I am reading the transcript of the argument in the Supreme Court case of Zivotofsky v. Kerry, Secretary of State. The case deals with President George W. Bushs decision to allow folks born in Jerusalem to claim Israel as their birthplace on their passport applications. It is a not so subtle reminder of one of the many foreign policy embarrassments that result when you elect a person who is absolutely ignorant about the United States Constitution to the Presidency of the United States. Say what you will about President Obama, and go ahead and use this mid-term election as one last attempt to get back at him for winning the presidency twice, overwhelmingly. But please, spare me the I yearn for the days of George W. Bush rhetoric. He created a firestorm in Israel with what he did when he signed this passport legislation. Here is a brief segment from pages 30-31 -- GENERAL VERRILLI: . . . I dont think that I 12 think the credibility of the assertion is proven by 13 history. With all due respect, Mr. Chief Justice, even 14 though President Bush issued that statement which said 15 this didnt change the policy of the United States and 16 that we werent going to enforce it because he was 17 treating it as advisory, the consequences that ensued in 18 the Middle East in October of 2002 were that there were 19 mass demonstrations in Jerusalem, thousands of people in 20 the streets, some turning violent. The Palestinian 21 parliament met and voted for the first time to declare 22 Jerusalem the capital of the Palestinian state, No 23 longer forbearing on that issue. And if you look at 24 pages 25 CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: But thats partly 1 because the Executive Branch made such a big deal out of 2 it. I mean, they issue a statement saying, this is 3 unconstitutional and all that. They could easily have 4 said, this is no big deal, theyre just letting whoever 5 is born there pick the name they want to put on 6 GENERAL VERRILLI: With all due respect, 7 Your Honor 8 CHIEF JUSTICE ROBERTS: nothing to see 9 here, move on, and were proving that by going ahead and 10 signing it. And over the over the intervening 11 course, the executive has litigated this. Its a 12 selffulfilling prophecy that its going to be such a 13 huge deal.
Posted on: Mon, 03 Nov 2014 22:17:11 +0000
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