Just re-watching "National Parks"...

[Bigmack]

the series by Ken Burns.

FDR and Ickes simply had the BALLS to make areas into National Parks... bypassing Congress entirely. Banished Jim Crow in the Parks, too.

No votes...no bullshit... just executive orders. The Repubs bitched like hell. FDR said that he "welcomed their hatred".

Balls... that's all we need.

[niyad]

1. how about calling it courage and conviction. it is really very annoying to have a term used

for standing up for what is right to only include the masculine gender.

[Bigmack]

3. Lots of women have BALLS... it's not an anatomical term.... nt

[progressoid]

2. Hmmm... when Bush used Executive Orders DUers called it unconstitutional and treasonous.

:shrug:

[Bigmack]

4. What horseshit!

There is no difference between spying on citizens and saving national treasures. There is no difference between torture and integrating the National Parks. Is that what you are saying?

[progressoid]

10. No, of course not.

Just pointing out that many a DU scholar decried Ex orders, signing statements etc FOR circumventing Congress. Notwithstanding the morality of the executive order.

By your post, I assumed that you want our President to use his balls and executive orders for more than just additional National Parks right? So, how far would you like him to go with this unilateral power? Clearly your examples of spying and torture prove that balls and executive orders alone don't necessarily make for good public policy. How much unchallenged power are you willing to give him?

But if this is just about National Parks, then I apologize for muddying the thread with other issues. I am a strong supporter of our National Park system.

[rhett o rick]

8. And I thought only right-wingnuts opposed the establishment of the National Parks. Hmm.

:shrug:

[progressoid]

11. Sorry, no.

See above.

[rhett o rick]

16. So you equate George the Idiot King's use of executive orders with FDR's?

I believe that the Idiot King use the executive order more than all previous presidents put together. He used it on almost if not all legislation.
I take offense that you would make this comparison.

[TheMightyFavog]

5. Carter did the same thing in Alaska.

The locals bitched and moaned about it at the time, (Even getting to the point where death threats were leveled against Park Service Employees) However, once the locals quickly changed their tune when they saw all the tourism money rollin in.


Are you listening, Mr. President? How about dusting off the Antiquities Act and applying it to ANWR? Name the new National Monument after Sarah Palin just to piss her off.

[Cleita]

6. When my DH retired we were determined to visit all the national parks.

Well we got to about half of them west of the Mississippi before he fell ill. This is such a magnificent country and it's the miracle of FDR and Ickes that the land the parks are located on didn't fall to the lumberjack's axe and mining and commercial interests. I hope we can hang onto our beautiful country and keep it beautiful.

[elocs]

7. If the National Parks system were being established now,

Republicans would do everything within their power to stop it. Even now, if huge oil deposits were found in the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone, their cry would be, "Drill baby, drill!!!"

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

9. Umm, FDR and Ickes had the power to make national monuments.

That was explained rather clearly in the series.

[Bigmack]

12. That's the lever they used. They had the balls to use the lever....

Obama has the power - as CinC - to end DADT. Close Gitmo now. Lots of others.

Nada.

Hence my comment about lack of balls.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Um, no, he doesn't.

You're comparing apples and oranges.

[Bigmack]

14. Um... yes.. he does...

A new study published by a group of experts in military law, shows that President Obama does, in fact, have statutory, stroke-of-the-pen authority to suspend gay discharges. Obama could simply invoke his authority under federal law (10 U.S.C. §12305) to retain any member of the military he believes is essential to national security.

Or he could take advantage of a legal loophole. The "don't ask, don't tell" law requires the military to fire anyone found to be gay or lesbian. But there is nothing requiring the military to make such a finding. The president can order the military to stop investigating service members' sexuality.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/aaron-belkin/obama-to-fire-his-first-g_b_199070.html

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. "essential to national security"

:shrug: