Rick Perry Says Social Security And Medicare Are Unconstitutional

[Better Believe It]

Rick Perry Says Social Security And Medicare Are Unconstitutional
By Ian Millhiser
August 12, 2011

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has, to say the least, a very odd understanding of the Constitution. He thinks Texas should be able to opt out of Social Security, and he believes that everything from federal public school programs to clean air laws are unconstitutional. Yet in an interview with the Daily Beast’s Andrew Romano, Perry makes his most outlandish claim to date — Social Security and Medicare are unconstitutional:

The Constitution says that “the Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes… to provide for the… general Welfare of the United States.” But I noticed that when you quoted this section on page 116, you left “general welfare” out and put an ellipsis in its place. Progressives would say that “general welfare” includes things like Social Security or Medicare—that it gives the government the flexibility to tackle more than just the basic responsibilities laid out explicitly in our founding document. What does “general welfare” mean to you?

I don’t think our founding fathers when they were putting the term “general welfare” in there were thinking about a federally operated program of pensions nor a federally operated program of health care. What they clearly said was that those were issues that the states need to address. Not the federal government. I stand very clear on that. From my perspective, the states could substantially better operate those programs if that’s what those states decided to do.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2011/08/12/294753/rick-perry-says-social-security-and-medicare-are-unconstitutional/

[harun]

1. The "Founding Fathers" are dead. If we say SS, SS it is.

[mysuzuki2]

2. the constitution does not specifically provide for

roads, air traffic control or farm subsidies. Are you willing to do without federal help with these, numbnuts?

[sinkingfeeling]

6. Don't forget FEMA. Red states love FEMA after every fire, drought, flood, hurricane, or tornado!

[Better Believe It]

12. And the Constitution doesn't even mention space travel paid for by the government!

No mention at all of planes, rockets and cars in the Consitution.

[WCGreen]

48. or billion dollar aircraft carriers...

[liberal N proud]

23. The GOP doesn't want to fund any of those things either

Except for the farm subsidies to "big" farmers.

[ecstatic]

3. Ron Paul says the same thing,

just in case any of his DU fans are reading. :crazy:

[RKP5637]

26. Yep, good point! n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

4. What he really wants more than anything (other than being President) is for the USA to become

a loosely linked bunch of 50 states. Wonder if he knows how much money is stupid Texas would lose in that deal. Wouldn't it be fun to see millions of struggling Americans trying to move into some small state like Massachusetts?

[aquart]

11. He wants to turn us into Somalia.

Canada needs to start building refugee camps.

[femrap]

20. [phone].

I have long been saying that these dudes who hate our gov't....go where there is none....Somalia.

[RKP5637]

27. He really does, doesn't he. It's amazing he even gets one vote. Frankly, it's

rather scary someone like Perry even gets in office. It tells me about the people voting him in, and I find them even more scary than Perry. It's yet another WTF. Yeah, I wonder where we will be in another decade or so, probably refugee camps someplace. I like Canada.

[flamingdem]

21. surreal! nt

[RaleighNCDUer]

32. IOW, what he wants is the Confederacy. nt

[RobinA]

42. I Wonder

if he's ever heard of the Articles of Confederation and their success as a form of government.

[Octafish]

5. 'High-Functioning Moron'

Apt assessment of Gov Goodhair.

[alcibiades_mystery]

7. If there's anyone here who DESERVES the consequences of a Perry Presidency, it's you, BBI

It's not going to happen, but if it did, it would be exactly what you've spent the last 3 years trying very hard to produce, though I'm sure unintentionally.

[ecstatic]

9. +1000. nt

[Starbucks Anarchist]

41. Bingo.

I actually did a double take when I saw his name. Usually, it's next to an "Obama sucks" post.

[valerief]

8. He's a dangerous fu*k. nt

[The_Casual_Observer]

10. This guy gets weirder & weirder as the days go by.

Another dumb texan is not what this country needs right now.

[femrap]

13. I wish these jerks would

learn the true meaning of hunger...Perry, what an ass. One big greedy, selfish, dirty asshole.

[ProfessionalLeftist]

14. So, Mr. Preacherman can now read the minds of dead men?

Remarkable! More likely, he's just reading his own narrow mind and following the edict of his REAL Gods - MONEY and Grover Norquist.

[Laf.La.Dem.]

15. Our Air Force is unconstitutional!!!

The Constitution was ratified in 1787, long, long before the advent of the airplane. It provides, specifically, for a navy and an army. So is the Air Force Constitutional?

[flamingdem]

22. I agree, that needs to be looked into nt

[Better Believe It]

29. We can fly?

But it's not in the bible!

[flamingdem]

38. No, we cannot fly but we can walk on water

That is acceptable!

[kwolf68]

49. LOL...rock N freaking roll

Nice NICE argument...I am gonna use it a lot.

[DCKit]

16. Yeah. What could SS and Medicare possibly have to do with "The General Welfare"?

Listen up seniors! He want's to take them away from you NOW!

[marmar]

17. Perry also wants to rename the country The United States of Libertaria

nt

[ProfessionalLeftist]

18. Oh. One other thing: If SS and Medicare are "unconstitutional" then so is the Dept. of Defense

...just saying. ALL provide for the "general welfare" do they not?

[kath]

19. Too bad the M$M will give NO coverage to this

or to other outrageous statements made by the Batshit-Crazy Brigade.

[Evasporque]

24. Cruel and unusual punishment is'nt really cruel or unusual...either...

It was standard procedure to treat suspected criminals and witches poorly...that was not cruel or unusual back in the day...

[RKP5637]

25. This F'er constantly causes the definition of stupid to have to be rewritten to

describe even greater stupidity. I think he needs to be drug tested. I can't believe they keep reelecting this guy.

[OHdem10]

28. Keep it up Rick Perry, Keep it up.

[amborin]

standard Federalist Society dogma

[amborin]

30. standard Federalist Society dogma

[SammyWinstonJack]

50. Yup!

[Ilsa]

31. And this will be his downfall. I hope. nt

[corpseratemedia]

33. Idiocracy, we have arrived!

[Odin2005]

34. I don't give a damn what some white make slaveowners and businessmen thought.

[stopbush]

35. In a Rick Parry/Ron Paul world, states wouldn't need to provide SS or Medicare,

and when people got old or needed health care, they'd just move to one of the states that did provide SS and Medicare, with the citizens of those states picking up the tab for Texas' cast-offs.

[Historic NY]

36. That ought to go over well with the electorate.....

he doesn't even understand the term "general welfare"

[RobinA]

43. Doesn't It Mean

making sure military generals are well taken care of in retirement?

[anamandujano]

47. Yup, he's off to a good start and FINISH. Got to wonder why

he is emboldened to say things like this.

I didn't follow his campaigns in Texas but doubt he would have won with this out there. Of course the voting machines account for a lot of slime getting into office.

[sinkingfeeling]

37. And one more thing. Where does the Constitution give us the Federal Reserve or using taxpayer

money to 'bail out' private corporations?

[Luciferous]

39. Idiot.

:eyes:

[lonestarlib]

40. "if that’s what those states decided to do"

any time a repub talks about a state taking over something, it's code for dismantling it

[sarcasmo]

44. Every Democrat running from now on needs to run pro Medicare, and Social Security

Just keep hammering the point over and over again that Republicans want to destroy Social Security and Medicare. Don't use words like safety net and entitlements, use the actual word to drill it in to these Seniors voting against their best interests. It would be an easy flier to make up, Republicans want to destroy Social Security and Medicare. Mail that flier to every voter.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

45. Rick Perry can kiss my ass.

[Faryn Balyncd]

46. What Perry thinks IS constitutional is a Gov. officially in cahoots with "apostles" who think Oprah

...is the "forerunner of the Antichrist", and that the Japanese stock market fell because the emperor slept with th Sun-goddess.

[Waiting For Everyman]

51. He's done already, just on that.

Those programs aren't called "the third rail" for nothing. (Meaning as in instant electrocution, you touch it, you're dead.)

And that isn't his only deal-breaker. (There's also his minimum wage jobs, and his theocratic agenda. Secessionism. Not to mention his intelligence deficit.)

[ThoughtCriminal]

52. Don't forget to close the Johnson Space Center

Founding Fathers weren't think about space exploration.

[jmowreader]

53. The quickest way to shut up a bagger who lives in a state west of the 13 originals...

So here we have the governor of Texas running around saying the Founding Fathers never envisioned the Great Society and New Deal programs most of us have come to accept.

The problem Perry has is, the Founding Fathers never envisioned Texas either.