President Obama extends Bush's "State of Emergency". It's the wrong emergency!

[Better Believe It]

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release September 10, 2010

Letter from the President on the Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Certain Terrorist Attacks
September 10, 2010

Dear Madam Speaker: (Dear Mr. President:)

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act, 50 U.S.C. 1622(d), provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. Consistent with this provision, I have sent to the Federal Register the enclosed notice, stating that the emergency declared with respect to the terrorist attacks on the United States of September 11, 2001, is to continue in effect for an additional year.

The terrorist threat that led to the declaration on September 14, 2001, of a national emergency continues. For this reason, I have determined that it is necessary to continue in effect after September 14, 2010, the national emergency with respect to the terrorist threat.

Sincerely,

BARACK OBAMA

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2010/09/10/letter-president-continuation-national-emergency-with-respect-certain-te


-------------------------------------------


Obama Declares Wrong Emergency
by Lewis Seiler and Dan Hamburg
Lewis Seiler is president of Voice of the Environment. Dan Hamburg, a former US congressman, is executive director.
September 29, 2010


In extending the nation's State of Emergency for a ninth consecutive year, President Obama retains the power to declare and implement a series of executive orders which enable his government to "take over all modes of transportation and control of highways, airports, and seaports" (10990, 11004), "seize and control the communication media" (10995), "relocate communities and establish new locations for populations" (11004), "develop plans to establish control over the mechanisms of production and distribution, of energy sources, wages, salaries, credit and the flow of money in U.S. financial institutions" (11921) and much more.

The country does face an emergency brought on, at least in part, by the attacks of 9/11-a fiscal emergency! Since 9/11, the nation has gone on a frantic military spending spree financed by borrowing abroad. Trillions have gone into a preemptive war against Iraq and what is shaping up as a Vietnam-style quagmire in Afghanistan. U.S. military budgets are at an all time high, with the United States spending more than the rest of the world combined. In fact, more money is spent on war-making than is spend by all fifty states together on health, education, welfare, and public safety. Eisenhower's worst fears have been realized.

We have heard ad nauseum from the beginning of Obama's presidency that "nothing can be done without sixty votes." This requirement for a senatorial supermajority in order to do the people's business is mostly a dodge by those who really don't want that business to be done in the first place. Many scholars have shown how a focused majority, currently the Democrats, could alter Senate procedures to restore majority rule. At the very least, the majority could require that filibusters actually be carried through rather than simply "declared."

Regardless of an inept Congress, the president does have the power to make massive changes; in fact, the State of Emergency affords him near-dictatorial powers. The president actually has the authority to take the actions necessary to provide for the national security by pursuing our enemies, whether they work from Afghan caves or K Street suites.

The president has the power to force the banks to halt foreclosures by reissuing mortgages at a lower rate. He has the power to put people to work rebuilding the infrastructure of the country. He has the power not just to ferret out terrorists, but to keep American citizens in their homes and in their jobs until the economic crisis abates.

Read the full article at:

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/09/29-8

[VMI Dem]

1. Terror! Terror!

:rofl:

[Individualist]

7. Bad when Bush does it, good when Obama does it.

Mind boggling, isn't it?

[Panaconda]

2. Plus ca change

[jtuck004]

3. Maybe we could get a "state of emergency" for a jobs program? n/t

[Name removed]

4. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Individualist]

5. Changealicious!

:banghead:

[The Uncola]

6. This kinda speaks for itself, doesn't it?

:banghead:

"Thank you sir, may I have another?..."

[treestar]

8. He must have extended it for 09 too then

Were you posting about it then?

Likely it affects many other things. It may trigger so many other ongoing things that are ongoing - I'm not going to jump on this either, without knowing the long, wonky and probably dull facts.