Stephen F. Kislock, III – 7/8/07

This page was last updated on July 8, 2007.

Repeating the big lie; Stephen F. Kislock, III; Beaver County Times; July 8, 2007.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“With a stroke of his pen, President Bush, at his infamous signing statements, has made our Constitution and the Bill of Rights insignificant.

“President Lincoln, during the Civil War, did not emasculate these documents as Bush has done on his so-called war on terror.”

[RWC] Never let it be said Mr. Kislock lets facts get in the way of a good rant.

Check the history books and you’ll find President Lincoln suspended habeous corpus. Mr. Lincoln also exiled Clement Vallandigham, a former Democrat Ohio congressman. Mr. Vallandigham was a vocal opponent of the Civil War who advocated letting the South secede.

Regarding signing statements, they have been in existence since their first use by James Madison, our fifth president. For more info about signing statements, please read my critique of the Times editorial “By the book.”

“From 2000 to 2006, with Republicans having total of control of all three branches of our government, it became invisible and unanswerable to the people. I guess it’s not what the people can do for their country, but what the government can and is doing to our rights as Americans - and that is to eliminate them.”

[RWC] “Total control of all three branches of government?”

First, Republicans were not the majority in the Senate from May 2001 to January 2003.

Second, having the majority doesn’t give control, especially in the Senate. Remember, you need 60 votes to break a filibuster and the most seats the Republicans held during this time was 55. Further, at least four “Republican” senators were really liberals who for some reason ran as Republicans.

Third, the Supreme Court tended to lean liberal until Justice Alito replaced Justice O’Connor in January 2006. Even today the Court isn’t reliably conservative because Justice Kennedy tends to straddle the fence.

“Celebrating the burial of our Constitution will be the new holiday, with Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Congress wanting most to celebrate. I think it will be called ‘SOAR (Suspension of All Rights) Day.’”

[RWC] Mr. Kislock does realize Democrats hold the majority in Congress, right? Or is he also accusing Democrats of taking our rights? FYI, rights are in the eye of the beholder. As a conservative, I’m willing to bet the liberal Mr. Kislock supports the taking of far more rights than do I. After all, erosion of individual rights is a fundamental principle of liberalism/progressivism/socialism.

“There will be parades with the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in their caskets - and fireworks. The people always like fireworks; it makes them happy.

“Preparing the American people for a new war is slow and insidious. Articles are appearing in newspapers and on TV that say Iran is doing this and that to help the Iraqi insurgency.

“Soon, like Saddam’s ties to Sept. 11, 2001, Americans - who still believe that lie - will want blood. American blood, too, will flow; the price of freedom, they will say.”

[RWC] Who claims Saddam Hussein was linked to 9/11?

“But like any war-mongering government, the big lie is just starting to surface: ‘We must attack Iran and save the free world,’ just as we have done in Iraq.

“This will be repeated again and again, until they believe and its Johnny get your gun again and again.”

[RWC] FYI, the politician making the most noise about this is Democrat Joe Lieberman. Funny how Mr. Kislock failed to mention that point, isn’t it?