"Signing Statements"

[jducoeur]

Terribly interesting segment on NPR right now (on "On Point", repeated at 7pm tonight).

Everyone's been making a big deal about Bush finally giving the first veto of his six years in office; there's often been an implicit tone of, "Look how reasonable he is, and how well he works with Congress". But very little attention has been paid to his practice of using "signing statements". Basically, when he signs a bill into law, he attaches a rider saying how the Administration will interpret the law, which sometimes subverts the intent of that law or even amounts to saying that they will largely ignore it.

Well, the American Bar Association has just released study of these things, and it's pretty appalling. Turns out that Bush has issued something like 800 of them -- more than all other Presidents combined. So much for reasonable. Even the more responsible Republicans in Congress are getting worried by this subtle power-grab, and are mulling legislation to at least force some discipline on the practice, and maybe give Congress the power to sue the Presidency over it. Suddenly there's a new constitutional crisis looming, which has been building quietly for years...

Comments

[mentalgiant.livejournal.com]

Have Congress sue the Presidency. Let's have at it.

Everything that man does is a product of the smoldering evil core that controls his every action. Its amazing - the worst President ever, and perhaps one of the most cruel, manipulative, disgusting, law-breaking, stupid, religious human beings to ever shadow this world.

There should be a movement to remove his presidency from the history books altogether so as not to endanger our children's fragile memories. Lets do it!

[jducoeur]

Not to defend Bush, but it's important to keep in mind that the problem is bigger than him. He represents a principle that's been growing since at least Nixon, of the "Imperial Presidency" -- the notion that, as the leader of such a complex country, he needs to have essentially untrammeled power in order to do his job. Worse, that it is wrong to question the need for such power. It's more or less fascism, dolled up and prettified with a lot of rationalizations.

Bush's political lifespan at this point is fairly short -- it's going to be a painful two years, but we're most of the way there. But that underlying principle is going to continue to produce ever-worse horrors, from both him and his successors, if it doesn't get discredited soon...

[mentalgiant.livejournal.com]

If the righteous Democrats and Progressives don't get their collective craniums out of their asses, we have no one to blame but ourselves. That and years more of our bitching and complaining. It looks good so far, Bush getting bashed left and right and up and down everywhere you look. However we know we aren't running against Bush... so all this bashing needs to be redirected towards Republicans and the conservative movement. Don't stop until there is some hemp wallpaper in the Oval Office!