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Podcast: Mid-Atlantic - conversations about US, UK and world politics
Episode: The Oath and the Office Roifield talks to Corey Brettschneider
Description: 1. The Oath. Washington second inaugural. The idea that the office is not the person. Washington asks to be subject to "constitutional punishment," The idea that the president is not about the law. The notion that a president must go beyond courts to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution.2. Adams attack on the oath. Signs the alien and sedition act. Shuts down criticism of the president. The most direct assault on speech and democracy. The key idea is it shows why the right to criticise the president isn't just constitutionally required but key to democracy itself.