We The People

C-Span did its Washington Journal live from the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia (the video is here) on March 4th. The first segment of open phones was to ask what viewers thought the Framers would think of their Constitution today. And I was pleased that not one called thought they'd be pleased. Most felt they'd be outraged, a few thought they'd be disappointed. "Appalled" and "rolling over in the graves" was the general consensus.

I was bothered by Richard Stengel, the CEO of the Center, when he was asked by a caller how the Federal government could have an education department under the Constitution when it is silent on the subject of education. His response is that the Constitution is silent on a lot of things and there can be a Department of Education because the Constitution doesn't bar it. Huh? I guess he's not familiar with the Bill of Rights, particularly the Tenth Amendment which limits the Federal government's power by assigning every power not assigned to the Federal government to the states and the people.

This is a man whose job is educating the people on the Constitution and he doesn't know it himself.