Talk of The Villages Florida - View Single Post - POW'S AGAINST McCAIN!
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Old 09-10-2008, 10:09 PM
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Default Re: POW'S AGAINST McCAIN!

Quote:
Originally Posted by chelsea24
Yes, the Vietnam POW's hit home with me also. And McCain concealing these records really hits home. >
Article I, section 6 of the Constitution reads as follows,

[i]The Senators and Representatives shall receive a Compensation for their Services, to be ascertained by Law, and paid out of the Treasury of the United States. They shall in all Cases, except Treason, Felony and Breach of the Peace, be privileged from Arrest during their Attendance at the Session of their respective Houses, and in going to and returning from the same; and for any Speech or Debate in either House, they shall not be questioned in any other Place.[/i]No Senator or Representative shall, during the Time for which he was elected, be appointed to any civil Office under the Authority of the United States, which shall have been created, or the Emoluments whereof shall have been encreased during such time; and no Person holding any Office under the United States, shall be a Member of either House during his Continuance in Office. (emphasis added)

The Speech and Debate clause has been interpreted to extend beyond floor speeches, e.g. to committee statements, but it unquestionably applies to floor statements. Thus, any senator - Democrat or Republican - privy to any of those documents could have read the contents of the documents aloud as a floor statement and been with his/her legal rights to do so. I don't see any stampede to condemn the rest of that committee, or any other senator for that matter. Considering the political advantage that could be taken, Sen, Obama and Sen. Biden both can exercise that privilege any day they choose, and Sen. Biden, by virtue of his standing on the Intellilgence Committee, would have immediate access to, and have seen, all of these documents. Yet, he's a "good guy" .....