Supreme Court Nominee Says Congress Can Control what You Eat

A Semi-News/Semi-Satire from AzConservative ^ | 17 July 2010 | John Semmens

[John Semmens]

Under Senate Judiciary Committee questioning, President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan offered the opinion that Congress may legislate what you can and cannot eat. “The Constitution gives the Government the responsibility to promote the general welfare,” Kagan said. “What a person eats affects his or her welfare. With obesity running rampant in this country, it is clear that many Americans are not good judges of what they put into their mouths. So, does Congress have the authority to tell you to put down that Dorito and pick up that celery stalk? I’d have to say yes.”

[Fast Moving Angel]

Yeow! It’s tough when truth and satire merge ... gotta stay heads up around here!

[Man50D]

Good idea John! Plant the seed in the Senate Judiciary’s heads.

[truthbetold11]

starts with her

[SirJohnBarleycorn]

Commissars of the new Food Police State!!

[DBrow]

The way I read the Constitution, everyone has the right to government-provided food, healthy and appropriate, green, local, and free.

Kagan is just stating the obvious here.

[HuntsvilleTxVeteran]

If people let government decide what foods they eat and
what medicines they take, their bodies will soon be in
as sorry a state as are the souls of those who live under
tyranny.

Thomas Jefferson (1743 - 1826)

[diverteach]

Obesity is running rampant because people are too glued to their flat screen tv’s watching crap and eating crap as they watch. If they’re not watching crap they’re still glued to the tube playing video games. If that’s not the problem then they’re glued to their computer. I’m sure many do a combination of all the above.

People USED to work in this country starting at the crack of dawn doing chores before going to work.

Wanna combat obesity? Get off your fat ass and do something other than mindless vegetation.

I’m proof positive that it’s NOT what you eat or don’t eat.

[HokieMom]

MCGINLEY: Kagan’s cookbook: The joy of tyranny In Kagan’s world, Congress can tell you what to eat

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2552581/posts

[Blue Collar Christian]

By the same reasoning, voters are not good judges of how to vote...do business...raise their kids...buy a new car...

[rockinqsranch]

“The Constitution gives the Government the responsibility to promote the general welfare,”

From what I’ve read of her Leftist perspectives I’d say she’s certainly capable of torqueing that one.

[JimmyMc]

I’ll back you up. I eat about 600 caloroes of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream almost every night. I also go to the gym almost every night too.

[Richard Kimball]

I eat about 600 calories of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream almost every night. I also go to the gym almost every night too.

Barack? Is that you?

[JimmyMc]

Barack? Not I. I typed it without a teleprompter

[Cincinna]

From the looks of her, she should start by taking her own advice before telling other people what to do.

This would be a joke if it weren’t such an infringement on our rights.

[Oceander]

Oopsie! Apparently somebody didn't read the Constitution - pretty damning for someone who wants to be a Supreme Court justice.

Let's just review that pesky little general welfare clause, shall we? Here it is, verbatim:

"The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;"(Emphasis mine)

Read the context - or as my crim law prof. used to say, read the statute, read the statute, read the statute. That phrase rather unambiguously says that Congress may raise revenues through taxation, and may then spend those revenues to (a) pay the debts of the United States, and (b) provide for the general welfare of the United States.

In other words, the only thing the U.S. Congress can do vis-a-vis the general welfare of the population is to spend tax revenues to provide for that general welfare - they cannot impose prohibitions or restrictions, or require individuals to engage in certain forms of activity in order to provide for the general welfare of the United States.

Clearly, this bee-itch is unfit to hold judicial office.