* asserts he is not bound by bills he signs into law

[babylonsister]

This could be why no one is too concerned about responding to subpoenas...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/06/18/AR2007061801412.html

'Signing Statements' Study Finds Administration Has Ignored Laws

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 19, 2007; Page A04

President Bush has asserted that he is not necessarily bound by the bills he signs into law, and yesterday a congressional study found multiple examples in which the administration has not complied with the requirements of the new statutes.

Bush has been criticized for his use of "signing statements," in which he invokes presidential authority to challenge provisions of legislation passed by Congress. The president has challenged a federal ban on torture, a request for data on the administration of the USA Patriot Act and numerous other assertions of congressional power. As recently as December, Bush asserted the authority to open U.S. mail without judicial warrants in a signing statement attached to a postal reform bill.

snip//

For example, Congress directed U.S. Customs and Border Protection to relocate its checkpoints around Tucson every seven days to improve efforts to combat illegal immigration. But the agency took the law as an "advisory provision" that was "not always consistent with CBP's mission requirements." Instead, the agency periodically shut down its checkpoints for short periods of time, believing that would comply with congressional demands.

Frustrated by the Pentagon's broad budget submissions for the "global war on terrorism," Congress demanded in its 2006 military spending law that the Defense Department break down its 2007 budget request to show the detailed costs of global military operations, such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The department ignored the order. While the Pentagon did break out the costs of operations in the Balkans and at Guantanamo Bay, it did not detail expenditures in other operations.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency also ignored Congress's demand that it submit an expenditure plan for housing assistance and alternatives to the approaches that failed after Hurricane Katrina. FEMA told the GAO that it does not normally produce such plans.

In all those instances, presidential signing statements had asserted that congressional demands were encroaching on Bush's prerogatives to control executive branch employees as he sees fit and to receive effective services from his employees. White House spokesman Tony Fratto said Congress should not be surprised that the administration carried out the recommendations of the signing statements, although he cautioned that he could not know whether the agencies took action because of the statements.

more...

[no_hypocrisy]

1. Is it impeachment time yet? He's doing "I double dog dare you!"

[aquart]

9. I know.

We really need to get articles out there saying how the next president, the Democrat, will have all that unchallenged power to play with if Bush is not impeached.

See how many Republicans get sick in a bucket.

[RC]

27. You are assuming that there will not be rampant election fraud and that

bu$h & his merry band of criminals will step aside. I am not so presumptuous.

[TechBear_Seattle]

15. Of course not!

The Dems have to "keep their powder dry." It would not be "politically expedient" to draft articles of impeachment, much less vote on them or pass them to the Senate for trial. Holding the Junta responsible for the ever increasing number of crimes, both under American laws and international laws to which the United States is treaty-bound, is "off the table."

Crimeny, aren't you paying attention?

[snappyturtle]

32. I'm sick of it and I don't care if it sounds anti-DEM or not!

Day after day after day we hear of hearings and investigations and evidence that the administration, particularly the president, is not obeying the law or protecting us as he is sworn to do and yet, no impeachment. I say pick just one and impeach him. We only have to have one. Instead we are constantly under the barrage of abuses and we're supposed to be happy with THAT?!! I'm about ready to withdraw from reading all that is posted and get on with learning ways to get my part of the wealthy folks money. I agree with you totally.

[The Backlash Cometh]

24. I said in another thread, that Bush is like a defendant who has been

found by the courts as too incompetent to face charges. So, instead of sending him off to the mental institution, they let him run the place.

[DeSwiss]

2. I suppose we should just ignore the Constitution which says:

Article II, Section 3..... "he shall take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,"

It seems to me that he's providing us with the means from his own mouth for his impeachment....

[aquart]

10. Yes. Add it to the list. The long, long, long list.

Republicans do not believe in the Rule of Law. Republicans hate the constitution. Republicans defend the lying, cheating, illegal Bush.

Say it everywhere.

[whistle]

3. Shrub* is delussional

Definitions of delusional on the Web:

A delusion is commonly defined as a false belief, and is used in everyday language to describe a belief that is either false, fanciful or derived from deception. In psychiatry, the definition is necessarily more precise and implies that the belief is pathological (the result of an illness or illness process).

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delusional

(de·lu·sion·al) (d-loo¢zhn-l) pertaining to or characterized by delusions.
www.mercksource.com/pp/us/cns/cns_hl_dorlands.jspzQzpgzEzzSzppdocszSzuszSzcommonzSzdorlandszSzdorlandzSzdmd_d_07zPzhtm

intelligence, refers to some distortion inherent in our sensory perceptions that reinforce our prejudices. The tendency is exaggerated by technology because tools or instruments enhanced by our ignorance lead us astray. That delusion in based on a lack of aesthetic judgment, moral certitude, and common decency -- but it is further and needlessly mystified if we do not understand the rationale, synergy, timing, or varied aspects of technology. pseudoscience, false witness.

fox.rollins.edu/~jsiry/ADVANCED%20VOCABULARY.htm


suffering from or characterized by delusions

wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

[canadianbeaver]

23. The delusion is with the American people..they are delusional for

not bringing this administration to their knees begging for forgiveness for all the crimes they have done against this planet and the people who share it with you.
Until the people of the USA stand up to their Tyrannt....nothing is going to change...and the world looks upon America as the "lost land"...."We the people" have lost their land and their freedoms to a physco (sic?) on the hill.

[whistle]

33. Shall we storm the Bastille White House?

[canadianbeaver]

35. Why bother!!???

I mean really? It ain't gonna happen....I have been calling for a general strike long ago....until the majority of the US population gets off their collective asses..then you may start to see something....I personally am just getting to the point of continual laughter....You have to laugh, cause I am tired of crying!! The US has become a Joke....Even I am starting to go with that...I kept hoping to see a real movement happen with the "People"..after all of the crimes that continually appear on the news channels(if you can call them that)and on the Internet..you would think that something would happen....but that is too much wishful thinking on my part....its too much for people to let go of the fear of standing up and saying "NO We have had enough and we aren't gonna take it anymore"...some have said that...its quite a few tho...

I really hope the era of taking responsibility for yourself and your actions via blaming someone else for putting you in that position in the first place ends....Why is it so hard to say "I was wrong,I made a mistake..lets see how I can fix this?" No more accountability...No more freedoms...No more liberties...say goodbye now...cause they ain't coming back....

I was a Never Give Up kind of person....but it takes more than 1...heck it takes more that 1 million...look at what happened prior to the start of the war...The protesters numbered more than that and the US is still in a quagmire...go figure!!

[Virginia Dare]

36. Right dude, meet me at Starbucks..

corner of 18th & Pennsylvania Ave., we'll grab our lattes and go.

[Virginia Dare]

38. He's also usually drunk...n/t

[catmandu57]

4. Of course he doesn't

He thinks he's the fucking king, not just any king mind you but the top of the list a#1 king of all kings. I'd like to be alone with that ratbastard for just ten minutes.

[iamahaingttta]

14. Ten minutes? Give my friend Beatrix 20 seconds!

Five-Point-Palm Exploding Heart Technique!!

[catmandu57]

17. Nah, being a cat

I have to play with the prey first, bat it around a while put the fear in it.

[FloridaJudy]

26. Pai Mei taught her that? n/t

[shadowknows69]

30. Domesticated Kitty technique

Is that like panther and crane?

[lyonn]

5. Per george, who needs that damn congress - they make bill

that are contrary to My Laws.

"In all those instances, presidential signing statements had asserted that congressional demands were encroaching on Bush's prerogatives to control executive branch employees as he sees fit......"

How about impeachment george? How would that grab you? Or do you have a signing statement for that too?

[triguy46]

6. Huh?

Are we so powerless that there is no recourse, no action, no discussion? If this is acceptable to the dems in power, then the other side has won.

[ananda]

7. Thats my dictator!

Who needs no stankin laws!

[lyonn]

8. Maybe the best response! nt

[MiniMe]

11. I believe that upholding the constitution and the laws of the land are his ONLY job

What he is doing is basically a line item veto, which the Supreme Court declared unconstitutional.

[rasputin1952]

12. In this case he should be tried for treason, and if convicted...

he should be hanged.

End of statement.

[no_hypocrisy]

18. Can a former officeholder be tried for treason after s/he leaves office?

Or would the time limitations of the term be a problem?

[rasputin1952]

22. Yes...in fact, if a person is impeached, and found guilty and

turned outof office, there is nothing but a presidentail pardon that can keep them from facing all kinds of legal problems.

Once an office holder is out of office, all previous "protections" are gone, w/the exception of Secret Service protection, and that can be taken away as well, but it would take some doing.

There is no such thing as a "post presidential protection" clause, the are private citizens.

[Bitwit1234]

13. If this country is not bound by laws

How come the US Marshalls can't just waltz into the whitehouse and lock bush up. Just for the fun of it.

[Solly Mack]

16. Has he been proven wrong yet?

Bush has broken some serious laws - and he's still free.

He's even ignored (broken) some laws he has signed - and he's still free.

[Karenina]

20. Indeed! He pisses on the Constitution

and in Americans' faces. WITH IMPUNITY.

[Solly Mack]

21. Perhaps we're just jaded?

Naahhh...

[Supersedeas]

19. an issue far too complicated for the Beltway Chattering class--back to the Poll #'s

[Major Hogwash]

25. The "signing statements" are illegal. Where in the Constitution does it talk about them?

If Congress doesn't revolt against this insane jackass, then they will be the target of the revolt as well next year.

Mark my words.

[many a good man]

29. Signing statements are legal

at least until challenged in front of the Supreme Court. Somebody sue his ass NOW!

[dogday]

28. Says he is a human being, but I don't believe that either..... nt

[Rosemary2205]

31. He NEEDS to be bound by duct tape and tossed into Abu Ghraib.

Won't happen because the media is bought and paid for.

[Virginia Dare]

37. That's a beautiful fantasy though...n/t

[EVDebs]

34. Does the Constitution have a * signing statement attached to it too ? Just asking.

BTW, Jonathan Turley doesn't think they're worth the paper * signs on see realted DU post at

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x35436