Congressional and Presidential Bailouts or Theft?

In earlier articles on this blog site, I’ve written about the Constitution and included copies of the actual wording in the US Constitution that were written to prevent intrusion by the Federal Government into matters reserved to the states and to the citizens. The Constitution is very specific about these issues as were all the writings of the founders at the time. There can be little question that they worried that their newly formed government might try to revert to the ways of Europe and to control by a central authority. When writing the Constitution, our fore fathers were trying their hardest to prevent the very things we are seeing being reintroduced by Congress and the President.

While the erosion of state’s rights has been going on for some time, never have we seen a wholesale take over by any level of government of private enterprise like we are seeing over the last year. This recent activity is such an over reaching of the Commerce Clause of Article One that it is hard to make any rational argument for its legality. Yet, we have hundreds of Congressmen supporting these outrageous activities. Here is what Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution says:

“To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;”

I doubt there is any other single sentence in the entire Constitution that has been so badly stretched and abused by Congress, except the Necessary and Proper Clause in the same section which reads as follows:

“To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof.”

These are the only sentences in the entire Constitution that mention any commercial authority at all. The rest is dedicated to security of the nation and the rights of the states and the people. With these two simple sentences we have gotten government takeovers of banks, various other financial institutions, car companies, government health care, and on down the list of every federally sponsored program in the states. We now have Congressmen telling us that Congress and the President have the right to tell individuals what they must buy, like health insurance or car companies. Under what provision of the Constitution do they have the right to tell me that I have to acquire stock in a car company, or subsidize my neighbor’s purchase of their car with a clunker rebate? Where does it say Congress has the authority to tell any citizen that they have to buy health insurance, a winter coat, or any other commodity or service? This is so egregious that every American regardless of party affiliation should be outraged and terrified of these crazies who have taken over our government. Until people stop the political allegiance blather, set aside their personal biases, and start to recognize what is happening to their personal rights and freedoms, we are all in danger of losing our country to corrupt politicians. Taxing us for unconstitutional purposes is not a bailout. It is theft. Wake up America and start to demand that politicians get out of our lives and wallets. They have no right to be there in the first place.