Fifty Questions: 31-40

Well, the hits just keep on a-comin' here at the Black Hat Bandstand.

Our series of questions this week for Presidential debates, as formulated by Chris Sullivan of Different Bugle, continues with the fourth set of ten questions.

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31. Is it possible to maintain good government when politicians lie regularly?

Yes, but it does become more difficult than when they do not. Fortunately, we have elections, and the people of these United States are under no obligation to keep re-electing the same losers, over and over again, who got us into this mess in the first place.

32. Will you pledge to resign from office if it can be shown that you lied to the people?

No. The President of the United States has never been required to reveal everything he knows to the American people, especially when disclosure would violate legitimate matters of national security. I will pledge to submit myself to the Congress in the event of "high crimes and misdemeanors" which I may be alleged to have committed, given the traditional understanding of that term. That pledge will take place on the day I am sworn into office. Watch for it; it will be in all the papers.

33. If you are elected, will you pledge to release all secret information regarding government crimes or unexecuted planned crimes against citizens, such as MK ULTRA, Tuskegee Experiments, Operation Northwoods, Guatemalan Syphilis Experiments, CDC Measles Experiment, etc?

In the first days after an election, the President-elect undergoes a series of detailed security briefings, where information of this sort may be included. Should nothing of those revelations be compromised as a matter of national security -- I have to obey statutory law like everyone else -- my answer is: yes.

34. When a person's moral beliefs are in conflict with a legislative edict, what should he do?

It would depend on the edict. Beyond that, I have no answer.

35. Do you favor compelling citizens to violate their conscience?

No. Nor do I favor them violating the law of the land.

36. How does compelling someone to violate his conscience differ when we do it, from when the Communists, Nazis or Fascists did it?

It would depend upon the nature of the violation. Beyond that, I have no answer.

37. If the federal debt ceiling can be raised, what is it for?

Not much. See my answer to question 4.

38. Does the Constitution give the President exclusive power over foreign policy?

No.

39. Do you consider people such as Daniel Ellsberg, Bradley Manning and Mark Felt, heroes or traitors?

Treason is defined in Article III, Section 3 of the Constitution as "levying War against [these United States], or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort." It further states that "[n]o Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court." The answer is to be found there, as opposed to my personal whim. Beyond that, I leave the aforementioned to the judgment of history.

40. If elected, would you pledge to return to the practice of reporting to congress the state of the union by letter instead of speech?

Why?

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Hey, kids, we're almost done. Tune in tomorrow for the last installment.

[Questions are the intellectual property of their author, and are reproduced here without permission or shame.]