"WASHINGTON -- President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution."
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"Phillip Cooper, a Portland State University law professor who has studied the executive power claims Bush made during his first term, said Bush and his legal team have spent the past five years quietly working to concentrate ever more governmental power into the White House.
''There is no question that this administration has been involved in a very carefully thought-out, systematic process of expanding presidential power at the expense of the other branches of government," Cooper said. ''This is really big, very expansive, and very significant."
For the first five years of Bush's presidency, his legal claims attracted little attention in Congress or the media. Then, twice in recent months, Bush drew scrutiny after challenging new laws: a torture ban and a requirement that he give detailed reports to Congress about how he is using the Patriot Act."More on the story here. (And who else in the TN Blogworld but Newscoma would have already tagged this collection of horrors?)
Not to take away from the news lady, but if you read my Classified Information post closely, in the eighth paragraph, about the unitary executive theory, I put links to a couple of those nasty signing statements. Here's a link to more that bear on secrecy.
ReplyDeleteI'm cool like that.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Joe.
Thanks Wintermute - will be sure to read yer info.
ReplyDeleteAint it the 'cowboy' way.. pickin & choosin what laws will suit ya?
ReplyDeleteConservative outrage? Where's the Conservative outrage?
ReplyDeleteThere's no sex involved so I guess there can be no conservative outrage.