CNN's Lou Dobbs: Why is Bush ignoring our laws?

[DeepModem Mom]

Dobbs: Why is the president ignoring our laws?
Bush, feds flout the Constitution by finding ways around laws
By Lou Dobbs
CNN
Wednesday, July 26, 2006

NEW YORK (CNN) -- With upraised right hand and left hand on the Bible, each of our presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, has solemnly sworn to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution of the United States.

The American Bar Association claims President Bush has violated that oath by issuing hundreds of "signing statements" to disregard selected provisions of the laws that Congress passed and he signed.

A bipartisan, 11-member panel of the ABA found that President Bush is not only disregarding laws but using such signing statements far more than any president in history. In fact, Bush has used signing statements to raise constitutional objections to more than 800 provisions in more than 100 laws. All of the presidents combined before 2001 had issued only 600.

The ABA asserts that signing statements cannot be a substitute for a presidential veto and that such an assertion of presidential power amounts to a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court already has ruled unconstitutional.

The matter will likely be resolved in court. But it stands as a metaphor for a 21st century America that is no longer secure in the claim to be a nation of laws....

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/25/dobbs.july26/index.html

[stepnw1f]

1. Because you Voted for Him

and he had your media to help him smear the hell out of his opponent without getting an even amount of air-time.

[fooj]

2. Because he has been ALLOWED free reign.

No checks and balances from the branches of government OR the media. It's pretty basic.

[HereSince1628]

3. Yes, it's simply because he can.

The Republican Congress is glad to play along just so they can keep those perq$ from the lobbyists rolling into their unmarked accounts in the Caiman Islands.

[fooj]

5. Yep.

People do things that they are ALLOWED to do.

[Patchuli]

12. heeheee Please forgive me

for playing Grammar Granny but *normally* it would be 'allowed free rein' but in *'s case since he's thinks he a freaking king, IT IS REIGN!! That'd be funny if it was so f'ed up!

[fooj]

13. You're right.

I MEANT it that way. F*cking bastard thinks he's KING! Grrrrrrrr...

[Patchuli]

14. I love that silly daisy! nt

[Kahuna]

4. Three words Lou: Coup d' tat. Three more words: In broad daylight..

Three more: With YOUR acquiescence.

Why wouldn't that embolden him to think he is above the law? You and your ilk applauded him while to stole the presidency in broad open daylight, and you chided the rightful winner as a "sore-Loserman." :puke:

[NoAmericanTaliban]

6. Also has some good stats on illegal immigrants and how it is worse now

under *. Almost posted this myself :)

The Bush administration in its first four years was responsible for 318 fines against employers who hired illegal workers, an average of fewer than 80 each year. That's down from 5,587 fines against illegal employers during the eight years of the Clinton administration, according to the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, an average of 698 each year. And the problem is getting worse; in 2004 only three employers received fines for illegal hiring.

Work site arrests have fallen even more drastically under this president. From 1995 to 1998, there were between 10,000 and 18,000 work site arrests of illegal aliens each year. But during the Bush administration, work site arrests fell to just 159 in 2004.

Apprehensions along the border averaged 1.05 million from fiscal year 2001 to 2004, according to the independent, progressive group Third Way, down from 1.52 million from 1996 to 2000. Border apprehensions have plummeted more than 30 percent, despite a doubling in the number of Border Patrol agents over the past decade and the rising number of attempted crossings.

[samsingh]

7. because people like you dobbs let him

[w4rma]

10. Wow, you're confused. He's one of the ones fighting * the hardest. (nt)

[samsingh]

15. dobbs has fooled me several times

sometimes he goes against bush hard - but only on topics like immigration.

on other topics, he's a real bush apologist.

[tom_paine]

8. Because the system of checks and balances has been thoroughly assaulted

and can no longer stop the Empire from coming into being.

224 1/2 years of the Old Republic was great, a monument (yes, I know even with all of our faults, flaws, atrocities, mistakes, we have done far more good, IMHO) to human achievement and self-awareness.

The Founding Fathers KNEW this is what would happen eventually. Caesar would come. Caeser always comes, if the people are lazy enough or comfortable enough.

They tried to write the Constitution that anticipated and counteracted human foibles so that the Republic would live forever. They did a DAMNED good job, 224 1/2 years worth.

But as always, someone or many someones, figured out a way to take it apart at the joints in order to possess the vast power and riches of a Free Nation near it's peak.

What happened, then, is so tragi-comically common through history and all human lives since the dawn of time it boggles the mind.

The very thing that makes the Free Nation so lucrative and inviting for Caesar to come in a take it, is the very thing that must be destroyed in order for him to possess his prize.

[depakid]

9. Because there's essentially no opposition party

The Democratic "leadership" has almost completely abrogated their responsibilities- and willingly fail exercise the power that they have.

History will not be kind to them- and the voters may not be either.

[w4rma]

11. Because big media is owned by folks who have been bribed off by the GOP

to look elsewhere while they pillage our country.

Bribed with capital gains cuts and lower income taxes for the ultra-wealthy and an elimination of the estate tax so that their families can live pampered lives doing nothing for the nation as aristocrats. They want an aristocracy and the GOP is giving the owners of big media what they want.

This is the result of merger after merger in the 80s and 90s, eliminating small media sources.

While most folks don't know how to use the internet to research other sources of news and only listen to big media.

[AtomicKitten]

16. Follow-up question: Why is Congress turning a blind eye to it?

With a court recently throwing out an AT&T NSA spying case citing national security and BushCo putting a halt to investigation within the government (such as it is), there is ZERO oversight.

The better question is who is going to stop him?