The First Amendment: Statist's Edition

In the wake of “Citizens United v. Federal Elections Commission” and the Obama/Alito kerfuffle, I give you the First Amendment, as seen through the eyes of lefty statists:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech*, or of the press**; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble†, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances‡."

*Except inconvenient political speech.

**If new forms of communication media are developed in the future (e.g. radio, television, internet), Congress shall be permitted to make laws abridging communication involving those media.

†Exception: Congress shall make laws abridging the right of the people to peaceably to assemble into groups of individuals known as corporations, particularly in cases in which these groups spend large sums of money exercising their "right" to communicate.

‡Unless the attempt to redress grievances involves spending money on political campaigns within the 60 day period preceding an election.

Now, from constitutional novice, some thoughts on the First Amendment:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

1. Take special note of the words "NO LAW"

2. Let those words sink in.

3. The First Amendment is not just about "speech." It's about freedom of communication. It's about freedom of assembly (you can even form an evil corporation if you wish). It's about the freedom to redress grievances (no exceptions).

So a group of people assemble and form a corporation and they communicate their thoughts in print, online, and over the airwaves. What part of the First Amendment provides wiggle room for the Imperial Federal Government to stop that?

There is no wiggle room.

Those who despise the First Amendment have only one option before them: to amend the Constitution.

Alito's Flamboyant Outburst

This is the most flamboyant outburst I have ever seen. Watch carefully; you might miss it:

Wasn't that slick? Obama gave lip service to deference to separation of powers, and then proceeded to lash out at his wayward minions from the tertiary branch.

The visual of the Justices sitting as the crowd (dare I say "mob") of Democrats around them jumped to their feet in exultation of Obama's prevarication was a low point in this already lowly presidency.

Leftists who don't like "conservative" Supreme Court Justices are pretending to be shocked by Alito's dismay:

...the behavior of Justice Alito at last night's State of the Union address...was a serious and substantive breach of protocol that reflects very poorly on Alito and only further undermines the credibility of the Court.

...The Court's credibility...has — justifiably — declined substantially over the past decade, beginning with Bush v. Gore...

...Justice Alito's flamboyantly insinuating himself into a pure political event, in a highly politicized manner, will only hasten that decline.

To say that Alito's sotto voce behavior was flamboyant is utterly ridiculous.

Moreover, if Alito was guilty of any breach of protocol (and this is a very big "if"), it was only in response to Obama's much more serious breach of protocol.

Obama has a right to express his opinion, but to express his opinion the way he did (and in that setting) undermines any perception or reality of a Court that is "separate and detached from partisan wars."

More

Should Obama Just Pack the Supreme Court and Get It Over With?

It's cool...FDR bullied the court too!

With All Due Deference to Separation of Powers

With all due respect deference? What does that really mean?

Executive branch attacks judicial branch. Statists cheer.

A deliberate attempt by Obama to intimidate the Court

Exit thoughts from Saul Alinski:

~Ridicule is man’s most potent weapon. It is almost impossible to counteract ridicule. It also infuriates the opposition, who then react to your advantage.

~Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. You can kill them with this...