Part I: "Unitary Executive" or Commander in Chief of Everything
Bush operates on the radical notion of the "unitary executive," that the president has inherent and limitless powers in his role as commander in chief, above the system of checks and balances.
--"Cheney's Coup," Sidney Blumenthal, salon.com, February 23, 2006.
The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.
--"NSA Stymies Justice Dept. Spying Probe," Devlin Barrett, Associated Press, May 11, 2006.
I have said from the beginning that 9-11 was the best thing that could have ever happened to George W. Bush. Before 9-11, his was a lackluster presidency. He wasn't all that popular, and his only measure put forth to protect the country was the outdated, unworkable Star Wars missile defense program touted by his hero, Ronald Reagan.
That's all we heard about then. People forget.
After 9-11 and the famous bullhorn-in-the-rubble moment when he cheered on rescue workers at the terrible site of the World Trade Center (after running and hiding for hours during the attacks while Vice President Dick Cheney scrambled the fighter jets), suddenly, he was a hero and he could do no wrong.
It gave him the perfect opportunity to do what he and his cohorts, Cheney and Rumsfeld, had wanted to do from the beginning--finish the job Daddy started. Invade Iraq, throw out Saddam, establish permanent bases there, and dominate their oil exports.
Within hours of 9-11, we now know from numerous sources who were there at the time, the Bush administration began forcing a bogus connection between al Queda and Saddam, bullying the intelligence community into justifying it and the media into believing and going along with it, and hypnotizing a traumatized nation into jumping onto the patriotic bandwagon to send our young men and women off to war oh say can you see by the dawn's early light.
From that moment on, Bush was a "wartime president." And as such, he could grab for himself unlimited powers as the commander in chief in a time of war. He could secretly and blatantly circumvent Congress and break any laws he saw fit in the name of "national security." He could do it with a single signature--on an executive order.
And he has signed hundreds.
The brilliance of the national security argument is that, if Congress then were to try to investigate him, as they have done the warrantless wiretapping, they can be shut down--cold--on the grounds that the issue is under the auspices of national security, and therefore, the administration can legitimately refuse to either answer questions under oath or provide any information to Congress--or anyone else--because to do so would breach the national security of our country.
According to the Associated Press, it is happening right now.
He can even stand before the American people and lie about it, then get away with the lie because, after all, he was only protecting us from terrorists.
So, when the administration is collecting information on the phone calls--and don't forget, e-mails as well--made by just about everyone in this country…what if they should suddenly decide to wiretap--without warrants--people who, like Nixon, they may consider to be personal enemies, people like, say, war protesters, or journalists who cross them, or political opponents?
And what, then, might they do with that information? Turn it over to the IRS? Put the person on a "no-fly" list?
Of course not, says this president. Trust me. When have I ever lied to you?
--"Cheney's Coup," Sidney Blumenthal, salon.com, February 23, 2006.
The government has abruptly ended an inquiry into the warrantless eavesdropping program because the National Security Agency refused to grant Justice Department lawyers the necessary security clearance to probe the matter.
--"NSA Stymies Justice Dept. Spying Probe," Devlin Barrett, Associated Press, May 11, 2006.
I have said from the beginning that 9-11 was the best thing that could have ever happened to George W. Bush. Before 9-11, his was a lackluster presidency. He wasn't all that popular, and his only measure put forth to protect the country was the outdated, unworkable Star Wars missile defense program touted by his hero, Ronald Reagan.
That's all we heard about then. People forget.
After 9-11 and the famous bullhorn-in-the-rubble moment when he cheered on rescue workers at the terrible site of the World Trade Center (after running and hiding for hours during the attacks while Vice President Dick Cheney scrambled the fighter jets), suddenly, he was a hero and he could do no wrong.
It gave him the perfect opportunity to do what he and his cohorts, Cheney and Rumsfeld, had wanted to do from the beginning--finish the job Daddy started. Invade Iraq, throw out Saddam, establish permanent bases there, and dominate their oil exports.
Within hours of 9-11, we now know from numerous sources who were there at the time, the Bush administration began forcing a bogus connection between al Queda and Saddam, bullying the intelligence community into justifying it and the media into believing and going along with it, and hypnotizing a traumatized nation into jumping onto the patriotic bandwagon to send our young men and women off to war oh say can you see by the dawn's early light.
From that moment on, Bush was a "wartime president." And as such, he could grab for himself unlimited powers as the commander in chief in a time of war. He could secretly and blatantly circumvent Congress and break any laws he saw fit in the name of "national security." He could do it with a single signature--on an executive order.
And he has signed hundreds.
The brilliance of the national security argument is that, if Congress then were to try to investigate him, as they have done the warrantless wiretapping, they can be shut down--cold--on the grounds that the issue is under the auspices of national security, and therefore, the administration can legitimately refuse to either answer questions under oath or provide any information to Congress--or anyone else--because to do so would breach the national security of our country.
According to the Associated Press, it is happening right now.
He can even stand before the American people and lie about it, then get away with the lie because, after all, he was only protecting us from terrorists.
So, when the administration is collecting information on the phone calls--and don't forget, e-mails as well--made by just about everyone in this country…what if they should suddenly decide to wiretap--without warrants--people who, like Nixon, they may consider to be personal enemies, people like, say, war protesters, or journalists who cross them, or political opponents?
And what, then, might they do with that information? Turn it over to the IRS? Put the person on a "no-fly" list?
Of course not, says this president. Trust me. When have I ever lied to you?
posted by Deanie Mills at 8:48 PM
2 Comments:
I have always been rather creeped out whenever they trot out the 'unitary executive' or 'inherent authority' meme. Maybe because it all sounds alittle too much like 'divine right'.
"Divine right"! I love it, xsociate! Actually, tho I'm smiling as I type this, the truth is that it's a sad smile, because we all know that Bush really does believe he has a divine right to do whatever he wants to, including start a war, that God is, as it were, on his side.
I'm going to do a post next on how so many Christians feel that the religious right does not speak for them or their faith, how attending religious services or practicing your own spirituality at home does not automatically make you a Republican.
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