Unlimited Federal Power--Stark The Snark

Pete Stark has long been known as an ill-tempered congressman with a penchant for saying things he shouldn't. In this town hall meeting, he's taken to task by a lady who obviously is more informed than he is on the foundational elements of our government. She begins by saying:

"I heard you say today that health care is now a right, rather than a privilege because of the legistlation that passed earlier this year. But such a right is actually beyond the power of the federal government to confer. And this is because it necessarily infringes the rights of other people......

...in order to get health care services, those services have to be rendered by somebody else, using their time, their knowledge and their labor. And this means if any one of us want health care and we have a right to it, then we necessarily have the right to compel others to provide those services or to pay for them for us.

I have a two part question and the first one is, how can legislation such as this be constitutional when it seems to be in direct conflict with the thirteenth amendment which abolished slavery? And the second thing is, if this legislation is constitutional what limitations are there on the federal governments ability to tell us how to run our private lives?"

Stark, after hemming and hawing for a moment, says:

"I think there are very few constitutional limits that would prevent the federal government from rules that could affect your private life. Now the basis for that would be how does it affect other people."

Wrong, Congressman Stark. There are many, many constitutional limits. You just refuse to recognize them. Further, the basis is not how it affects other people. The basis is the Constitution. The federal government is given certain powers. The government also has a habit of taking powers not given to it by the Constitution.

The lady asking the question obviously understands this because she interrupts him to say:

"Sir, the Constitution specifically enumerates certain powers to the federal government and leaves all other authority to the states or the people.....and it specifically prohibits slavery. When tell somebody you have a right to get a service from another, that's essentially saying, “You get to make that person do something for you.” And sir, that is a form of slavery. So my question is, how can this law be constitutional but more importantly than that, if they can do this, what can't they? Is your answer they can do anything?"

Stark's answer:

"The federal government, yes, can do most anything in this country."

This is what many congressman believe. You are theirs to do with as they please. They're smarter than you and you should willingly give over the path of your life to their leadership. They won't say it publicly and maybe not even to each other, but that is their deep seated belief.

The lady tells him:

"You sir, and people who think like you are destroying this nation."

Stark's snarky response:

"I'm very glad you're here to save it."

Stark is known for being a smart alec (to put it kindly). I am not nearly so polite as the lady to whom he was speaking. I too am glad she is here to save it. Indeed, it will be people just like her who defeat the arrogant ruling class and return our system of government to it's prescribed form. In fact, I think he may have just faced his next opponent and in their first debate she wiped the floor with him. Which is probably why he had to resort to rudeness.

She forced him to do something he hadn't done in a long time. Think and be accountable. The saddest thing of all may be that Stark has been elected 18 times! The last time he won with nearly 77% of the vote. Were it not the Bay Area in California it would be unbelievable.