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Sunday, September 30, 2007

Going back to the Constitution

This morning, Senator John McCain is quoted as making the following statement in an interview for a Christian website when asked his opinion of a Muslim candidacy for Presdient:

“I just have to say in all candor that since this nation was founded primarily on Christian principles, that’s a decision the American people would have to make, but personally, I prefer someone who I know who has a solid grounding in my faith.”

McCain has apparently forgotten--or doesn't care about--the following provision of the Constitution of the United States (Article VI):

"The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States."

For the moment the Republican Party has definitely repudiated some of our most fundamental Constitutional traditions, and the nation must decide whether we want to preserve them or not.

2 comments:

NoZe said...

The Religious Right doesn't trust McCain...after all, he'd called them "agents of intolerance" back in 2000. Its unfortunate, now that his presidential campaign is floundering, that he would pander to them so. A sad and unseemly end to a noteworthy political career.

Ian said...

Well, saying "I would prefer a Christian president" is not the same as a legal requirement that the president be Christian. "Personally, I prefer" is the part of McCain's statement that keeps it constitutional, no?