The Unitary Executive: Is The Doctrine Behind the Bush Presidency Consiste

[ecdab]

This is damn good piece for understanding how Bush is trying to operate and why the fact that Alito is a big supporter of the Unitary Executive theory makes him so dangerous to average freedom loving Americans.


The Unitary Executive: Is The Doctrine Behind the Bush Presidency Consistent with a Democratic State?
By JENNIFER VAN BERGEN

When President Bush signed the new law, sponsored by Senator McCain, restricting the use of torture when interrogating detainees, he also issued a Presidential signing statement. That statement asserted that his power as Commander-in-Chief gives him the authority to bypass the very law he had just signed.

This news came fast on the heels of Bush's shocking admission that, since 2002, he has repeatedly authorized the National Security Agency to conduct electronic surveillance without a warrant, in flagrant violation of applicable federal law.

And before that, Bush declared he had the unilateral authority to ignore the Geneva Conventions and to indefinitely detain without due process both immigrants and citizens as enemy combatants.

All these declarations echo the refrain Bush has been asserting from the outset of his presidency. That refrain is simple: Presidential power must be unilateral, and unchecked.

more at

http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary/20060109_bergen.html

[bemildred]

1. They are wiping their ass with the Constitution.

And the Constitution is the bedrock of law in this country.
And no, it's not democratic, in any way, it's autocracy, l'etat c'est moi, that's what it is.

[mom cat]

2. Excellent...K&R

[mom cat]

3. Presidential power must be unilateral, and unchecked.

I hope the senators read things like these during the filibuster.

[Wordie]

4. Excellent article! Let's hope our Senators read it. FindLaw has gravitas.

Recommended.

[tom_paine]

5. It is just Fuhrerpriunzip given a new PR makeover

http://www.shoaheducation.com/befehl.html

[FloridaPat]

6. This is very disturbing. Should be required reading for all of congress.

And they've been planning a take-over for decades. They should all be arrested for treason.

[ixion]

7. excellent piece. k'd and r'd

:woohoo: