I (name), do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. (So help me God.)
What part of the bold part are people not getting? When the CIC i.e. the President of the United States or CENTCOM orders your unit to deploy to Iraq or where ever you are going what part of this oath allows you to to be selective on a set of deployment orders?
Former White House political director Sara Taylor's testimony today at the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing proved her to be yet another Monica Goodling-style drone. We already knew that these people's only allegiance is to Bush and they have no conception of the Constitution or any authority other than their Great Leader.
But actually hearing her let her true beliefs slip out is stunning.
Luckily, Senator Patrick Leahy nailed her on it.
As Andrew Sullivan commented: "Here's what's been wrong with the Bush administration from Day One."
Read it and weep:
cal in cali's diary :: ::
Transcript:
Leahy: And then you said, I took an oath to the President, and I take that oath very seriously. Did you mean, perhaps, you took an oath to the Constitution?
Taylor: Uh, I, uh, yes, you're correct, I took an oath to the Constitution. Uh, but, what--
Leahy: Did you take a second oath to the President?
Taylor: I did not. I--
Leahy: So the answer was incorrect.
Taylor: The answer was incorrect. What I should have said is that, I took an oath, I took that oath seriously. And I believe that taking that oath means that I need to respect, and do respect, my service to the President.
Didya get that? She DOES actually thinks she took an oath to serve the President!
Then Leahy let her have it:
Leahy: No, the oath says that you take an oath to uphold and protect the Constitution of the United States. That is your paramount duty. I know that the President refers to the government being his government -- it's not. It's the government of the people of America. Your oath is not to uphold the President, nor is mine to uphold the Senate. My oath, like your oath, is to uphold the Constitution.
When challenged, she blinked stupidly like a deer caught in the headlights.
Thank you, Senator Leahy, for calling bull**** and standing up for the Constitution!
Daily Kos: Sara Taylor: "I took an oath to the President"