Bush overreaches presidential prerogative
Bush overreaches presidential prerogative Seattle Post Intelligencer By HELEN THOMAS
HEARST NEWSPAPERS
WASHINGTON — We are now learning what President Bush considers to be the limits of his power — nothing.
In recent public appearances, Bush defended his program of domestic spying without court approval, citing the inherent war powers of the presidency under the U.S. Constitution. He points to his status as commander in chief and the resolution — approved by Congress three days after the 9/11 attacks — authorizing him to use “all necessary and appropriate force” against terrorists. It is an obvious overreach of presidential prerogative; thin justification for what amounts to a snooping foray against Americans and others in the United States.
It smacks of France’s Louis XIV’s famous dictum: “L’etat, c’est moi” — “I am the state.”
The administration is on shaky legal ground. Last week, the Justice Department issued a 42-page analysis declaring the president “will exercise all authority available to him, consistent with the Constitution, to protect the people of the United States.”
The Justice Department brief also contended that some presidential powers are “beyond congressional ability to regulate.” [more]
January 28th, 2006 at 3:41 pm
Bush HAS crossed the line and has now declared himself to want absolute power…
This article points to the reason why IF we are a RIGHTS group of any sort–Abolitionists, Human rights organization, Civil Rights–Op Ed/REPORTERS on rights, we MUST all learn to juggle a number of different RIGHTS issues at a time and happily do so–helping one another with what we know best.
All these RIGHTS issues overlap. The regime in power whether intentional or not–are thriving on keeping us all busy on many dramatic, newsworthy stories and actions at once…SEPARATELY . DIVIDE AND CONQUER or at least don’t let the folk over here know what the folk over there know. Obviously the hope is that many of us will either be too unfocused or too focused to do any good. And that as each issue comes up and overlaps, we won’t come up with the votes and support needed by our legislators and leaders.
Either extreme (unfocus–focus on too much too superficially AND hyperfocus on just one issue) will sabotage our effort!
This is the moment in history when specialists/experts are needed–yet only ones who are willing to work with one another during this time of need when a few xtra votes make all the difference.
How easy it would be to highlight how each of the rights issues at play during the next few weeks relate to our various particular cause-and to provide guidance to easy actions and particular senators to contact for each in a methodical manner:
EXAMPLES ON EACH RIGHT ITEM COMING UP MONDAY, THIS WEEK AND THE WEEKS FOLLOWING:
ALITO Now through at least Tues. morning if not longer: The Supreme Court and the Death Penalty (unitary executive, new protocals, unitary signing on executions, slant away from the powerless, appeals? See Sen. Feingold’s speech on Alito–Alito’s answers to Feingold were “Chilling” to Feingold; The Nation Mag. raised the question as to why Russ Feingold chose Alito to be the ONLY nominee to the Sup. court he has ever turned down., etc.
ACTION: FILIBUSTER ON ALITO NEEDED NOW: See the headlines on this site http://www.commondreams.org http://www.pfaw.org PLEASE CALL ALL THE SENATORS YOU POSSIBLE CAN WHO ARE UNDECIDED–be bipartisan, find common ground, give up on NO one. Talking Points: http://www.consortiumnews.com http://www.truthout.org (Marjorie Cohn)
PATRIOT ACT //SPYING (Rights for so many causes and mainstream institutions–Relate to movements and groups of all kinds where activists, pacifists,dissenters, rights groups of any kind may be spied upon, arrested, detained, held without charge–have private and important internet activity and files confiscated by server or in some other way. Virtually ANYONE who is opposed to our criminal government in any way or who may provide testing grounds for the present regime: ie, the animal rights and Quaker groups perhaps?) http://www.bordc.org http://www.feingold.senate.gov/ American Library Association Chamber of Commerce Find and CALL all the Senators you can who are on the fence. their receptionists are often happy to listen to your opinions and web-info and not to need to record your address or ph. number.
TORTURE BAN (and the Graham-Levin-Kyle Amendment) and the TWO signing bills–all of which provide a number of loopholes..this issue should directly relate and be addressed by any number of our human and civil rights movements and groups as well.. Although obvious, we are often so hesitant to be the first in our group to ask for action…What will we regret that we have not done down the road?
Act against Torture, read the fine lines, encourage your fellow activists, lawyers, readers to Act Now and ongoing until we have amended the Torture Ban and done away with these presidential Signing Bills and other quiet and secret loopholes.
Actions on Torture: http://www.amnestyusa.org http://www.amnesty.org http://www.VPC.org (Violence Policy Center) http://www.SOAW.org Act on your own, letter to the editor, start a petition, watch commondreams.org/Alternet.org/positiveuniverse.com for Actions on Torture) (find many other groups with a simple internet search)
Updates to stay aware of legislation, court cases of concern for us all, hope and various RIGHTS issues: free email subscription to Congressional Quarterly CQ.org SOAW.org (School of Americas Watch) NCADP (National Coalition Against the Death Penalty) ncadp.org DPIC (Death Penalty Information Center) Every Church a Peace Church Friends National Legislation Committee Fellowship of Reconciliation truthout.org Bob Herbert’s OP ED for the New York Times Kucinich & Marianne Williamson with the Dept. of Peace Campaign Compassionate Listening Nonviolent Communication NVC
Global perspective on middle east peace: bitterlemons.org (israeli-palestinian forum) haaretz newspaper Tikkun Magazine (find this on line) Riverbend blog: riverbendblog.blogspot.com
ADD YOUR OWN URLS AND THOT’S PLEASE…
A final note: Of course, we don’t want to reinvent the wheel but at the same time we can’t afford to keep doing the same thing in the same way with the same results: the definition of INSANITY
So operate out of your own mind, heart soul and community conscience…come up with new solutions and means…share these with the rest of us.
This is not a time to always and only follow…if you can put more joy, energy, smarts and compassionate power into something different and beyond what’s being done: DO IT with the blessing of LOVE and the UNIVERSE!
Go Well, Connie
January 29th, 2006 at 1:12 am
RE: FILIBUSTER/ALITO:
FOCUS ON THESE DEMOS AND BE AS POLITE AS POSSIBLE..PLEASE STRESS THE UNITARY EXECUTIVE CONCERNS AND WHAT MOST PASSIONATELY CONCERNS YOU….
Byrd, Byden, Bayh, Pryor.Landreiu, Johnson, Lautenberg(NJ), Menendez, (NJ), Akaka, Dorgan, Nelson(NE), Conrad, Nelson(fla)
January 29th, 2006 at 1:29 am
http://democrats.com/alito-48
The Alito blog at Huffingtonpost.com is also helpful right now…
Let’s Make History!
Keep The Heat On - Keep calling the Senators who are undecided or opposed to a filibuster. You can call their DC office today and leave voicemails urging the Senators to support Kerry’s filibuster. When offices open on Monday 9 a.m. ET, make another round of calls. Let’s shut down the Capitol switchboard on Monday!
Dems.Com has taken the lead on organizing a scorecard on where we stand…please visit the site and send this link to your friends…
http://democrats.com/alito-48
Invite friends to subscribe: http://supporters.pdamerica.org/lists/?p=subscribe