Virginia GOP Nominee Says Federal Disaster Relief Is Unconstitutional

[Tx4obama]

Virginia GOP Nominee Says Federal Disaster Relief Is Unconstitutional

Bishop E.W. Jackson, the Republican nominee to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Virginia, does not believe that victims of the Oklahoma tornado should receive any federal aid to help them rebuild their lives. In video from a previous campaign first posted by Right Wing Watch, Jackson claims that federal relief to disaster victims is unconstitutional:

JACKSON: I don’t think that the federal government has much of a role at all constitutionally, at all (in disaster relief). Now, you may make an argument that it does. You might argue that it’s a national security issue you might argue that it weakens us in the event of some sort of national military emergency. So you can make an attenuated argument. But I think that as a constitutional matter the federal government doesn’t have a whole lot to do with that. In my view, these are things that are ultimately supposed to be handled by the states. And, so, we’ve got a big Tenth Amendment problem in our country. . . . We’ve turned the federal government into a kind of god.

-snip- (video)

Disaster relief is not an attempt to steal power from God. To the contrary, it is the just response of a nation sensitive to the lesson of 1 John 3:17, which reads that “if anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?”

It is also entirely consistent with the Constitution. The Constitution gives the United States broad authority to “lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States.” Ensuring that all Americans can rebuild their lives in the wake of a major national disaster is a classic example of using federal revenues to provide for the general welfare.

-snip-

Full article here: http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/05/22/2046551/virginia-gop-nominee-says-federal-disaster-relief-is-unconstitutional/

[TheCowsCameHome]

1. This guy is sumpin'

He'll be fun to watch.

[hrmjustin]

2. I can't wait for the debate.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

3. Needs to be surrounded with OK victims' families

He needs to chased out of this state. He doesn't deserve to be in office.

[Addison]

4. "We the people of the United States . . .

. . . in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Guess he missed that part about promoting the general welfare.

But in fairness, it's probably been a long time since he read the Constitution.

[The Magistrate]

5. I'm Lovin' This Guy, Ma'am, I Really Am

He will hand us Virginia on a platter....

[Arkana]

6. Good thing he has absolutely no say in the matter.

Seriously, this dude is so comically awful I'm starting to think he's Andy Milonakis in disguise.

[DFW]

7. I'll bet Inhofe is secretly telling people in Oklahoma the following:

("Pssst! Pay him no mind. he's not a REAL Republican.&quot

Oh, but he is. 100% guaranteed Gen-yoo-ine Republican. Vote for 'em while they're hot (and you're not).

[Shrike47]

8. May they nominate more guys like this.

[ellie]

9. How delicious!

[gopiscrap]

10. This guy is the real disaster!

[Lugnut]

11. This guy's on a roll.

Nice pick, VA GOPers!