The "D" word, and how we should use it.

[alfredo]

The "D" word is dictator or dictatorship.

I want to brand bush as an aspiring dictator. We do have videos of him declaring his desire to be "the dictator." We also have a long list of actions that can be pointed to as acts of a dictator. We also have "Unitary Executive." I believe it is time to take the "D" word public. It is time to put that scarlet letter smack dab in the middle of his forehead.

I have been writing a letter to the editor on this subject and I thought you might like a look, and maybe you can help me refine it or glean some ideas for a letter to your editor.

Here's the letter so far:

The struggle you are seeing between the Democratic congress and Bush is not just politics, it is struggle over whether the US will have what Cheney and others call a "Unitary Executive" or remain a democratic society. The Democratic led congress is trying to restore the checks and balance, to put congress back on an equal footing with the executive branch as the framers of the constitution intended.

The perpetual "war on terror" is not about winning, it is about holding on to the extraordinary powers of a war time president. Put in simpler terms, the administration sees Orwell's "1984" as a users manual instead of a warning.

This Unitary Executive movement started during Nixon's years. An aide in the Nixon White House was angered over the disloyalty of the congress when they voted to impeach Nixon. He set out to change all that by making the president unaccountable to congress and the courts. This aide had little success until he selected himself to be vice president under GW Bush.

This aide "Dick Cheney" and the spin masters like Karl Rove and Tony Snow like the term Unitary Executive, it hides the real meaning. It makes it sound acceptable. But let us call it what it really is: dictatorship.

It's time you started paying attention, and never forget what bush said days after he was awarded the presidency by the Supreme Court, ''If this were a dictatorship, it would be a heck of a lot easier — so long as I'm the dictator.''

Please chime in on this subject. We need to frame bush and cheney as dictators and those in congress and right wing media as his enablers.

[alfredo]

1. A cartoon on the same subject

[blondeatlast]

2. It's inconceivable to most Americans that we've come to this, and my fear is

that the "d" word is just as inconceivable to them. It's obvious to us wonks that that is precisely what's happening, but the average citizen will see our use of it as reactionary. It's a serious problem for the opposition to the dictatorship.

I've been thinking about the rhetoric we need to use. It's tough, but necessary. We need to emphasize that he is literally seizing power by declaring himself above the Constitution.

I don't have the words yet, but I'll watch this thread.

I do have one minor thought regarding your letter--we need to make this nonpolitical for now, IMHO. The Democrats are clearly on board with this now and we need to start pushing reluctant Rs to action.

I would remove the reference to the Democrats and just say the "amjority in Congress" are trying to restore the checks and balances. we have bipartisan support and need to encourage more of it.

The onus really is on ALL of Congress. the Democrats have our backs--we need to push the Republicans who put country over ideology over to our side.

[alfredo]

3. His stonewalling of contempt charges could be the key to framing

this issue.

Here's some changes to the first paragraph:

The struggle you are seeing between Congress and Bush is not just politics, it is struggle over whether the US will have what Cheney and others call a "Unitary Executive" or remain a democratic society. Many in Congress are trying to restore the checks and balance, to put Congress back on an equal footing with the executive branch as the framers of the Constitution intended.

[proud patriot]

4. Bingo ! Unitary Executive = Dictatorship/Dictator

Constitution says 3 Co Equal Branches of Government.

The Unitary Executive is opposite of the Constitution .

Unitary Executive is unchecked power of the president
The Constitution says Checks and Balances to Each
branch's use of power .

[alfredo]

5. We really need to find a way of presenting this to the public in a way

that they can understand.

Of course how many really care if our system of government survives.

[salin]

6. The Anti-Constitution party, once known as the republican party.

The Anti-Constitutionists believe (and act) that the President/Dictator should write laws (signing statements and executive orders that nullify standing law) which now trumps the powers once bestowed to the Legislative Branch by the Constitution.

The Anti-Constituionists believe (and act) that the President should interpret law (signing statements affirming the executive's right to interpret the law according to HIS interpretation of the constitution) which now trumps the powers once bestowed to the Judicial Branch by the Constitution.

The Anti-Constitutionists believe (and act) that the President should not be bothered with any kind of oversight and should be able to act above the law (executive orders followed by claims of executive priviledge to avoid oversight) with NO legislative, nor judicial review which now trumps the powers once bestowed to the Legislative and Judicial branches of government by the Constiution.

No Republican in Congress has spoken out against the actions of the president and no republican running for the presidency has renounced the practices or policies of this president - suggesting that the entire party has adopted the Anti-Constitution stand.

Without the Constitution we, as citizens, have no rights. The Constitution is the legal document that gives us rights, and defines which rights and powers the various branches of government have. Our Anti-Constitutionists led government has been nullifying piece by piece of the Constitution - establishing new precedents almost daily, transforming our system from one that has been rooted and based on the US Constitution, to something that behaves more like a Dictatorship.

In these times, unless a republican takes a stand (if in office a stand does not mean a word - it means a vote) to stop the AntiConstitutionists and their shredding of our constitutional system - than that office holder IS an AntiConstitutionist and to vote for him/her is to vote against the validity and sanctity of the Constitution.

[alfredo]

7. We have to make sure our party doesn't want the powers bush has

grabbed for his own.

Clinton had the powers accumulated under the Reagan/Bush years, but he used them in a benign fashion, not against the people.