Peloni: In his first segment Mark raises the issue of amending the US Constitution. Mark explains that there is a top down process, where the proposed amendments are made by Congress to be ratified by the state, but there is also a process where the states make the proposed amendments, this latter process not having been previously invoked. Mark explains that the Congress has proven to be hopelessly useless in reigning in the debt, and that it falls to the American people to make the case before their state legislatures to gain support for a Constitutional Convention. What he doesn’t address, however, is that the Congress is empowered to choose the delegates to any Constitutional Convention formed, which would provide significant leverage for the Congress while using either process.
Subscribe to Israpundit Daily Digest for FreeGiven that the Congress is not to be trusted with their role in proposing the amendments, how could they be trusted to form a convention which would have universal control over what amendments might be proposed and then ratified. It would be interesting to hear Mark speak to these concerns in the coming days. In his second segment, Mark talks with Victoria Coates, of the Heritage Foundation, about the related concerns to Americans if Iran becomes a nuclear power. Coates recalls that Khomeini has been calling for ‘death to America’ for fifty years during which time this has been Iran’s policy. During this time, the Iranian regime has also been deploying more and more sophisticated weapon systems, demonstrating the obvious threat to them having a nuclear bomb. She also explains that it would be a disaster for the US in the Middle East, but more so globally, noting the surrogacy which Iran plays for China. Coates also makes the pivotal point that the comparison to Iran’s attempt to develop nuclear weapons should be made to Iraq’s attempt to develop nuclear weapons back in 1982, rather than the latter 2003 Iraq war. What is more, she notes that the Iranian nuclear archive demonstrated the basis in duplicity which was the foundation of Obama’s 2015 JCPOA. Finally, Coates explains that there is not regional states which would ally with Iran against the US if the military option is pursued, and following Israel leaving Iran in a significantly diminished position, there would be no contest of forces in dealing with Iran, ie no regional war. All that Iran has to do to avoid their nuclear program being attacked is to give up their ability to enrich uranium. In the third segment, Mark talks with Gov. Ron Desantis about the economic restraints on the Florida legislature. Desantis echoe’s Mark’s earlier call for a Constitutional Convention to deal with the Congressional failings while still not explaining how the Congressional role in forming the convention might be circumvented. Desantis also discusses the various amendments of interest which he supports. Desantis also reports on various actions he has taken to deal with immigration issues and campus antisemitism in Florida.
June 7:
Peloni: In his opening segment, Mark explores the relationship and rivalries between John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, respectively the second and third US presidents, and draws lessons from this with regards to the Trump-Musk alliance-quarrel. He calls on Musk to call Trump and work out the problems he has with the president, while also sharing that he knows that Trump would accept the call, as both men are interested in moving the country towards a brighter future which isn’t advantaged by the current public quarrel between the two men. Mark also notes that the Republicans have a thin majority in the Congress, and proposes that if the Republicans are upset about the spending in Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill, that they should simply make changes as needed to the bill to gain a broader consensus so that the president’s agenda might be achieved. In his second segment, Mark talks with Gen. Jack Keane about the current situation with the Iran negotiations. Keane explains that Iran’s nuclear program is intended to stabilize the regime, but to also threaten/destroy Israel. He also notes that a nuclear Iran would lead to a nuclear arms race with Iran, while also allowing Iran to dominate and control the oil trade out of the Middle East. Keane also details the threat which Israel faces with hundreds of ballistic missiles attacking Israel simultaneously, aimed at both civilian and military installations. Additionally, Keane demonstrates the parallel intent of the Iranians in negotiating with Trump with their reasons for negotiation with Obama, to delay negations while also securing their enrichment capabilities. Currently, Iran is trying to overcome the damage to their air defense systems which came from Israel’s attack last fall, but they are simultaneously working on extending the range of their ballistic missiles to threaten the US and Europe. Keane predicts that the negotiations will inevitably fail, and that Iran will accept an attack on their nuclear facilities over voluntary dismantling them, in hopes of preserving some elements of the program. In the third segment, Mark talks with Saleno Zito who recently published the book, Butler, the Untold Story of the Near Assassination of Donald Trump and the Fight for America’s Heartland. This segment was pre-empted due to the breaking reporting on the chaos in LA.
June 8:
@Adam
I provided this information in the link which I included in my preface. Here is the link again:
https://publiushuldah.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/state-legislatures-have-no-power-to-select-or-control-delegates-feb.-28-2022.pdf
The Congress is responsible for calling the convention, as per Article V. The Congress is empowered to provide the laws which guide the execution of the powers established in the constitution, as per Article I Section 8. The Congress lays claim to having the responsibility for such details regarding any Constitutional Convention, including the manner in which delegates might be chosen, as per the Congressional Research Service.
What is more is that in the Federal Constitutional Convention Procedures Act of 1972, Congress demonstrates that it holds full authority to provide guidelines by which Conventions are assembled, announced, and financed. This law even stipulates any issues which might arise in regards to the Convention are to be decided by the Congress, alone, ie no courts. This law also provides terms under which Congress might disallow a proposed amendment. It even indicates deadlines under which the convention must be formed. And it certainly describes in detail how the delegates are to be chosen.
Recalling that the Federal Constitutional Convention Procedures Act of 1972 is just a simple law, itself bearing less weight than an Amendment to the Constitution, all that would be needed to change this statute would be for Congress to pass another law, either with the support of the president or with an override of his veto.
Peloni. to the very best of my knowledge and belief, the Congress has no say concerning the selection of delegates to a constituional convention. If I recall correctly, the constitution gives the power to select the delegates to such a convention to the state legislatures, or to such persons that the legislatures designate to elect the delegates. For example, a state legislature might designate “the people” of the state–meaning the lawful voters–as the electors of the delegated to the convention.
If you can find a clause in the Constituion that gives Congress the right to designate the delegates to the Convention and to participate in its deliberations, please quote it for us, with a reference to the specific clause or clauses that gives the Congress this power.