The Dumbest Far-Right Idea In a Long, Long Time

Bob Cesca on December 09, 2013

Whenever screechers Mark Levin and Glenn Beck get together on an idea, it’s bound to be profoundly stupid. As Right Wing Watch reported today, Levin floated a plan in one of his dozens of books in which he proposed amending the Constitution via a “convention of the states,” based upon one of the methods in Article V of the Constitution.
In The Liberty Amendments, Levin wrote that Republican state lawmakers could ratify a series of amendments such as term limits, tax cuts and so forth by using this never-before-used means of altering the Constitution. The way this could ostensibly occur is if two-thirds of the states agree to a convention to propose the amendments, then three-fourths of the states would have to ratify the amendments.
Glenn Beck’s The Blaze picked up on the idea after 100 Republican state lawmakers gathered at Mount Vernon — yes, really — to talk about the plan. The Blaze describes this as “gaining steam” for the idea. 100 lawmakers or the equivalent of two from each state. Wow! Steam!
Here’s what’s truly crazy. This method of amending the Constitution has never been used. And it won’t be used now because it’s ridiculous. 34 states would need to agree to participate in the convention, then 38 states would need to ratify the amendments. There are only around 27 states with Republican legislatures and 23 states fully controlled by Republicans. So there’s no chance, with the current partisan divide in the states, for this to work.
Like the tea party, it’s just more Revolution Porn for the gawking satisfaction of angry, frustrated old crackpots in tri-corner hats. It’s a show proposed by clowns.