I watched the inauguration on television. I have listened to President Obama’s Inaugural Address. I have heard adulation from the networks, and sniping from the conservative talk-show hosts.President Obama’s Inaugural Address was a well-written, well-delivered speech. His rhetoric was impeccable, but subject to various interpretations. Inaugural addresses are not intended to deliver policy, but to set the tone for an administration. Given that purpose, I liked his address. Will he apply reason to the conduct of Federal Government and indeed do away with programs that don’t work? Will he really show as much Midwestern horse-sense as President as he did in his speech? I don’t know, but I try to be fair about these things.
President Obama, by reciting these words, established a contractual relationship with the American people:
“I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear, that I will execute the office of President of the United States faithfully, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.”
If President Obama protects and defends the Constitution in all its parts – that is, he respects the rights of the States (in the 10th Amendment), the right of the people against unreasonable searches, seizures, and Federal snoopervision (in the 4th Amendment), takes no action against peaceful dissent (1st Amendment), and works to roll back the excesses of Federal power taken in the last century (see Article I, Section 8), he will have no problem with me.
In other words, he must honor his oath of office. If he fails to do so, I shall exercise my right to openly and vocally dissent. If the President had been Sen. McCain, Rep. Paul, or anyone else, I would have imposed the same conditions.
"Free government is founded in jealousy, and not in confidence. It is jealousy and not confidence which prescribes limited constitutions, to bind down those whom we are obliged to trust with power... Our Constitution has accordingly fixed the limits to which, and no further, our confidence may go... In questions of power, then, let no more be heard of confidence in man, but bind him down from mischief by the chains of the Constitution."
--Thomas Jefferson: Draft Kentucky Resolutions, 1798
1 comment:
I was able to catch a few of the major events of the day while running errands and checking periodically with my wireless internet connection. It was nice to see how things like this happen and have been happening for centuries.
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