I just scanned over an interesting post regarding potential ways of handling the teabaggers…probably will never happen, but I refer to the portion in question – Amendment 14, section 3:
3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Now, allow me to point to something else:
Grover Norquist’s anti-tax Pledge.
The US Constitution grants the privilege of laying taxes at the feet of Congress, courtesy of Section 1 Article 8. It does not encourage them, merely makes them the responsibility of Congress. Taxation is recognized as a de facto necessity in the cause of doing business as the government of a nation. It is Congress’ job to tax appropriately.
And yet, we have a great many members of Congress who declare that they will not perform this role. They are rebelling against their duty as proscribed by the United States Constitution. Great or small, it is rebellion just the same.
As such, signatories of this anti-tax Pledge, it seems to me, have set themselves into the role of “conscientious objectors” – refusing to perform their duty because it goes against their beliefs. Which, admittedly, they are well within their rights to believe.
But if they want to serve us as members of Congress in spite of their objections, it seems to me that they shouldn’t be allowed on the floor until fully two-thirds of those remaining – i.e., those who haven’t been ejected for their treason – vote in favor of allowing them to re-enter.