Violating an oath of office and the Constitution

To the Editor:

Several days ago I read an editorial in The Western News submitted by Sen. Baucus. In the article he quoted from the Bible book of Matthew.

I suppose this means that he wants us to believe that he places value in the Christian Bible. According to his translation of the quoted verse he gives himself a pat on the back because he helped to sponsor health care for children, (CHIP).

I know that many will agree that this indicates that he is following scriptural teaching.

Is there anything wrong with what he is proposing? If we search our U.S. Constitution we will find that health care is not mentioned.

We can find no place where this type of funding is permitted by the Federal Government and the 10th Amendment states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

What this means is that Senator Baucus is asking for a pat on the back for violating his oath of office.

In Article VI of the U.S. Constitution we see that "The Senators and Representatives before mentioned (in the Constitution), and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and Judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation to support this Constitution….."

Is this a slap at the Democratic Party and Sen. Baucus? This type of violation of oath of office has become common place among both the Democrats and Republicans.

If we, the people, will not insist that our leaders be true to their oaths, we have opened the door to permit anything that they wish to do. And if we continue down this path, we will continue to lose our freedoms. How does Totalitarian Government sound to you?

Russell Brown

Libby