Rob Natelson on U.S. Supreme Court Honor and All Mail Elections
Once a month, Constitutional Scholar Rob Natelson with the Independence Institute appears on the KGVO Talk Back show to address constitutional issues and answer callers from listeners.
Right after his introduction, Natelson was asked about an honor he recently received from a member of the U.S. Supreme Court.
“In my business, that is to say constitutional scholarship, the gold ring is to be cited or referred to or relied upon by a Supreme Court justice,” began Natelson. “This started happening to me in 2013 and it has happened now 21 times in eight cases, and the most recent example came on April 21st. Justice Thomas wrote a concurring opinion in which he relied upon an article I had written back in 2004. The article was called The Constitution and the Public Trust.”
Natelson was asked about the possible constitutional problems of the proposed ‘Misinformation Board’ that is purported to be run by Nina Jankowicz. Natelson said there is no constitutional basis for such a move.
“I guess the Homeland Security Secretary walked it back yesterday said, ‘Well, this isn't really going to be applicable to American citizens’, but that's not what it sounded like when they created this board and it's not what this woman who heads it has been concerned about,” he said. “The federal government has no business, monitoring the speech of American citizens unless they're actively inciting to violence. And I look forward to the speedy extermination that board.”
Natelson was asked about ‘irregularities’ in the 2020 federal election, and said the biggest ‘irregularity’ is that mail in ballots are being allowed to replace traditional polling place elections.
“I think it's very clear that the 2020 election had irregularities in it,” he said. “One irregularity that nobody ever mentions, but that is undeniable, is the use of the early voting; the voting by mail over a period of weeks, rather than on Election Day. The Constitution authorized Congress to pass a law specifying the time when presidential electors are chosen, and Congress has chosen the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.”
Natelson admitted he is old-school, and that ‘making it easier to vote’ is counterproductive to responsible government.
“I realize its part of our civic religion to say everybody should vote, and we should make it really easy, et cetera, et cetera,” he said. “I don't agree with that. I think people who have a stake in the community who have thought deeply about the issues or at least thought somewhat about the issues, and who can prove their identity, that they're the ones that should vote, and we shouldn't be cheapening the ballot. It’s one of the most precious privileges we have.”
Click here to hear the entire hour with Rob Natelson from the Independence Institute.