Mike Norman, the Pitbull Economics guy who occasionally appears on the "Cost of Freedom" Saturday Fox News shows, really should stick to his knitting and stay off television... While he is occasionally entertaining and sometimes seems to be a reasonable guy, you can count on him providing a steady supply of wing-nut ideas. His primary talent is talking/laughing over his debate opponents (usually Jonathan Hoenig or Wayne Rogers)- basically dominating the conversation to the extent he can.
In his appearance on Cashin' In this past weekend, he pulled out an old progressive/statist chestnut that just drove me up the wall, and I can't let it pass without comment: He mentioned something about promoting the general welfare, then said something like- “it's in the Preamble of the Constitution. Read it.” News Flash, Mike: the part of the preamble of the Constitution that mentions 'promote the general Welfare' does not mean that promoting the general welfare is a legitimate function of Government! Read the Preamble again:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
I'll shorten it down to the relevant topic, so Mike can understand it: We the People, in order to promote the general Welfare, do ordain and establish this Constitution... In other words, Mike, the general welfare has already been promoted by the ordaining and establishment of the Constitution.... It's not an ongoing thing. It amazes me how the lefties always pull out this little 'general welfare' nugget, and they never get called on it. While I certainly make my share of grammatical errors, I do know how to read. Sharpen up, Mike, or Fox News may replace you...
