The Day the Constitution Died

[Disturbed]

The Day the Constitution Died
By Molly Ivins, AlterNet
June 10, 2004
AUSTIN, Texas –

When, in the future, you find yourself wondering, "Whatever happened to the Constitution?" you will want to go back and look at June 8, 2004. That was the day the attorney general of the United States – a.k.a. "the nation's top law enforcement officer" – refused to provide the Senate Judiciary Committee with his department's memos concerning torture.

In order to justify torture, these memos declare that the president is bound by neither U.S. law nor international treaties. We have put ourselves on the same moral level as Saddam Hussein, the only difference being quantity. Quite literally, the president may as well wear a crown – forget that "no man is above the law" jazz. We used to talk about "the imperial presidency" under Nixon, but this is the real thing.

The Pentagon's legal staff concurred in this incredible conclusion. In a report printed by The Wall Street Journal, "Bush administration lawyers contended last year that the president wasn't bound by laws prohibiting torture and that government agents who might torture prisoners at his direction couldn't be prosecuted by the Justice Department. ...

"The report outlined U.S. laws and international treaties forbidding torture, and why those restrictions might be overcome by national security considerations or legal technicalities."

More....

http://www.alternet.org/story.html?StoryID=18919

* Hopefully the nation and the DUers can get back to the real business of Amerika real soon after this Raygoon Revision of History mania.

[neoteric lefty]

1. They need to throw his ass in jail

for contempt of Congress. He sat there broke the law, and only the democrats mustered a peep. How disgraceful of the others.

[Solly Mack]

2. It died on 12/12/2000 . 6-8-2004 sealed it's coffin

....

[Disturbed]

3. Can it be resucitated?

Do we need those paddles to make it pump again?

[Solly Mack]

4. I think so

but it does require doing what this country has never done before..

.......jailing a President and all members of his cabinet involved.

At least, that's what I believe to be a good start.

[Disturbed]

5. That would fantastic but....

with a Right Wing dominatied Congress and the Dems being mainly spineless I don't think that will happen. The V. Plame Outing may produce some stunning results though. I am not giving up hope. ;)

[JayS]

6. The Dems are not spineless.

They have spines; they just don't use them. :)

[Solly Mack]

7. There is always hope and sometimes

there is only hope.


The cure will be painful...ugly even...but the disease has been worse.

[LibertyorDeath]

8. kick

[lanparty]

9. What I'll say is ...

If we sweep the 2004 elections, they better go for the neo-cons throats and rip out their fucking jugular veins. This is the most corrupt bunch of lunatics to ever hold the reins of power.

These people are like bacteria. You have to administer ALL your anti-biotics, otherwise some survive and grow stronger. They need to expose ALL this fucking fraud and abuse and eliminate the neo-cons from ANY possible future credibility.

The McCains and Jeffords are honest folk with a different take on issues. I respect them, while disagreeing with them. These neo-cons are something else though. And I'm sure that the paleo-cons would be HAPPY to help eliminate the neo-cons so they have have their party back!!!!

[lapauvre]

10. Agreed

This is NOT the Republican party, or anything that even approaches what the Republican party used to be.

I, also, liken it to a disease. Unfortunately, the person we said our final farewells to today, was the first one to be taken over and controlled by the disease. I don't think he ever really knew how he was used.

I remember how shocked he was during Iran-Contra. I think he was sincere when he asked in wonderment: Why do they hate me?

Since then, the disease has grown and spread and mutated and twisted and spun and mutated again, and twisted and spun some more, and finally, now, with the excuse of the Patriot Act, is digging deeper and deeper into the body or our nation.

This disease is spread by hypocracy, secrecy, distortion, threats, punishments, and a demented group who seek to force an end to national freedom, the national freedom of any country in the world, all to be subjected to their distorted and deformed and blasphemed self created and self serving "Lord."

[Disturbed]

11. The "new' but not improved Republican Party

It is infested with Necons and Fundies. Most for real Conservatives are nauseated by this "new" gang of reactionary thugs. My hope is that the V. Plame Outing will take Shrub and Chainsaw down.

Damn, will I be glad when this freakin' obsession with Raygoon is over. Shrub and his goons are Raygoon's legacy and it reeks of putrid, bile. Yeah, I know what that smells like. I was once an orderly in a hospital.

War Crimes were approved by this Pres. and his cabal and carried out by the Military and Civilian contractors. Could that be more important
than a body that ceased to function this week?

[Liberal Classic]

12. Molly

You're many decades too late.

[Bridget Burke]

14. Molly's been a liberal in Texas for quite some time.

I don't think all this is news to her.

Where are your columns? Where are your books?

[kaitykaity]

13. Some people really got pissed off at her

"Fascism" column. This'll make those same heads explode
all over again.

Tee hee.

[Pachamama]

15. I love Molly Ivins...that Texas Grrrll has a way with words....n/t

[Ms. Clio]

16. kick for Molly n/t

[John_Shadows_1]

17. What is torture, anyway?

From the people who were outraged by Bill Clinton's "depends on what you mean by 'is'".