Oh boy! This is going to ruffle some feathers (no Thanksgiving pun intended):
Pete Williams of NBC raised the question on MSNBC this afternoon: Is Hillary Clinton barred by the Constitution from accepting the post of secretary of state?
Article One, Section Six of the U.S. Constitution says:
No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been increased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office.
This is not the first time this Article has stood in the way of a cabinet appointment. In 1973, at the height of Watergate, President Richard Nixon nominated William Saxbe (R) to be Attorney General and the issue was raised because Saxbe was in the Senate in 1969 when the Attorney General’s pay was raised.
In that instance, Congress lowered the pay for the AG, allowing the appointment to proceed. Democratic Senators complained, however, and 10 senators actually voted against the transparent scheme on constitutional grounds. At the time, Sen. Robert C. Byrd deemed it was clearly unconstitutional saying we should not delude the American people into thinking a way can be found around the constitutional obstacle.
Commentary relative to O'Bama's eligibility are:
1. sour grapes
2. unsubstantiated by any one now alive.
3. wishful thinking by racists.
Aside from that, you're thinking about Hillary is pretty clear - she's ineligible. And I don't want her to be Sec-State. Byrd was right in '73 and his thinking is still right. The Senate should never bend to the will of the President; their job is to advise and then consent if appropriate.
Oh - Marc - we agree, and on Thanksgiving, our only secular national holiday, besides the King memorial, whisch isn't recognised by enough states for me to classify as a national holiday, but a Federal Holiday.
Choice is the seed of democracy as greed is the fruit of capitalism.
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Posted by: BimBeau | November 27, 2008 at 04:30 PM
If Obama is not qualified as you say, learn the words "President Biden" - that said, I think Clinton would be a great SecState - Bill Clinton, that is.
Posted by: Bill Adkins | November 26, 2008 at 08:53 PM
Just a minor obstacle. Have you forgotten that the President elect is not qualified. He was not born in the U.S.?
Posted by: Redman | November 26, 2008 at 12:37 PM