The worst part of this clip isn’t that the liberal fellow says the Constitution is confusing because “it’s more than 100 years old.” It’s not as if it was written in Middle English, of the sort that schoolkids are or were once required to study in order to grapple with the Canterbury Tales.
Whan that Auerylle with his shoures soote
The droghte of March / hath perced to the roote
Etc and so forth. The Constitution is terse and straightforward, in relatively modern English. But no, though saying it’s confusing because it’s old is bad, that’s not the worst part.
The worst part isn’t when Klein says that reading it aloud in the next congress is a “gimmick.” Is it also a “gimmick” when the new congresscritters swear to uphold that same Constitution, as did the president a couple of years ago? It’s actually a shame the Constitution hasn’t been read aloud before every single congress. Read it, hear it, swear to live by it. Not seeing the gimmick.
The worst part isn’t when Nora O’Donnell calls Ezra Klein, late of the JournoList, the show’s “favorite wonk.” It’ll make you cringe a little bit, but it’s not the worst part.
The worst part is when he says that reading the Constitution aloud “has no binding effect on anything.” This is wonkery? This is what they teach at UCLA poli-sci?
It’s just foolery. For asserting the rather obvious fact that reading something aloud isn’t binding as if it’s brilliant wonkery, Klein needs to be slapped with a wet fish with “DUH” tattooed in large letters on its side.
The point isn’t that reading it aloud is binding, it’s that reading it aloud is a reminder that congress members are not demigods and that government isn’t empowered by its founding document to be the be-all-end-all for all our wants and needs. Our elected masters need to be reminded of that, daily. (hat tip Hot Air)
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