NEOCONstitutionalist takeover is gravest threat to democracy

[many a good man]

Just as the neoconservatives have seized control of the foreign policy apparatus by flouting international law and bypassing normal bureaucratic channels, neoconstitutionalists are poised to make the same assault on constitutional government.

Just as America is the unrivaled superpower in world affairs, Right Wing control of the executive, legislative (and soon judicial) branches of domestic government has given it unbalanced power. The crucial Congressional responsibility of oversight has so far been abandoned, which has enabled greater abuses of power.

Loss of the majority in either House as voters express their disapproval of the corruption and incompetence would expose the secret abuses and misdeeds and threatens to unravel the entire enterprise. We can now see clearly their strategy for protecting their grip on power.

Their goal is to greatly expand executive power and re-define legal concepts and definitions. This is most obviously evident in administration attempts to redefine torture and impart meaning to so-called "executive signing statements."

They are at the cusp of attaining a decades-long dream to insulate themselves against democratic processes by concentrating power in the executive backed by a compliant judiciary. This will allow them to maintain control without the consent of the governed.

The nomination of Judge Samuel Alito is central to this strategy. As one of the original leaders in shaping the strategy for expanding executive power, he is a symbol of this movement. That's why he must be opposed. That's why he must be filibustered.

This is a nonpartisan issue. There is a surreptitious effort to non-democratically alter the form of constitutional government that has served us for over two centuries. Our Founding Fathers took special care to protect their infant democracy against the potential tyranny of a powerful executive. The balance of powers at the center of our Constitution is the most important reason contributing to the long-cherished stability and strength of our nation. The entire Legislative branch of government must stand up.

THIS is the most important issue of our times. If they can succeed in this we will be powerless to fight all the other abuses.

In the NSA Wiretapping scandal, the problem is less with the actual wiretapping than it is with the executive's refusal to follow established law. Alito's selection is not important because it may mean the end of reproductive and other civil rights, but because it may effectively remove our ability to redress. I urge every DUer to write their Congressman, red or blue, and beg them to stand up to protect the integrity of the Constitution of the United States of America.

[hedda_foil]

1. Absolutely!

This is the whole enchilada. Many of us DUers were convinced this was their agenda not long after 9/11. It's taken them this long to set up all the mechanisms, but everything is in place as soon as the Patriot Act is reauthorized. And it's not just redress of grievances, it's ALL of our rights and our system of government, not to mention our lives that are at stake. Reproductive rights are nothing compared to the scope of this takeover. They could take away all of our rights tomorrow and imprison liberals as terrorists and demand forced abortions for enemies of the state the next day. We are moments away from full-scale tyranny.

[many a good man]

3. Alito supports the incrementalist approach

He'd prefer to chip away at things slowly, according to his Reagan-era documents. West Wing lawyers have been busy conjuring fanciful legal rationalizations just in case they ever get investigated by someone not on the team. Associate Justice Alito would help shield his ideological cronies from the normal scrutiny of the checks and balances if it ever comes down to it.

This will become a watershed year if protectors of the Constitution from both parties don't join together to defend the separation of powers. Acceptance signifies passive agreement to reshaping our democracy in dangerous ways. Future generations will see 2006 as an historic moment in American politics.

[Fiendish Thingy]

2. K&R; I agree completely...

although I'm not completely filled with Doom and Gloom, I feel we are experiencing the Death (of Democracy) by a Thousand Cuts...
Most of the worst dictators in history have come to power by legal (or appearing to be legal) means. Most of the miltary coups in banana republics tend to be shorter, less stable, and in the long run, less damaging to the country, than despots who rise to power with the consent, or at least apathy, of the legislature. Mussolini, Stalin, Marcos, and of course, Hitler...or am I mistaken about this?