Daily Thought Pad: Obama's regulatory chief pushes new 'bill of rights

Cass Sunstein part of effort to change interpretation of Constitution by 2020

NEW YORK – A government that is constitutionally required to offer each citizen a "useful" job in the farms or industries of the nation.

A country whose leadership intercedes to ensure every farmer can sell his product for a good return.

A nation that has the power to act against "unfair competition" and monopolies in business.

This is not a description of Cuba, communist China or the old USSR. It's the vision of the future of the U.S, as mandated by a radical new "bill of rights" drawn up and pushed by President Obama's newly confirmed regulatory czar, Cass Sunstein. Until now, Sunstein's proposal has received little scrutiny.

In 2004, Sunstein penned a book, "The Second Bill of Rights: FDR'S Unfinished Revolution and Why We Need It More than Ever," in which he advanced the radical notion that welfare rights, including some controversial inceptions, be granted by the state. His inspiration for a new bill of rights came from President Roosevelt's 1944 proposal of a different, new set of bill of rights.

WND has learned that in April 2005, Sunstein opened up a conference at Yale Law School entitled "The Constitution in 2020," which sought to change the nature and interpretation of the Constitution by that year.

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Sunstein has been a main participant in the movement, which openly seeks to create a "progressive" consensus as to what the U.S. Constitution should provide for by the year 2020. It also suggests strategy for how liberal lawyers and judges might bring such a constitutional regime into being.

Just before his appearance at the conference, Sunstein wrote a blog entry in which he explained he "will be urging that it is important to resist, on democratic grounds, the idea that the document should be interpreted to reflect the view of the extreme right-wing of the Republican Party."

In his book, Sunstein laid out what he wants to become the new bill of rights, which he calls the Second Bill of Rights:

Among his mandates are:

The right to a useful and remunerative job in the industries or shops or farms or mines of the nation;

The right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation;

The right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living;

The right of every businessman, large and small, to trade in an atmosphere of freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies at home or abroad;

The right of every family to a decent home;

The right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health;

The right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, sickness, accident, and unemployment;

The right to a good education.

On one page in his book, Sunstein claims he is "not seriously arguing" his bill of rights be "encompassed by anything in the Constitution," but on the next page he states that "if the nation becomes committed to certain rights, they may migrate into the Constitution itself."

Later in the book, Sunstein argues that "at a minimum, the second bill should be seen as part and parcel of America's constitutive commitments.

By Aaron Klein
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

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Cass Sunstein confirmed in 57-40 vote

A mostly partisan Senate vote Thursday cleared Cass Sunstein as a W.H. regulatory overseer.

A mostly partisan Senate vote Thursday cleared Cass Sunstein as a White House regulatory overseer.

Cass Sunstein, a White House nominee who has drawn serious fire from the right, cleared the Senate on a mostly partisan vote Thursday.

Sunstein was confirmed as director of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, a largely bureaucratic position in which he’ll oversee the effectiveness of federal regulations. But his nomination has roiled conservatives, led by Fox News host Glenn Beck, who have taken aim at Sunstein for some of his more liberal positions on animal rights and end-of-life care.

The Senate vote was 57-40, with only five Republicans backing the nomination. Four Democrats also voted against Sunstein.

Conservatives who opposed him were particularly incensed over statements Sunstein has made advocating greater regulation of hunting rights.

But Sunstein also faced resistance from a handful of conservative Democrats who voted against his nomination Thursday, including Sens. Mark Begich, Blanche Lincoln, Mark Pryor and Jim Webb.

Here’s last night’s 57-40 Senate roll call vote on the confirmation of Cass Sunstein to be Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs, Office of Management and Budget aka “Regulatory Czar.”

Six Republicans voted yes– Bennett, Collins, Hatch, Lugar, Snowe, and Voinovich.

Five Democrats voted no — Begich, Lincoln, Nelson, Pryor, Webb.

Independent Sanders voted no.

Boxer and Byrd did not vote.

Source: politico.com

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