Warren Watson
First Thoughts
9-02-08

New President must revive Constitution

"I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

Yes, the words of the oath of office uttered by an elected president.

We’ve heard these words numerous times in the last weeks as both Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama angle for position – with Obama enjoying a riveting convention party in Denver, and McCain surprising many with his choice of relative unknown Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate.

Upholding the Constitution may be the most important feature of the presidential job description. But not every president has fulfilled this. Too many presidents, including George W. Bush – have made a public fuss over the “defense” of our Constitution. Witness the rhetoric of Bush and his mistake of a war in Iraq. But his actions to restrict personal liberties, increase surveillance of citizens in the name of a war on terror, and restrict access to government and information suggest an executive more interested in preserving personal power than nurturing the Constitution and Bill of Rights.

The presidential oath means “preserving” the Constitution. It means taking a leadership role to help citizens understand and appreciate our most important liberties.

Unfortunately, we’ve had a tendency to restrict those liberties in the name of security in times of real and perceived crisis. It happened with the Alien and Sedition Acts in 1798, the suppression of Habeas Corpus during the Civil War and the ill-advised internment of Japanese Americans in World War II. It happened again with the Patriot Act and related actions in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks.

Each time, the First Amendment sprang back, better and stronger than ever.

As the Bush tenure fades to black, it is the job of the next president to make sure that revival takes place – again.