You're pirates. Hang the code, and hang the rules. They're more like guidelines anyway.

I just read the phrase "the constitution is not a suicide pact" for about the umteenth zillioneth time in the context of a political debate. The implication is always that the shady and extraconsitutional measures taken by the administration over the last several years were necessary in order to ensure the physical safety of the populace against our enemies. In a nutshell: it's okay to ignore the constitution if it keeps us safe.

But what if it's the actions of a bumbling executive that have made us less safe? What if it's his incompetence that's emboldened our enemies and left us more at risk of attack? Would it be proper in this instance to employ extraconstitutional means to remove such a president?

Of course not. The constitution isn't some sort of quaint document suggesting the means of formation and rules by which we govern ourselves. It is a statement of values and mission. It says who we are as Americans and as Americans we believe that this is a nation of laws. Laws that apply to everyone.