Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Let's Read the Constitution Day!

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January 11, 2011

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 5

Hatched by Dafydd

Some very important powers held by the United States Senate... and the first appearance of the chief executive, President of the United States, along with the Vice President.

The Vice President of the United States shall be President of the Senate, but shall have no Vote, unless they be equally divided.

The Senate shall chuse their other Officers, and also a President pro tempore, in the absence of the Vice President, or when he shall exercise the Office of President of the United States.

The Senate shall have the sole Power to try all Impeachments. When sitting for that Purpose, they shall be on Oath or Affirmation. When the President of the United States is tried, the Chief Justice shall preside: And no Person shall be convicted without the Concurrence of two thirds of the Members present.

Judgment in Cases of Impeachment shall not extend further than to removal from Office, and disqualification to hold and enjoy any Office of honor, Trust or Profit under the United States: but the Party convicted shall nevertheless be liable and subject to Indictment, Trial, Judgment and Punishment, according to Law.

We discover one of the important duties of the VP: That of presiding over the Senate and even voting as a tie-breaker, when necessary. Also, we discover the first of many "checks and balances" that were intended to keep the three branches of government, legislative, executive, and judicial, co-equal.

But did it work, or has one branch become superior to the other two?

All verses in the Lizardian Constitutional Collection:

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 1 (Preamble)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 2 (Congress; House, part I)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 3 (House, part II)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 4 (Senate, part I)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 5 (Senate, part II)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 6 (General congressional admin stuff)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 7 (Legislative process and enumerated powers)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 8 (Limitations)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 9 (The prez -- who does he think he is?)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 10 (What would a president do?)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 11 (Judiciary)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 12 (States, part I)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 13 (States, part 2)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 14 (Amendment; supreme law of the land)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 15 (Ratification rules and signers)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 16 (Amendments: Bill of Rights, Amendments 1-4)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 17 (Bill of Rights -- Courtroom Amendments 5-8)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 18 (Bill of Last Rights 9 and 10)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 19 (Amendments: Suing other states, president vs. vice president)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 20 (Amendments: Abolition of slavery)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 21 (Amendments: States prohibited from infringing rights)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 22 (Amendments: Racial voting rights)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 23 (Amendments: Wilsonian-Progressivism I)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 24 (Amendments: Wilsonian-Progressivism II)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 25 (Amendments: Rooseveltian amendments)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 26 (Amendments: Camelot amendments)

Let's Read the Constitution Day! - verse 27 (Amendments: Panacea amendments)

Hatched by Dafydd on this day, January 11, 2011, at the time of 12:00 AM

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Comments

The following hissed in response by: GW

The court system has, in the long term, become the strongest - because only they have taken on themselves the ability to amend the Constitution at their whim. But that is another section of the Constitution.

The above hissed in response by: GW at January 11, 2011 11:59 AM

The following hissed in response by: brotio

GW,

The courts didn't just take it on, the other two branches have actively encouraged it at times; and just refused to act on others.

The checks and balances have failed because the executive and legislative branches refuse to exert their Constitutional authority to reign in the courts. Andrew Jackson is reviled by some of my friends for in essence telling SCOTUS to enforce its own damn rulings. I celebrate this, and wish more Presidents would do the same thing.

The President, and a large majority in Congress were dismayed by the Court's KELO decision. Why was nothing done about it? They could have immediately started an amendment process, and they could have also started impeachment hearings against the Court majority.

As long as the executive, and legislative branches treat the court as the superior branch, the Court is going to behave as if it's the superior branch.

The above hissed in response by: brotio at January 11, 2011 9:36 PM