When Does Obstruction Become Treason?

Why Won’t Americans Just Read the Constitution?

Recently, Bill Maher and Michael Moore rightly criticized Congressional Republicans for their relentless obstruction of government.  Plenty of liberal bloggers and their followers jumped on the bandwagon.  But they all went too far in calling it treason.

So how’s that working for them?  Most Americans – not just Democrats – are angry.  Public approval of Congress is at an all-time low.  The public overwhelmingly supports many of Obama’s policies.  They support him so much that he was emphatically elected to his second term in November. 

Nevertheless in mid-May, the Heritage Foundation’s lobbying branch wrote to U.S. House Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, urging them to avoid legislation and continue to focus on “scandals”.

“… it would be imprudent to do anything that shifts the focus from the Obama administration to the ideological differences within the House Republican Conference…. To that end, we urge you to avoid bringing any legislation to the House Floor that could expose or highlight major schisms within the conference…. Rather than scheduling such legislation for consideration, we urge you to keep the attention focused squarely on the Obama administration.”

The letter does not appear on either website.  Gee.  I wonder why they’re hiding it.

As Albert Einstein said, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

In various circumstances, obstruction can be annoying, inconvenient, childish, petulant, arrogant, rude, obnoxious, unproductive, bad policy, bad politics, dangerous, and even criminal. Political obstruction violates the American spirit.  And it’s led many liberals to ask our title question – When does obstruction become treason?  Does the Constitution give us any guidance?

Thanks to our obstructive school systems, most Americans don’t know how to find those answers.  Progressives are just as guilty as conservatives.  They refuse to read the Constitution.

Despite what many Americans think, our Constitution is not a list of laws.  It is an outline, a blueprint, for our government.  In the very first sentence, it gives all legislative power to Congress.  Treason is the only crime that our founders chose to define in the Constitution itself. 

So. When does obstruction become treason?  It doesn’t.  Ever.

United States Constitution, Article III, Section 3:

[1] Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.

[2] The Congress shall have Power to declare the Punishment of Treason, but no Attainder of Treason shall work Corruption of Blood, or Forfeiture except during the Life of the Person attainted.

See.  Obstruction is not treason.

Now, as for the NRA and its gungoon disciples who think that second amendment remedies empower them to wage armed rebellion, that’s another story.

For More Information:
READ THE CONSTITUTION.  I dare you.
Why Congress Can’t Get Anything Done
The American Terrorists
Why We Need More Lobbyists
Heritage Action for America
The Heritage Foundation

Pat O'Malley (10 Posts)