The Maine Wire today published a commentary of ours. Below are a few passages to inspire interest on your part, so you’ll read the entire item.
“We are a nation of laws.” (see Note 1 below)Then this:
“No one is above the law.” (see Note 2 below)
“Equal justice before the law.” (see Note 3 below)
The majority of us embrace these as core truths of our unique American experiment, yet their regular flaunting, and at the same time abuse, by those who should be their guardians erodes their meaning and value. Most often, we find those who proclaim them most loudly are the very ones who least believe in them.
As best I can remember, Chairman Adam Schiff has been swearing in witnesses before the House Intelligence Committee with these words:And one more:
“Do you solemnly swear or affirm that the testimony you are about to give is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
The thought occurred to me that if I was called as a witness and asked to take this oath, I would reply “Sir, I will take this oath if you will take the same oath with me, and every member of the committee, or any staff who will testify, takes it as well.”
How can this be when “no one is above the law?” I refer you to the three notes above and to the Speech and Debate Clause of the US Constitution (Article I, Section 6, Clause 1) which reads “….for any Speech or Debate in either House, [Senators and Representatives] shall not be questioned in any other Place.” The Supreme Court has upheld the clause in multiple cases. In Doe v. McMillan (1973), “….the Court has held that the clause protects such acts as voting, the conduct of committee hearings, the issuance and distribution of committee reports, the subpoenaing of information required in the course of congressional investigations, and even the reading of stolen classified materials into a subcommittee’s public record.” (The Heritage Guide to the Constitution, page 81).Please read the entire item at this link: https://www.themainewire.com/2019/12/law-oaths-and-the-truth/
