What’s Herman Cain got against the Constitution?
With the implosion of Newt Gingrich, Georgia’s stable of presidential contenders is down to Herman Cain, who has made some headway in the polls in part by preaching a populist fidelity to the U.S. Constitution.
However, when even Alan Keyes, writing in the wingnut World Net Daily, takes Cain to task for his blatantly unconstitutional statements, well, you’ve got a problem.
Let’s review Cain’s record, shall we?
“We don’t need to rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America, we need to reread the Constitution and enforce the Constitution.”
– Herman Cain, announcing his candidacy for president
———————–
GLENN BECK: So wait a minute, are you saying that Muslims have to prove, there has to be a loyalty proof?
CAIN: Yes, to the Constitution of the United States of America.
BECK: Well, would you do that to a Catholic or a Mormon?
CAIN: No, I wouldn’t, I wouldn’t because there is a greater dangerous part of the Muslim faith than there is in these other religions.
———————–
“I want people in my administration that are committed to the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. I don’t want any inkling of anybody in my administration who would put Sharia law over American law. I have not found a Muslim that has said that they will denounce Sharia law, you know, in order to support the Constitution of the United States.”
– Herman Cain, on the Laura Ingraham radio show
————————-
“… no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.”
– Article VI, U.S. Constitution
————————-
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof …”
– Amendment One, U.S. Constitution
——————
“All of the talk about a national foreclosure freeze . . . all they’re trying to do is appeal to people’s emotions. You see, the United States federal government, folks, has no jurisdiction over bankruptcy law. States do!
So, if some states decide that they want to investigate some of these phony or incomplete foreclosures, it’s up to the states. This is not even under the jurisdiction of the federal government!”
– Herman Cain, talking on his radio show about federal legislation to address the foreclosure crisis
—————–
The Congress shall have power to …. establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States.
– Article 1, Section 8, U.S. Constitution
——————–
Herman Cain doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And while his years on talk radio have taught him how to play to the very real fears and the very real patriotism of some well-meaning Americans, he is not a serious candidate for president. He is taking his followers for a ride that will leave them still more disillusioned and angry than they are today.
Oh, and he also needs to go reread the U.S. Constitution. I’ll even offer to buy him one, since his current copy seems to be missing important sections.
– Jay Bookman
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486 comments Add your comment
Finn McCool
June 10th, 2011
7:56 am
I look forward to seeing how he can reduce a complex bill like health care to three pages.
mmmm-hmmmmm
Granny Godzilla
June 10th, 2011
8:01 am
Mr. Cain is it ok under the constitution to destroy employees retirement funds by risky energy speculation?
Aquila?
Normal
June 10th, 2011
8:01 am
Herman Cain doesn’t know what he’s talking about. And while his years on talk radio have taught him how to play to the very real fears and the very real patriotism of some well-meaning Americans, he is not a serious candidate for president. He is taking his followers for a ride that will leave them still more disillusioned and angry than they are today.
So why talk about him at all. He’s another non contender and all this press just gives him validation. Ignore him and he will wither on the vine. With that, I’m out.
stands for decibels
June 10th, 2011
8:03 am
the wingnut World Net Daily
Why Jay. How shrill.
Brosephus
June 10th, 2011
8:03 am
he is not a serious candidate for president.
I’d disagree with that statement. He IS a serious candidate for president. That, in conjunction with other issues, may be part of the reason our faith and trust in government is lower than ant testicles right now.
Left wing management
June 10th, 2011
8:05 am
Devastating take-down of the wildly distorted ideological conservative meme of “American Exceptionalism” and its misuse by opportunists like Herman Cain, from Michael Lind at Salon:
The case against “American exceptionalism”
Americans have always been proud of their republic — but not too proud to learn from others
“Let me be clear, President Obama,” Cain concludes. “America is the greatest nation on Earth. We are not just any other nation, and we are certainly not analogous to our friends in Europe and elsewhere.”
So says the former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza, pizzas and mafia godfathers being as American as apple pie. You might expect a little more modesty from the would-be first magistrate of a country that cannot produce adequate numbers of decently paying jobs, cannot share the gains from economic growth with the majority of its people, cannot address its long-term challenges because of political paralysis, and cannot seem to achieve a clear victory in any of its three ongoing wars.
Cain’s attitude would be amusing, if it were not so dangerous to America’s future.
http://www.salon.com/news/politics/war_room/2011/06/07/lind_american_exceptionalism/index.html
Finn McCool
June 10th, 2011
8:06 am
Sharia law?
That’s tinfoil hat talk.
stands for decibels
June 10th, 2011
8:10 am
the very real fears and the very real patriotism of some well-meaning Americans
Are they? really? “well-meaning,” I mean?
Anyone with the time and inclination to listen to hours of this jackass, has time to get at least a basic education about American history and civics, and should know jackassery when he/she hears it.
I’m tired of giving a free pass to the GOP base; they need to shoulder some of that “personal responsibility” they’re forever yabbering about and own up to the filthy religious bigotry, and idiotic notions of “states’ rights”, that they’re supporting when they hoot ‘n holler hosanna for this guy.
Normal
June 10th, 2011
8:11 am
Off topic, so I’m back for a minute.
I agree with Gates on this one…
http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20110610/EU.Gates.NATO.Doomed_/
stands for decibels
June 10th, 2011
8:12 am
So why talk about him at all.
1. He’s polling fairly well of late, and 2. he’s local.
AmVet
June 10th, 2011
8:12 am
It’s the Palin syndrome en masse.
A soon as I heard that a looney fringer from talk radio land was in the race, I knew he would be comedy gold. And a plethora of stunningly stupid, shockingly uninformed comments were sure to follow.
The politics of resentment, the politics of delay and defeat. The Party of No. And it matters not one iota to the base that these people continually say the most banal and hateful things imaginable.
The most tragic part of Herman though, is that he has become the very bigot that his father’s generation fought so valiantly against. The walking antithesis of MLK, Jr.
The man desperately needs either better handlers or better teleprompters…
stands for decibels
June 10th, 2011
8:14 am
Actually, Alan Keyes makes a surprising lucid case in that WND piece Jay’s linked:
Does this mean that we must simply ignore the fact that adherence to Islam is chief among the characteristics of those who pose a threat to U.S. security in today’s world? It doesn’t. It does require, however, that U.S. government officials take account of that fact by ways and means that do not treat adherence to Islam as prima facie evidence of disloyalty.
I take exception to the word “chief”, but otherwise, spot on.
Finn McCool
June 10th, 2011
8:17 am
I’m tired of giving a free pass to the GOP base
amen
Finn McCool
June 10th, 2011
8:18 am
Mom and dad’s basements across the land must be cool and cozy this morning – the wingnutters appear to be sleeping late.
Peadawg
June 10th, 2011
8:20 am
A liberal who supports the individual mandate in Obamacare bashing someone else for not knowing the constitution…too funny! Good start to a Friday!
AmVet
June 10th, 2011
8:21 am
Normal, great article about NATO.
Time to pull the plug on that thing.
What the hell are we doing spending zillions of dollars to protect the English, French, Germans, etc?
It’s not as if they are all suffering from crushing poverty.
The problem of course, is that if we do curtail the greatest federal jobs program in history, what to do with all of the unemployed GIs?
kitty
June 10th, 2011
8:22 am
That is what burns me up. WHen talking heads like Cain talk about the Constitution and have no real idea what it says. Rather like many of the right wing nuts who say they follow the Bible and have no real idea of anything in the Bible in context.
Andy
June 10th, 2011
8:22 am
Jay, why are you so racist against Cain?
AmVet
June 10th, 2011
8:23 am
“…bashing someone else for not knowing the constitution…”
Only in the GOP’s parallel reality is pointing out the jaw-dropping misquotes and misrepresentations of the US Constitution considered bashing.
Gawd help them…
Peadawg
June 10th, 2011
8:26 am
“Only in the GOP’s parallel reality is pointing out the jaw-dropping misquotes and misrepresentations of the US Constitution considered bashing.” – My apologies.
A liberal who supports the individual mandate in Obamacare pointing out the jaw-dropping misquotes and misrepresentations of the US Constitution of someone else…too funny!
Better, AmVet?
Finn McCool
June 10th, 2011
8:26 am
Consciously or not, policy makers are catering almost exclusively to the interests of rentiers — those who derive lots of income from assets, who lent large sums of money in the past, often unwisely, but are now being protected from loss at everyone else’s expense.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/10/opinion/10krugman.html?_r=1&hp
Jimmy62
June 10th, 2011
8:26 am
I got a good laugh out of this. I wonder why you weren’t so upset when Obama didn’t just talk about breaking bankruptcy law, but actually did it with the auto bailouts. Perhaps you remember the situation? Certain creditors are supposed to be at the front of the line, but Obama illegally sidestepped long establish bankruptcy procedures in order to stiff the creditors and give GM and Chrysler to the unions, who of course were more responsible than just about anyone else for the failures of those companies.
Cain may not know all the laws, but at least he seems to respect them. Obama may know them all, but he happily ignores them.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
June 10th, 2011
8:27 am
Only 18 comments to get the race card played……. hang on folks…its going to be a very very silly wingnut ride!
ByteMe
June 10th, 2011
8:27 am
The problem of course, is that if we do curtail the greatest federal jobs program in history, what to do with all of the unemployed GIs?
GI Bill 2, the creation of the next “Greatest Generation”.
ByteMe
June 10th, 2011
8:29 am
Yawn. Jimmy doesn’t understand how bankruptcy works, so he uses someone else’s talking points to attack his favorite target. Anyone have anything intelligent this morning?
And, yes, we need to re-think NATO and the sharing of defense costs with those who are economically — but not necessarily politically — able to defend themselves.
Dave R.
June 10th, 2011
8:29 am
“What’s Herman Cain got against the Constitution?”
Nothing.
Thus ends another episode of simple answers to stupid questions.
carlosgvv
June 10th, 2011
8:30 am
Do any of you actually believe our Constitution is being enforced as intended by our Founding Fathers? Do any of you actually believe that if we just ignore the violent Muslims, they will just go away? Can any of you look at a Muslim and tell, just by looking, whether or not they are dangerous? When judging the statements of Herman Cain or anyone else, we must see things as they really are and not as we would wish them to be. Ignoring reality is both foolish and dangerous.
ByteMe
June 10th, 2011
8:30 am
“What’s Herman Cain got against the Constitution?”
Nothing.
It’s like Cain complaining about “Hangover 2″ without having ever really seen it.
Just like that.
Good little liberal
June 10th, 2011
8:31 am
Scared, Jay?
How can libs accuse conservatives of being racist toward a half white elitist when we support a successful Black man?
Sounds like a nightmare for the libs. Pull the race card from Obama and you would actually have to start looking at his actual record of failure after failure.
And it is always a hoot watching libs talk about the Constitution.
Keep Up the Good Fight!
June 10th, 2011
8:31 am
A liberal who supports the individual mandate in Obamacare which has been found constitutional by several courts and has yet to reach the Supreme Court…….
Yeah that’s the equivalent of imposing a religious test in direct opposition to the words of the Constitutions…. too funny!
ByteMe
June 10th, 2011
8:32 am
Do any of you actually believe our Constitution is being enforced as intended by our Founding Fathers?
Do any of you actually believe our Founding Fathers envisioned satellites and housing subdivisions with cutesy names?
jt
June 10th, 2011
8:32 am
I suppose TARP was completely constitutional………to the Hermanator.
.
Beecherism is alive and well here in the USSA.
.
That never turns out well.
M
June 10th, 2011
8:33 am
Jay, I think you just wet your liberal bed again.
Voter & Tax Payer
June 10th, 2011
8:33 am
Jay:
Sounds like Herman Cain is making you nervous ! What are you afraid of ?
Piedmont eliminating 450+ jobs is the headling on the AJC homepage. I think Obama is in trouble. It’s all about jobs and the current administration has no idea how to create jobs. This is why candidates such as Herman Cain are gaining support.
Gm
June 10th, 2011
8:33 am
This is what happens when you have no credibility in your community and are disconnected from who you are and where you come from, to busy trying to fit in with the bigots of the conservative party that you try to fit in with their twisted racist thinking.
To say you would not have the same test for Catholic or a Mormon shows the type of brain washed uncle tom that has no chance of being elected.
Mormons have several wifes and have racial laws agains minorities, you never hear conservatives bigots like Hannity talk about Romney religion and faith.
Voter & Tax Payer
June 10th, 2011
8:34 am
Gm:
Uncle Tom ? Really ?
Voter & Tax Payer
June 10th, 2011
8:34 am
Gm:
I guess Mr. Cain would like the credibility that Mr. Rangel has in NY or Mr. Jesse Jackson has in his community. What a joke !
Jay
June 10th, 2011
8:35 am
How can libs accuse conservatives of being racist toward a half white elitist when we support a successful Black man?
And GLL joins the looooooooooooooooooooong line of conservatives who make that point the very first thing they mention about Cain, as if it were the primary reason they support him.
ByteMe
June 10th, 2011
8:35 am
Sounds like Herman Cain is making you nervous ! What are you afraid of ?
I love how people project their own fears onto others. What exactly are the Cain (and Palin, since any mention of her brings out the same phony argument) supporters really afraid of? That we’ll see that Cain is an idiot with a mouth that runs about 3 steps ahead of his brain?
Peadawg
June 10th, 2011
8:35 am
” I think Obama is in trouble. It’s all about jobs and the current administration has no idea how to create jobs.” – But but but it’s all the GOP fault when they’ve controlled only the House for about 6 months!!!
Granny Godzilla
June 10th, 2011
8:36 am
Anybody else get the sense that when a rightie says we are “scared”
of one GOP candidate or another that what they really mean that they themselves are “jealous” of the strong and decent and brilliant American we have elected President?
Jay
June 10th, 2011
8:36 am
alright folks, I’m headed out for a morning of meetings, etc., won’t be back until after lunch. Please keep things civil while I’m gone … don’t trash the place or each other.
Finn McCool
June 10th, 2011
8:36 am
Do any of you actually believe that if we just ignore the violent Christian, they will just go away? Can any of you look at a Christian and tell, just by looking, whether or not they are dangerous?
Chess
June 10th, 2011
8:37 am
Down goes Frazier….Down goes Frazier
Left wing management
June 10th, 2011
8:38 am
Andy: “Jay, why are you so racist against Cain?”
Sigh. Need I repeat what I said yesterday about people who trumpet their support for this radical right wing candidate — who just happens to be black, right? — and then proceed to make his race the main issue in his candidacy, effectively daring anyone to challenge this fine, upstanding black man?
Reminds me of what we saw almost two decades ago with the Clarence Thomas example, a tawdry affair. And it reminds me of a theory I’ve held since ‘08 about conservative hysteria over Obama being largely rooted in rage at the fact that the Democrats beat the GOP to having the first black president. The GOP would have loved nothing more than to disgrace Democrats and the history of the Civil Rights/Democratic party coalition by having “gotten there first” with a black president who’s a true right winger in the Clarence Thomas mold, placing a crown of sh$t as it were on the noble tradition of Civil Rights leaders by setting it on its head. (They’d love to do something similar with a Palin-type right wing woman to upend classical left-wing feminism.)
Peadawg
June 10th, 2011
8:39 am
“strong and decent and brilliant American we have elected President?”
I just threw up in my mouth a little bit…..
Voter & Tax Payer
June 10th, 2011
8:40 am
ByteMe:
What am I afraid of ?
Chess
June 10th, 2011
8:41 am
Granny
Yes you are correct. Remember the Obama and McCain debates. McCain lost every moderate vote under 25 when he lost his cool and refered to Obama as ‘that one”.
Good little liberal
June 10th, 2011
8:41 am
Jay
So where are the apologies for calling the tea party racist? Oh wait, I forgot. Libs would need to develop a little character to do that. Seems like you and your followers are wrong again, pal. Too bad.
A lot of other points had already been mentioned about Cain on this blog this morning. But to be honest, the way the racist card has been played FIRST by so many here, it’s sort of fun turning the tables.
It’s no fun being on the other side of the table, is it, pal?
Say something bad about Cain, you HAVE to be a racist.
That is the way American Politics are played, right? Try not to whine too much when you get what you’ve been dishing out.
Voter & Tax Payer
June 10th, 2011
8:42 am
It’s not about race but JOBS !