Would Republicans Consider It Unconstitutional For Federal Government To Destroy Asteroids Headed For The Earth?

This story in The Onion raises a real point. Would Republicans consider it to be unconstitutional for the federal government to destroy an asteroid hurling towards the earth because this is not a function of government mentioned in the Constitution? Would they insist upon leaving this to be handled by states, or claim that destruction of asteroids would be handled better by the market?

Republicans Vote To Repeal Obama-Backed Bill That Would Destroy Asteroid Headed For Earth

WASHINGTON—In a strong rebuke of President Obama and his domestic agenda, all 242 House Republicans voted Wednesday to repeal the Asteroid Destruction and American Preservation Act, which was signed into law last year to destroy the immense asteroid currently hurtling toward Earth.

The $440 billion legislation, which would send a dozen high-thrust plasma impactor probes to shatter the massive asteroid before it strikes the planet, would affect more than 300 million Americans and is strongly opposed by the GOP.

“The voters sent us to Washington to stand up for individual liberty, not big government,” Rep. Steve King (R-IA) said at a press conference. “Obama’s plan would take away citizens’ fundamental freedoms, forcing each of us into hastily built concrete bunkers and empowering the federal government to ration our access to food, water, and potassium iodide tablets while underground.”

“We believe that the decisions of how to deal with the massive asteroid are best left to the individual,” King added.

Repealing the act, which opponents have branded ‘Obamastroid,’ has been the cornerstone of the GOP agenda since the law’s passage last August. Throughout the 2010 elections, Republican candidates claimed that the Democrats’ plan to smash the space rock and shield citizens from its fragments was “a classic example of the federal government needlessly interfering in the lives of everyday Americans.”

“This law is a job killer,” said Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), who argued the tax increases required to save the human species from annihilation would impose unbearably high costs on businesses. “If we sit back and do nothing, Obamastroid will result in hundreds of thousands of lost jobs, which we simply can’t afford in this economy.”

Quote of the Day

“Protesters in Egypt are demanding that President Murabak step down by Friday. Murabak says he’ll leave in 5 years and then hand the job off to Conan.” –Jimmy Kimmel

Why Glenn Beck Is Sounding Even Crazier Than Usual

No, its not because Beck has gone off his meds.

David Frum points out the obvious about Glenn Beck–he sounds crazy to attract an audience:

Many people have suggested that since the crisis in Egypt began Fox News’ Glenn Beck sounds crazier than usual.

This is a hard assessment to quantify.  But if it is true, the uptick in craziness may be attributable to the decline in Beck’s audience.

Frum supported this view by reprinting an old post by Tim Mak on how “crazy talk” drives talk radio. This could also be supported with Beck’s own words when he described himself as a rodeo clown and pointed out that “If you take what I say as gospel, you’re an idiot.”

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John Kerry, Future Secretary of State

The Boston Globe discusses how John Kerry is positioning himself to become the next Secretary of State after Hillary Clinton leaves the position:

The Bay State’s senior senator is running an unofficial campaign to become the next secretary of state. For once, he looks artful, as well as ambitious.

His recent opinion piece in the New York Times said what President Obama couldn’t or wouldn’t: Mubarak must go.

Kerry’s conclusion was elegant, but unequivocal: “President Hosni Mubarak must accept that the stability of his country hinges on his willingness to step aside gracefully to make way for a new political structure.’’

Secretary of state is the spot Kerry wanted when Barack Obama won the presidency. He lost out to Hillary Clinton and Obama’s “team of rivals.’’ But his fallback position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee provides a powerful platform to press his case.

At times Kerry has already been considered the de facto Secretary of State. Kerry was the obvious choice for the position when Obama took office but other priorities took precedence. At the time it was more important to get Hillary Clinton out of the Senate where she might have established a conflicting power base, as well as to keep her out of health care policy. With that accomplished, there is no reason to consider anyone else for the position should Hillary Clinton to decide she does not want to remain at the State Department in a second Obama term.