"The president needs to be reminded that separation of powers does not mean an isolation of powers," John Dean, Nixon's lawyer, said.
The reference is, of course, to Bush's illegal wiretapping of American citizens without judicial oversight. Sounds a bit different than when the Bush syncophants talk about it, doesn't it. Bush, with complete premeditation, broke the law by circumventing the FISE court and authorizing illegal wiretaps on Americans. Yet to hear them talk about it, I quote Karl Rove: "How ridiculous in a time of war is it to have concern about Osama bin Laden's civil liberties over the security interests of the United States of America?"
Last I heard, the man Bush wanted dead or alive is still very much alive and in Pakistan or Afghanistan. Our attempt to defend American civil liberties is not likely to have much meaning since his using a phone would probably bring down a few missiles on his hiding place. The only right of bin Laden's that concerns me is his right to have a funeral in Moslem tradition, although I don't think "peace" describes the religion bin Laden ascribes to any more than Bush wants to be Christ-like. John Dean is now openly comparing Bush to Nixon with good cause: Both are power-mad adherents to the theory the President can do whatever he wants.
Example 2: In the Constitution, the President has one option when he disagrees with a law. He may return it with comment to the Congress for reconsideration, otherwise known as a veto. When the reauthorization of the Patriot Act required the President to brief Congress on activites undertaken under authorization of the Patriot Act and the President objected, he simply made a "signing statement" stating, roughly, Congress, stuff it. The signing statement has no authority under any law or the Constitution, yet his Republican syncophants have taken no action to inform him, George, you aren't a king. And why would they? He has yet to veto one of the massive Republican spending bills or any other for that matter.
Tragic is that an Administration so incompetent in so many areas is very adept at evading the law of the land. The illegal wiretapping will go down as one of the worst missteps in American civil liberties, the handling of prisoners at Guantanamo and Abu Ghraib, the legal maneuverings to keep an American citizen incommunicado and imprisoned for three years without charge or access to a lawyer will be recorded as massive failings of American justice. Katrina, Plamegate, K-street, this administration and this time of Republican ascendency will be recorded as the time when America lost its way, its values and its virginity. We will pay for the Bush Administration's incompetence and the Republicans' corruption for a great many years to come, both at home and abroad.
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