Posted by MountainDoc on 09/04/09 12:38 AM Last updated 09/25/09 09:35 AM [Older: Alaska Follows Montana in Nullification]

      United States Congressman Nick J. Rahall II of the West Virginia 3^rd Congressional District was present at a townhall meeting hosted by the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine in Lewisburg W.Va. on September 2, 2009.  This was the 4^th in a series of 5 townhall meetings Congressman Rahall would be present at during the August recess.  Approximately 200-300 citizens were present with a notable vocal majority in favor of government option and / or single payer government healthcare with an equally passioned minority against any such legislation being passed by congress.  With such an opportunity to discuss liberty and the Constitution with an elected representative, the Greenbrier County Campaign for Liberty was present.

     We met together an hour before hand for lunch and to pen out questions to ask Congressman Rahall.  Our hope was to either receive a verbal committment to cosponsor HR 1207 or pose a question designed to discuss the Constitutional provisions allowing for national health care legision to be passed by the congress.  The C4L members that made it were all medical students at WVSOM.  Andy and Marc grabbed seats in the assembly while I went closer to the stage to help in the opening ceremonies.  Having taken the initiative earlier in the week to request permission from a dean at the medical school to hand out C4L pocket Constitutions on Constitution Day (September 17th), I had been given the privilage of opening the townhall meeting with a prayer.  After the blessing / reflection, Congressman Rahall came in and stood off to the side with me while he was introduced by the President of the Medical School.  During this time, I was able to thank him for coming and hand him a C4L pocket Constitution with a personal inscription and a promise to pray for him.

     Things got underway and questioneers were allowed to come up by row.  The majority of the stories were personal and the crowd was ready to shout down anyone who ventured too far off the subject of health care.  A spot decision was made to focus on the Constitutional aspects of healthcare rather than HR 1207.  Most of the stories were personal, and all were passionate.  Doctors were present in scrubs, individuals went so far as to bring up the personal medical history of the congressman, and many people had signs.  To Congressman Rahall's credit he was very patient and always civil with any speaker regardless of their hostility towards him or the legislation or the crowds reaction to those same speakers.

      After about 45 minutes, our turn came up, and I was able to have the following discussion with the Congressman (and the body):

Thanks to Tom Woods and his training in St. Louis I was able to anticipate the answers to the intial question and prepare quotes from James Madison and Thomas Jefferson that shut down the usual misinterpretations of the General Welfare Clause and Interstate Commerce Clause.   *Update* - Nancy Pelosi is now using the interstate commerce clause to justify the legislation.  If you read the subtitles of the video you'll see that Congressman's Rahall's answers can be summarized as follows:

1.  The General Welfare Clause, The Interstate Commerce Clause, The Preamble. I'm not an expert on the Constitution.

2.  I represent the will of my electorate first and foremost.

3.  Even if I did something unconstitutional in Congress, the lawyers are protection against any unconstitutional outcome.

4.  The federal government can mandate and demand compliance to the states on any issue whether a right is granted to Washington under the Constitution or not.

5.  An amendment is too hard, and so although unconstitutional it would be easier - and hence legal - to just pass a law enacting federal healthcare reform.

      Although put on the spot, the Congressman's answers show ignorance of his Constitutional powers and duties at best, and willful override of his Constitutional limitations at worst.  For anyone desiring to know more about the enumerated powers or role of the federal government with relationship to the states I strongly encouraging picking up The Politically Incorrect Guide to American History by Thomas E. Woods, Jr., Ph.D.  I also need to offer a quick apology to those who understand Natural Rights as well.  During the discussion I incorrectly attributed our liberties as coming from the Constitution.  That is not the case, the document merely protects what is ours regardless of government.

     After a bit we left the event and discussed what had transpired.  It was our first event as a group and we were proud to take part in the process.  While buried in the labors of medical school, The Greenbrier County C4L enjoy the discussion of liberty, sound money, and free markets, and look forward to getting together for another event.