promote the general welfare...

We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

A couple of questions: What does promote the general welfare mean? To whom's general welfare is it referring? Is anyone excluded from the general welfare?

The Bush administration has taken stand after stand in favor of big business and big government time after time, at the expense of the general welfare for individual citizens. Look at the EPA, the DoJ, and Medicare/Medicaid.

SCOTUS yesterday said that the federal government has the right and responsibility to maintain and reach safe levels of hothouse gases. Bush's response: we're doing enough already. The general welfare is not being promoted allowing continued pollution levels.

The DoJ, or specifically Bush's political appointees, last year interfered with a federal lawsuit against Big Tobacco. It ordered the US attorneys handling the case to lower the sought after settlement and placed strictures on the course of action they should take in conducting the case. The general welfare is not being promoted by tying the hands of jurists in seeking to regulate not only a proven health issue but also another pollutant.

Medicare and Medicaid are on the horizon for millions of baby boomers and in the forefront of the minds of current retirees. They have seen their coverage more controlled and their contributions heightened. Funding is in question for future retireees. In addition, Social Security is in dire problems and could even disappear. The general welfare is being totally ignored when lip-service is the only thing addressing these issues.

In addition, certain groups are being specifically excluded from the general welfare when the Bush administration's base is fighting to exclude them from federal hate crimes legislation, specifically a person’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability. The present law only specifies race, religion or ethnic background. Clearly, there are people/groups who fit into other or broader categories. What is the problem with including everyone in support of the general welfare?

So, again: What does promote the general welfare mean? To whom's general welfare is it referring? Is anyone excluded from the general welfare?

just asking...