On Novermber 4, 2010, during a speech to the Heritage Foundation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made the following statement:
“Our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term.”
This statement on the part of Senator McConnell is a treasonous statement, and during the past 13 plus months, his declared opposition to a successful President Obama has very much been reflected in the U.S. Senate’s inability to properly address the needs of the American public.
Why Wouldn’t President Obama Be Re-elected?
Article II, Section 1 of the U.S. Constitution states that the executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States. Section 8 of the same Article requires the President to take an Oath of Office in which he must affirm to the best of his ability, to preserve, protect and defend the Consitution of the United States.
If President Obama does not wield his executive powers well, if he does not work to preserve, protect and defend the United States, and if the perception of the American electorate is he has not been effective as their Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, then he is not likely to be re-elected.
Simply put, if President Obama does not do as many things as possible that are beneficial for as many Americans as possible, then he is not likely to be re-elected.
How Would a Senate Minority Leader Politically Deny a President a Second Term?
Generally speaking, by working to make certain that one, the President fails in his duties as Chief Executive and Commander in Chief, and two, the President fails to uphold his sworn oath to preserve, protect and defend the United States of America
More specifically, a Senate Minority Leader could help to prevent a President’s re-election by opposing any and every political initiative put forth by the President and his party that may be beneficial to the American public. He could oppose anything that would possibly make the President look good in the eyes of the American electorate.
The Definition of Treason
Article III, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution states that “treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort.”
If a Senate Minority leader is working politically to make certain that the President of the United States fails in performing actions that benefit the American public, as that Senate leader would have to do if he wanted to deny the President a second term, then that Senator is waging a political war against the United States. That Senator has not only made a treasonous statement, he is also in the process of committing treason.
How Specifically Would a Senate Minority Leader Make a President Fail?
The U.S. Senate has a peculiar little practice called the filibuster, which allows a Senator to stop progress on any bill by speaking on and on about any topic they choose. The only way to stop this endless ramble is by invoking something called cloture so that a vote on the bill can finally be taken. The invoking of cloture requires 60 Senators. In the U.S. Senate, majority vote does not rule—the number 60 does.
The filibuster has been around for a long time in the U.S. Senate, but it is only in the past 50 years that it has been used a lot, and abused far too often. Furthermore, there is no doubt that both Democrats and Republicans are guilty of filibuster abuse.
One of Senator McConnell’s Main Weapons
As Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell has a guiding hand over what Republican Senators support or do not support. If McConnell wants a bill filibustered, he can make certain it is.
The Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act of 2011, the American Jobs Act of 2011, the Budget Control Act of 2011, and the Economic Development Revitalization Act of 2011 are just some of the measures Republican Senators have prevented passage of, through the use of the filibuster, in the past 13 plus months.
All of these bills were intended by the President and his party to address the needs of the American public. All of these bills were very much focused on the economy.
Few would deny that the state of the economy plays a key role in determining whether or not a President is re-elected. Thus, any measure that might improve the economy in any significant way would likely improve the President’s chances of being re-elected and is thereby a threat to the Senate Minority Leader being able to accomplish his top political priority.
Now we can argue about the merits of the provisions these various bills contain, but that’s not the point here.
The American Public Needs Leaders Who Work Together and Compromise
The United States needs workable solutions to its problems, but you do not find those solutions by rambling endlessly (filibustering) in Senate sessions. Solutions are found by opposing parties sitting down and exploring various possibilities.
The Democratic and Republican parties obviously have significant differences in political philosophy, but the American public, now, as always, needs political leaders who are willing to sit down and compromise their way to solutions that benefit as many Americans as possible.
Our country cannot afford to have Congressional leaders whose top political priority is to make certain the President of the United States fails. Mitch McConnell has publicly stated that he wants the President of the United States—our country’s Chief Executive and Commander in Chief—to fail in the performance of his job duties. Mitch McConnell has been using the filibuster to try and make certain the President does indeed fail.
McConnell has made a treasonous statement. His working to fulfill the promise of that statement is an act of treason. And the fruits of his labor have been hindering the U.S. Senate’s ability to address the needs of the American public.
