Is there anything more that the administration can do to ignore the spirit of the U.S. Constitution before President Bush leaves office?
The New York Times has revealed that a 2007 memorandum by the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel claims that even federal programs subject to nondiscrimination laws can hand out taxpayer money to groups that discriminate in hiring staffers. The memo says the administration can bypass laws that bar giving taxpayer money to religious groups that hire only staff members who share their faith.
The Constitution, Article VI, Section 3, states "no religious test
shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust
under the United States."
James Madison, the primary author of the
Constitution, said, "An alliance or coalition between Government and
religion cannot be too carefully guarded against."
America is in the midst of an election season, nearing an Election Day with what likely will be far-reaching consequences. Public interest is extraordinarily high, and candidates are debating many critical issues. Yet we have heard little or nothing about the Constitution and its Bill of Rights -- the touchstone of our individual freedoms.
