power when used effectively.

    • Tim_Schieferecke

      n/t

  • 29Victor

    But we already knew that.

    First of all, Palin wasn’t talking about exercising Constitutional authority over the Senate when she said that she would help with policy, she was talking about exercising political power on behalf of McCain.

    But, even if she were talking about exercising authority, well, as V.P. would have more than Chrissy seems to believe.

    I’ve posted this before, but sometimes you have to remind people.

    Found at senate.gov (I would hope they would know what they are talking about):

    The first two vice presidents, Adams and Jefferson, did much to shape the nature of the office, setting precedents that were followed by others. During most of the nineteenth century, the degree of influence and the role played within the Senate depended chiefly on the personality and inclinations of the individual involved. Some had great parliamentary skill and presided well, while others found the task boring, were incapable of maintaining order, or chose to spend most of their time away from Washington, leaving the duty to a president pro tempore. Some made an effort to preside fairly, while others used their position to promote the political agenda of the administration.

    During the twentieth century, the role of the vice president has evolved into more of an executive branch position. Now, the vice president is usually seen as an integral part of a president’s administration and presides over the Senate only on ceremonial occasions or when a tie-breaking vote may be needed. Yet, even though the nature of the job has changed, it is still greatly affected by the personality and skills of the individual incumbent.

  • MrAleGuy

    At 5:09, Chris says “either she’s right or I’m wrong”.

    Actually, it’s both. She’s right and you’re wrong.

    • JLenardDetroit

      to look up “Journalistic integrity” the lofty notion he ignored long ago

  • ggross56

    He insists that he watched an HBO documentary once, and maybe he’s caught Bill Maher a few times.

    Might Little Chrissie be a constitutional scholar because he stayed at a Holiday Inn last night?

    • EddyC

      I want someone as President who sees threats for what they are and addresses them aggressively, even if it’s aggressive diplomacy. I would be comfortable with McCain, and yes, even Palin in that role. The Georgia incident is a clue as to how Obama would react. His priority will not be national defense or containing the ambitions of Russia or Iran. Read Witness by Whittaker Chambers and you will have a clearer picture of Obama than you will glean from his smile and suave manner. He is a committed Marxist, though he and his followers would be quick to laugh at such an assertion. The freedom and safety of an untold number of people are at stake as our free press seethes over Palin’s clothes or whether or not she understands the role of vice President.

      • Moe_Lane

        NT

  • Marcus_Traianus

    Have I said lately it emboldens my heart when a woman who could be your mother, wife, sister or daughter provides such a strong, intellectual, calm and articulate role. Certainly, those of us actually paying attention to the women in our own lives have seen this many times and expect nothing less.

    Yet here we have Mathews, representing the emotionally driven, ill-informed, distracted epitome of liberals generic, misogynistic woman caricature. By contrast, Nancy is the antithesis- as is Governor Palin.

    Perhaps we should get Chris the apron and minivan?

    People see through these attacks and it does not serve Democrats well. I know this since every woman in my life has told me so.

    • wingzfan99

      … if it’s already in the Constitution.

      Take some time to read it… You’ll find that it actually does give one or two people some executive power, something that might seem very scary to you since the Great Savior isn’t in office yet.

  • hunter

    with a tingling feeling.
    I guess when Gore used the office of VP to high jack climate science and to lay the groundwork for massively enriching himself over climate hysteria, that was just a fantasy.
    The VP can be as involved in policy as much as the President wants them to be.
    Chris is as much a journalist as Goebbels was. And he kind of treats uppity women about the same, come to think of it.

  • diggingintothefacts

    In the midst of his diatribe, Matthews summed it all up when he said,

    “Either she’s right, or I’m wrong.”

    Spoken like a true Obama PATRIDIOT!

    • DoctorBiobrain

      I’m not so sure that Ace is right about that one. There were no links and it was all based upon recollection, some of which was incorrect. And when I tried to find a solid source for it for a blogpost I’m writing, I couldn’t find any news stories that confirmed that telling of how things happened.

      Rather, the articles I saw said that Senate Majority Leader Lott agreed to have the vote, over Senator Sessions’ objection, because of a hold Senator Boxer placed on someone Lott wanted appointed to the TVA; which made it sound like the typical backroom deal making that happens in the Senate. Here’s a CNN story and a NY Times story from back then which say this, and only mention Gore showing up for a tie-breaking vote that wasn’t needed. Gore is even quoted as saying that all he did was show up and jokes about how this was enough to get the judge confirmed. Perhaps they left something out, but I couldn’t find anything that confirmed the version given at Ace, which again, was based upon memory and not a news story.

      • DoctorBiobrain

        Seriously, I think it’s a huge insult to McCain and the Republican Party to imagine that they haven’t already checked this issue and decided there was nothing there. And if the Clinton team didn’t already exhaust this avenue in the primaries, I’m a monkey’s uncle. I mean, they tried using something he said in Kindergarten as evidence against him; I’m sure they checked into the citizenship issue.

        Perhaps I have too much faith in the competance of opponent research, but if McCain’s team hasn’t already checked into this, then he doesn’t deserve to be president.

        • ss396

          Since President Bush has not died in office, it must therefore be agreed that Vice President Cheney has played absolutely no role in the conduct of the affairs of the Bush Presidency, that he had no policy positions or influence, and that he has been sidelined and wholly inactive for the past eight years.

          Based upon Mr. Matthews comments, I am sure that he and his fellow travelers will readily agree to the foregoing.

          • DoctorBiobrain

            ss, I don’t think anyone’s suggesting that the VP doesn’t have *any * influence, as everyone knows that they can; just as each of us can influence the government too. But Palin specifically said the Vice President is “in charge of the United States Senate” and seemed to imply that she’d be using this role to run the Senate. And while I suppose I haven’t paid attention to everything Cheney’s done over the past eight years, I don’t think Cheney’s been running the Senate.

            And while VP’s apparently once played that role, it seems that’s gone out of practice for quite awhile. And I for one think that’s for the best. I’m not sure how many folks here are looking forward to the possibility of Joe Biden taking over the Senate in January, but I’d kind of prefer that we keep things as they were. I guess I’m just a traditionalist that way.

            I’m of the opinion that the presidency has gotten too powerful as it is, now being responsible for creating detailed tax policies, health plans, and other legislative functions before they even become president; I don’t see why we need to expand that power to let their VP selection run the Senate too.

          • Moe_Lane

            …that you didn’t do what you were told; I was even considering giving you a more explicit warning. Then I accessed your account, and discovered what you did to it.

            That made me feel better, knowing that you were never here in good faith to begin with.

            Bye.