Full Spectrum Culture

“On this day in 1913, the Seventeenth Amendment was ratified, providing for the direct election of Senators…”

It’s about freakin’ time. There is a lot of broken trust to be recovered in these matters. Example: The new Bush immigration enforcement plan: Color me underwhelmed — Michelle Malkin

“Is your senator a friend or foe of earmark reform? Lots of Washington politicians talk a good case about eliminating wasteful federal spending but how many of them actually vote for needed reforms? The Examiner Newspapers/Porkbusters.org Earmark Reform Index shows who in the U.S. Senate is walking the talk and who’s blowing smoke hoping voters don’t [...]

That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such [...]

Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed.

But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.

He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.

We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence.

“In the end, support for the bill literally collapsed. Even theimperious Voinovich voted against cloture. Now, there is really no suchthing as an “inside game” anymore, since bloggers make sure it gets”outside.” Both the right and the left will take advantage of this, forgood and ill policy ends. But it’s clearly an enhancement of democracy.Senators [...]

“Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks. New rules being considered by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting would require any group [...]

Declaration of Independence Articles of Confederation Federalist Papers United States Constitution The existence of these files makes me very happy indeed. I’m going through the Federalist Papers, and am currently on #13. Before I finish them, though, I may go back and pick up the Articles of Confederation.

Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all [...]

See Also: Ripping (off) the Congressional video record — Cory Doctorow, BoingBoing