I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
I'm wondering if we haven't gotten the Bush translation for those sacred words, but his actions are speaking louder than those words he spoke and swore on a bible. I dunno, maybe I'm holding the bar too high. Maybe the President *is* performing to the best of his ability, but he's doing everything he can to NOT preserve, protect or defend the Constitution.
I know the oath of office for the Presidency is much shorter, and therefore easier for Bush to read and remember, than the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance that is taken by new citizens, but we might want to get someone from the administration to read this document and then give the Cliff Notes version to the President. If it's good enough for new citizens, shouldn't the president of the United States at least be held to the same principles?
"I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the armed forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God."
There is something about supporting and defending the Constitution that keeps coming up. I know the President says he doesn't read the news, but this document, the Constitution .....is studied in 8th grade! You could make a good case that the junior high set is more informed about this precious document that is the written set of fundamental principles by which the United States is governed.
We know now Bush's attendance record in his service in the National Guard, perhaps he played hooky in 8th grade, too. For all the aides that serve the president, couldn't one of them give him a primer on Constitutional principles?
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Power is the crack cocaine of emotions. No one on this green Earth has ever smoked power as pure as Darth Dick & insecure GW. It makes George feel so strong and so right. Dare he look in the mirror & see all the ghosts of the dead behind him and their weeping families? Or the folks without pensions or living wages or the slower terror of no-health care?
He is blinded by all the hailing to the chiefs and the carefully sycophantish audiences.
He forgets that the president in the United States is supposed to be a citizen servant.
I ask myself if when he isn't president, do you see him tirelessly going around the world trying to get clean water for poor people or conquer the horrible guinea worm like Carter and Clinton who mean this serving thing? Nah, I don't see it.
The Constitution isn't about service to Mr. Bush (except lip service), it's about power. He's an addict. You can see the invisible-insects buzz, the twitching around him. He isn't comfortable in his own skin in spite of the talking points they put out about him.
I'd certainly pity him if he weren't hurting so so many people.
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