The Constitution is the most fabulous governing document yet to be fully realized, but Republicans are in the middle of exposing its flaws. The preamble to the Declaration of Independence declares that all men are created equal, from which the Constitution arose. Women are mentioned nowhere in the original document. When black men and women challenged their right to equal treatment in the courts, Plessy v. Ferguson clearly ruled that black people were inherently inferior. From George Washington to Ulysses S. Grant, American presidents were enslavers. The former President [Donald Trump] is currently embroiled in a case involving retaining documents that belong to the government. In 1950 Congress created the Federal Records Act. In 1978 the Presidential Records Act, which Establishes that Presidential records automatically transfer into the legal custody of the Archivist as soon as the President leaves office, was enacted because Richard Nixon obstructed the law seeking to destroy records. Up to that point, the contention was that a president’s records were private property.
The flaw in the Constitution is that it relies on honor.
I cannot imagine that the framers of the Constitution would believe that there would ever be fewer Barry Goldwater(s) and more Jim Jordan(s) and Lindsey Graham(s), men likely to ignore criminality in favor of shameless power. Watching Jim Jordan interviewed by CNN’s Dana Bash, flail around like a goldfish spilled onto the floor by a five-year-old was an embarrassment to American democracy. Rep. Jordan, the human filibuster, tossed around non-sequiturs, blamed President Biden and threw out conspiracies between the Department of Justice and Special Counsel Jack Smith. Given the proper inducement, Jordan would have accused Elvis and Tupac.
Sen. Lindsey Graham shouting at Sunday morning host George Stephanopoulos was reminiscent of a scene from a Joan Crawford movie, “I am not one of your fans.” Graham shouted at Stephanopoulos, declaring the Republican side of the case was not being heard. “No, let me finish,” he growled. I’m trying to answer the question from a Republican point of view,” he continued. “That may not be acceptable on this show,”said Graham angrily. Graham may have revealed the biggest weakness in the Republican party today: the Republican viewpoint supersedes America’s interest. Again, the framers could not have imagined an entire party turning itself over to a cult-like figure bent on egomaniacal power. The only disqualifications for a man or woman to run for President are being under 35 years of age, not being a natural-born citizen, and having less than 14 years of residency, in addition, insurrection and rebellion, giving aid and comfort to enemies of the country calls for never holding a federal public office.
These caveats are based on the honor of men and women, not the Constitution, to uphold the standards of decency, decorum, and democracy. The phrase breaking norms have become an accepted feature in the Republican party and cannot be dismissed as a viewpoint. The framework of the Constitution is being stretched to its limits, and the GOP is aiding in its destruction. How far will they go? Two impeachments, an attempt at insurrection, a 34-count indictment in New York, civilly liable for sexual assault, a 37-count federal indictment, and siding with Russia over American intelligence agencies. None of which has made Donald Trump ineligible for the presidency but disqualifies him from decent society. Politicians often say the Constitution is a work in progress, but the GOP is content to rescind one of its basic tenets, the rule of law.
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