The 2008 presidential campaign and the legacy of the Cheney Project

[L. Coyote]

The 2008 presidential campaign and the legacy of the Cheney Project
By Charlie Savage | http://www.tpmcafe.com/blog/tableforone/2007/sep/14/the_2008_presidential_campaign_and_the_legacy_of_the_cheney_project

I hope that my book "Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy" persuasively establishes that America is at an extraordinary constitutional moment, one that rises above ordinary politics. The Bush-Cheney administration has successfully pioneered a slew of new and enhanced powers for the presidency, an arsenal that they will leave to their successors on January 20, 2009. Thus, the actions of the next president about White House power, and the attitude of the legal team he or she will hire, will be enormously important.

When I say “the subversion of American democracy” in my somewhat aggressive subtitle, I am speaking only of American-style democracy – the Founders’ vision of checks and balances to prevent the concentration of government power – not democracy per se. After all, presidents are still elected. But there is one way in which the more sweeping understanding of “democracy” comes into play here. Maybe Cheney's belief in a stronger presidency with fewer checks and balances makes sense given the dangers and complexities of the modern world, or maybe it doesn't make sense given what the Founders understood to be the flaws of human nature, something that time will never change. In either case, though, it is a fundamental principle of democracy that if a nation's governing system is going to undergo a change, it should only happen after an informed public debate and a demonstrated mandate from voters. Back in 2000, the Bush-Cheney campaign didn’t say anything about their attitude toward presidential power to voters, ............

[mmonk]

1. .

:kick:

[L. Coyote]

2. Preventing “the subversion of American democracy” kick