Tag: Constitution

Impeachable Offenses: A History (Part 3)

  

In my previous two posts, I offered insights on impeachable offenses from the preeminent expositor of the Constitution in early America, Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story, and from one of the most learned legal scholars of the twentieth century, Raoul Berger. In this, my final post dealing with the subject, I turn to what the House of Representatives concluded during its investigation of Richard Nixon’s potential impeachment. Yes, that House conclusion was written when Democrats controlled the House, but it… Read more »

Impeachable Offenses: A History (Part 2)

  

In my last post, I drew from my book, Mission: Impeachable, on whether an impeachment and removal from office required the violation of a specific law. I quoted Supreme Court Justice Joseph Story (served 1812-1845) who, in his Familiar Exposition of the Constitution, noted that the history of impeachment, both in theory and in practice, had never laid down such a requirement. Story was the most eminent constitutional commentator of his day, and his view needs to be taken seriously…. Read more »

Impeachable Offenses: A History (Part 1)

  

We are in the midst of another impeachment drama, the third in my lifetime. The first, that of Richard Nixon, didn’t reach a full House vote or a Senate trial due to Nixon’s wise decision to resign. The second, that of Bill Clinton, went to the Senate but suffered from the tribalism that so affects us still today, with not even one Democrat voting to remove him from office. After that failed attempt to turn the presidency over to VP… Read more »

On Honoring Government

  

Let me clarify something today. I can almost hear some readers of this blog thinking, “He criticizes the president and Congress so much that he can’t really have any respect for the government.” The opposite is true. I have the highest regard for the federal government. This comes from a reading of the Constitution, the debates over its ratification, and the character of many of those who helped bring it to pass. I believe the form of government set up by… Read more »

Article 2 Says What?

  

Last week, President Trump spoke to a crowd of young conservatives at a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) conference in Washington, DC. In the process of criticizing former special counsel Robert Mueller, he said the following: “Then I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as president.” He was referring, of course, to the second article in the US Constitution. Well, I’ve read the Constitution (I won’t speak for President Trump as to whether… Read more »

A Faithless & Twisted Generation

  

Let’s talk about money and accountability for how it is used. Now, that may sound rather mundane, but we do have a money and accountability problem in this nation. Why is this important? Jesus spoke about the connection in Luke 16 when offering a parable about someone who was dishonest as a money manager. It ends with these pointed words to the rest of us: Whoever is faithful with very little will also be faithful with much, and whoever is… Read more »

What Studying History Tells Me

  

I’ve studied American history in depth now for decades, and I am convinced of one thing for sure: human nature is the same throughout all of history. Now, that shouldn’t be an epiphany for Christians, since we believe that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Yet the study of history only emphasizes that poignant truth. I don’t claim that politicians are some special kind of sinner, but when one lusts for political power, one can… Read more »