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I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

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I 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; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

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I 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.

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But it still comes down to this you can't support torture and believe in and support the US Constitution.

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ORIGINAL: celticlord2112

The US President, upon his inauguration, swears the following oath:

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I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Senators and Congressmen, upon election, swear the following oath:

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I 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; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

US Military personnel, upon enlistment, swear the following oath:

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I 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.

The duty of all who would serve in government, the one promise our politicians are obligated to keep by law, is the simple task of holding the Constitution sacred.  Their duty is not to deliver economic prosperity, nor is it their duty to bring an end to civil strife, or an end to disease, or an end to any other form of human want or misery.  That duty, such as it is, is the duty of every man who would see a just society.  The duty of this nation's elected officials and representatives is simply this: sustain a government of laws, not of men, so that the freedom and liberty which is every man's most cherished right is elevated and not subordinated.

Do any of those currently in office--any office--understand that?  Do any of them care?

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

There was a point where I thought McCain was a decent man out to do good for his country and state. Recently though he's changed tack on issues, torture of prisoners primarily, that seems done strictly to appeal to the extreme elements of the right wing. Also the fact that he stuck with the GOP and GWB after 2000 made me wonder about his character. But it still comes down to this you can't support torture and believe in and support the US Constitution.

Obama's life story and political background show me that he clearly 'gets' the USA. He certainly has lived the American dream. I haven't seen anything verifiably true that makes me doubt his patriotism or respect for the Constitution.

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ORIGINAL: Irishknight

At the risk of starting an argument again, how does Pelosi being part of the ACLU mean that she knows her duty?  They  claim  to protect people's rights but when push comes to shove, they just want the big money cases or the ones that get them in the news.
Too often, they turn down real people with real issues that they claim to help.  In one particular case I know of, they told a woman that "her rights could not have been violated because she was white."
Pelosi is about as useless as a sack of flaming dogshit on the neighbor's porch and less funny.

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ORIGINAL: celticlord2112
Where do you place Obama and McCain?