Bush Says He May Ignore New War-Funding Law

[Mark E. Smith]

Air Force Times

Congress said it wants next year's defense budget to include funding for the
wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but President Bush has indicated he may ignore
that request.

In a 'signing statement' released when he signed the 2007 Defense Authoriza-
tion Act on Oct. 17, the president listed two dozen provisions in the act that
he indicated he may or may not abide by.

Among the provisions is Section 1008 of the Authorization Act, which requires
the president to submit defense budgets for 2008 and beyond that include
funding for the wars and contain "a detailed justification of the funds requested."

Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich, said he "would not be surprised" if Bush ignores the
budgeting requirements spelled out in Section 1008.

"I'm very dubious he will abide by it. He has ignored it before," the senior
Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee said during an Oct. 18
press conference.

The wars have been paid for through emergency spending bills and "bridge
funds" that amount to about $450 billion so far.

http://www.airforcetimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-2295747.php

A "detailed justification" from Shrub? That would be something the little guy
is not psychologically equipped to deliver.

Like to see him pull this crap after the new Congress is seating in early 2007 ..

[texpatriot2004]

1. He ignores all the laws, why would this be any different. nm

[primavera]

11. That's it precisely

This administration has never accepted that the law holds any check on it. Insofar as they've paid any attention whatsoever to law, it's been limited to figuring out ways around what they view as merely an obstructive nuisance.

[caledesi]

25. It's that god-damned piece of paper - The Constitution

Pesky little thing, isn't it?

If this dictator won't obey the laws, he just gets rid of them under the guise of Al Qaeda (ex: habeas corpus).

I cannot wait until November to get these thugs under oath.

[AnneD]

29. Since Congress has done ...

a piss poor job of defending the Constitution to this point...what do they expect. By not standing up for our rights, they have made themselves irrelevant. Same hold with the Supreme Court.

[texpatriot2004]

35. The Cover-Up Congress rubber stamps BushCo nm

[Auntie Bush]

39. What good will that do? He'll just lie anyway and he doesn't

care if it sends him to prison because he KNOWS he's going there anyway...unless he escapes to Uruguay and settles down with other fellow nazi's.

[IndianaGreen]

36. Bush is a dictator

and we must deal with him accordingly, just as people living in tyranny have dealt with their dictators.

Remember what happened to Romanian dictator Ceausescu? Like Bush, Ceausescu was a legend in his own mind until one day his luck ran out:

On December 21, the mass meeting, held in what is now Revolution Square, degenerated into chaos. The image of Ceauşescu's uncomprehending expression as the crowd began to boo him remains one of the defining moments of the collapse of Communism in Eastern Europe. The stunned couple (the dictator had been joined by his wife), failing to control the crowds, finally took cover inside the CC Building, where they remained until the next day. The rest of the day saw a revolt of the Bucharest population, who had assembled in University Square and confronted the police and the army on barricades. These initial events are regarded to this day as the genuine revolution. However, the unarmed rioters were no match for the military apparatus concentrated in Bucharest, which cleared the streets by midnight and arrested hundreds of people in the process.

Although the broadcast of the "support meeting" and the subsequent events on the national television had been interrupted the previous day, Ceauşescu's senile reaction to the events had already become part of the country's collective memory. By the morning of December 22, the rebellion had already spread to all major cities. The suspicious death of Vasile Milea, the defense minister, was announced by the media. Immediately thereafter, Ceauşescu presided over the CPEX meeting and assumed the leadership of the army. He made an attempt to address the crowd gathered in front of the CC, but this desperate move was rejected by the rioters, who forced open the doors of the building, by now left unprotected by the army, police and Securitate. The Ceauşescu couple fled by helicopter from the top of the CC building in a poorly advised decision (since they would have had safer refuge using existing underground tunnels)

<snip>

On December 22 the army found itself without a leader: Ceauşescu (the official commander-in-chief of the army) had vanished, being sent by his (possibly conspiring) advisor Stănculescu to the countryside, and defense minister Vasile Milea was dead. (Initially the "revolutionary" leaders claimed that Milea was assassinated on behalf of Ceauşescu. This is possible, but other possibilities abound, notably that he might have refused to join them and been killed on that account. The (still) official account that he committed suicide has almost no credibility.) Confused, the army leadership in Bucharest decided to avoid conflicts and ordered their troops to fraternise with the demonstrators.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nicolae_Ceau%C5%9Fescu

[eleny]

2. K&R

[wicket]

10. And another

:kick:

[marmar]

3. Laws are just suggestions to Bush, not writ that needs to be followed...

This is what happens when you elect an ignoramus with no knowledge or appreciation of history and extreme meglamania. These are despotic times.

[formercia]

4. Understand he has a degree in history.

Learning from the despotic periods in History and determined to make the History books of the future, one way or another.

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. "King me, king me, king me!"

Congress is so incredibly stupid.

[bif]

6. Fuck you, George!

That's all I can say. I am getting so sick of his arrogance.

[shadowknows69]

7. This shit has got to stop

We need constitutional amendments making these signing statements invalid. Otherwise all we have is a monarchy pure and simple. Has Bush had Karl write him a signing statement to ignore the 22nd amendment yet?

[underpants]

9. They really are invalid

These things have been around mostly for thanking the fine Representative of the great state of ______ for co-sponsoring the bill and for Presidents to air their disagreement or agreement with a bill but this is without precedent. Rove or someone found these things and just changed the way they are used and as usual Congress does nothing (See Matt Taibbi's great Rolling Stone article on this do nothing Congress) and the lapdog press says next to nothing about it. Ask a 1,000 people about this and I would be willing to bet that 970 had never heard of it. Anyone who mentions it is shouted down as being a "Bush basher" which we all know you just can't be.

This is completely made up out of whole clothe. The signing statements aren't binding or relevant they are worthless but look at who you have playing house in DC.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

8. if any Dem president pulled half this shit, he/she/it would be impeached.

I cannot fathom just how pathetic almost the entire GOP and too great a number of Dems in Congress sit back and accept this travesty. What is WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE?

The similarities between Nazi Germany of the 30s and the sad state of affairs within our Bloatway are growing more numerous each day.
People often forget that it was a democratic government that elected National Socialists into a minority, that Hitler was made chancellor as an effort to appease his party, and that he sought and received legal and legislative support for his eventual take-over. All in the name of making secure Germany from enemies without and within. It is worse than scary.

[Dr Fate]

27. And the Republican leaders would not be too frightened to SAY SO.

n/t

[ChairmanAgnostic]

33. whereas ours - need we say it?

but DAMN. I really want stem cell research to thrive. Perhaps we could replace the missing spines in many Dem. congresscritters.

[missTheBigDog]

12. Laws = Optional

[mikelgb]

13. Sorry

He used up his last crayola on the signing statement

[Zorra]

Bu*h is insane. n/t necessary.

[leQ]

14. once again, our dictator shows what he's made of. (eom)

[rodeodance]

15. so, the Pres does not want to justify how he is spending our money! damm

[Az_lefty]

16. this has to be one of the first things a Dem Comgress addresses...

holding this phoney president accountable to the law.

[Vinca]

17. Why is this news? He can do what he wants, he's a dictator. nt

[nealmhughes]

18. Why doesn't he just do one further and raise his own taxes? If Congress

no longer has either the power of the purse or the ability to get the laws enforced as they were written and signed, then that is why impeachment was put into the Constitution.

Why not quarter soldiers in our homes too, Mr. Bush? If you did, then it would almost be a list of the same that Jefferson used in the DofI...

[BlueStater]

19. So laws are optional to this fuckhead

Why isn't anyone doing something about this?! Is it any wonder we, as a country, are dying?

[meganmonkey]

20. He'll ignore it, and Congress will unanimously pass all funding bills

as has been happening since the beginning of the wars.

The last war funding bill passed 99-0 in the Senate. It doesn't matter if it is officially in the budget or not. They will continue to fund it.

These Senators have no right to bitch about it. They approve every fucking budget request anyway.

[Generator]

21. Congress doesn't even exist anymore but to line their own pockets

What is the point? It's a charade. I don't get why we pretend with them, most people don't have a clue but we do.

I think there is ZERO hope for this country. If the Dems we had had any integrity they would all be walking out and showing the country the truth. Instead we have a dictator and this play pretending we have a Democracy. I'm sorry, but anyone that thinks having a Dem majority is going to change this is deluded. Bush will continue signing statements and ignoring the law and the constitution and who is going to stop him?

Answer me who. If you had one person (besides Cindy Sheehan) to stand up to this thug, I'd like to see their name. I'm tired of pretending, aren't you? Sure, Conyers is trying is damndest to work with in the system, and Kerry gives nice speeches, but it's all for NOTHING. God, I feel like the biggest chump watching this country become a joke.

BUT damn that Obama does write well and look nice on TV. Wrong time in history. Too late. He doesn't even apparently realize that he's up against pure evil that wants to torture anyone it wants and sure as hell doesn't give a shit about Black people voting or even breathing. God give us a MLK or a Malcom. Give us something.

[mike_c]

22. congress is utterly complicit....

All Congress has to do is refuse to pass his "emergency spending bills" and the problem is solved. Congress enables everything Bush does.

[Betty]

23. well , years ago he said it would be easier to be a dicator

as long as he is the dictator. So as befits his lazy ass nature, he became a dictator because being an actual president would be way too much work.

[kestrel91316]

24. Silly. Laws are for the Little People.

[ckramer]

28. That's right

Why bother?

Apparently he didn't care about international law either.

[daleo]

26. It's getting like the Roman Empire (vs the Republic)

After a time, the Senate became irrelevant. This seems to be happening to the U.S. Congress (willingly, I guess, or they would object and send it to the Supreme Court).

[Solly Mack]

30. Wow. Bush ignores law. Now there's a news flash

Which is worse? Bush breaking - "ignoring" - the law or those who allow Bush to get away with breaking - "ignoring" - the laws?

Bush didn't appoint himself King... The majority in Congress crowned him.

Bush isn't the only one who should be jailed. A good many in Congress should be as well.
You enable Bush - you're just as guilty as Bush.

[Imagevision]

31. After 01/03/07 Bush won't be ignoring... a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g - GOP? Gone!

[stepnw1f]

32. Bush Poves the Left Right. Everyday the Left Builds Credibility...

thaanks dickhead...

[eppur_se_muova]

34. He's the "cafeteria executive". nt

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

37. It's dawning on me thet he's not a very good President.

:(

[Rex]

38. So what is it that gives George the privilege of ignoring laws?

Can someone point me to the statute or clause, anywhere, that says George gets to ignore laws he doesn't like.

[samsingh]

40. he ignores all the other rules .

the emperor speaks.