Letter to the Editor: Writer happy with some political responses, not all

To the Editor:

I was glad to attend Cathy McMorris Rodger’s “Top O’ The Morning Breakfast” on March 29 at the Davenport Grand Hotel. I was very happy that Cathy had copies of The Constitution placed at every place setting.

While there, I was happy to see Sheriff Knezovich had shed 40 pounds. I told him he looks good. I was happy to hear Pastor Joe of the huge Life Center Church tell me fidelity is very important for married politicians and that he has been preaching about that lately. I was very happy Senator Baumgartner agreed with me that all elected officials should be required to volunteer one day a month or quarter in direct contact with the poorest members of the areas they represent. When I asked Cathy to work to keep the VA under its current structure and to protect it from privatization, I was happy to hear her say that the VA will never be about making money. I was, however, disappointed when thanking her for my new copy of The Constitution and I asked her to help me find the Emoluments Clause. She said she doesn’t know where that is and asked me why I wanted to know.

Jeremy Street

Cheney

[Editor’s note: The Title of Nobility Clause is a provision in Article I, Section 9, Clause 8 of the United States Constitution that prohibits the federal government from granting titles of nobility, and restricts members of the government from receiving gifts, emoluments, offices or titles from foreign states without the consent of the United States Congress. Also known as the Emoluments Clause, it was designed to shield the republican character of the United States against so-called “corrupting foreign influences.” This shield is reinforced by the corresponding prohibition on state titles of nobility in Article I, Section 10, and more generally by the Republican Guarantee Clause in Article IV, Section 4.