ABA: Bush violating Constitution

[tianabautre]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/07/24/lawyers.bush.ap/index.html

"WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Bush's penchant for writing exceptions to laws he has just signed violates the Constitution, an American Bar Association task force says in a report highly critical of the practice"....
"If left unchecked, the president's practice does grave harm to the separation of powers doctrine, and the system of checks and balances that have sustained our democracy for more than two centuries."

......"The task force said the statements suggest the president will decline to enforce some laws. Bush has had more than 800 signing statement challenges, compared with about 600 signing statements combined for all other presidents, the group said."

One question: When do the impeachment hearings begin?

[Adam Weinberg]

Do you think the ABA is simply the first group to make this assertion?

This made me laugh when I saw it on the web and in the papers. Who in government today doesn't treat the Constitution like a worthless piece of paper?

[LadyT]

I'm sure the libs will chime in with Ron Paul at any second.

[Damocles]

I'm sure the libs will chime in with Ron Paul at any second.

The problem is, they'll ignore the fact that he also points out their violations of the same document, Lady T... There is a reason that the good doctor doesn't vote with the Democrats all the time, he refuses to vote for legislation that is unconstitutional. Hence the refusal to vote for Federal support of Education and other Liberal largesse along with corporate welfare and other "conservative" largesse...

Man, I so desperately want to vote for somebody putting forward a Balanced Budget Amendment and ideas for actual border/port security and an end to Federal Centralization...

[LadyT]

Well, 2008 is your chance. My top issues this time around are (not in order of importance):

#1) Port/Border Security
#2) A more isolationist for of international relations. Not completely, but I think for the time being we have no credibility in fostering peace and cease fires. We're a joke. Look at Putin's jab at Bush on Iraq.
#3) For some odd reason, gay marriage
#4) Pro-Choice iniatitves
#5) An Iraq Pullout - (my brother is home by the way!)
#6) Last but not least, the budget

[Care4all]

Do you think the ABA is simply the first group to make this assertion?

This made me laugh when I saw it on the web and in the papers. Who in government today doesn't treat the Constitution like a worthless piece of paper?


so should it continue? should we keep laughing, even though NOW we actually have some group behind correcting the problem, the unconstitutionality of it all?

I don't "get" this kind of attitude Adam?

care

[LadyT]

My next question is what are they going to do about it? Yes, a meeting is good, but what are consequences of this declaration going to be?

[Care4all]

isn't it true that the constitution gives the president only two choices when it comes to signing bills that congress passes...

1. he can sign it and abide by it

2. he can veto it and sent it back to congress

THAT IS ALL HE CAN DO, according to the constitution....

otherwise, congress does not have the final word, as our Constitution has dictated.....yes, congress has the final word, they can override a veto.

but what Bush is doing by signing the bill and then issuing a private statement attached to the Bill saying that he has every right to ignore the new law passed by congress, is a BREACH OF CONTRACT, his contract with us is to follow and protect the constitution 100%, at all costs...that is what he takes his oath to do for us.....not another thing is in that oath as his duties or requirements....but to preserve the Constitution.....

Impeach the son of bitch...please, do it now, before the election, we just can't wait...this is about the 10th violation of the constitution and he needs to be removed from office....

if not, the next president, be it Dem of Repub, will stretch the executive powers even further....and break our constitution even further, taking all power away from us....congress is our voice of freedom....this bastard in office has stripped us of power....us, yes us of our power!

Impeach him and his partner in crime, leading it all, Cheney.

[Care4all]

My next question is what are they going to do about it? Yes, a meeting is good, but what are consequences of this declaration going to be?

The ABA is suggesting that Congress makes a law saying that if the President makes a signing statement attached to a law they just passed and he just signed, then the Congress can sue the president and go directly to the supreme court on the issue for them to determine if what the president is signing a statement to, is constitutional....

they recommend getting rid of all signing statements by presidents that CHANGE the law they are signing and to get the President's more engaged in the bill before congress passes it if the president feels it needs changing or clarrifying.

they also recomend that the president veto a bill he differs with sending it back to congress.

[Care4all]

here is senator spector's bill that he is introducing....he explains it much better! :)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060724/ap_on_go_co/signing_statements_1

[LadyT]

I understand that, but the problem is its going to require Bush's congress to do it. And even if the dems do sweep the house and the senate this year, I don't know if they would even do it the way they are talking now. As adam said very few of them have respect for the constitution.

[Care4all]

I understand that, but the problem is its going to require Bush's congress to do it. And even if the dems do sweep the house and the senate this year, I don't know if they would even do it the way they are talking now. As adam said very few of them have respect for the constitution.


When it is USURPING Congress's own power, they have insentive to make changes at this point, especially when there will NOT be a republican president in 2008....it behooves them to do this....imo, and that is why it might, lol, get done. ;)

Spector is a republican, and the ABA task force was made up of 50% republicans and 50% Democrats, all respected in their fields and by their own parties.....

[LadyT]

i'll believe when I see it. I've lost all faith in our system.

[Damocles]

Gravedugg...

[Cancel3]

Well, 2008 is your chance. My top issues this time around are (not in order of importance):

#1) Port/Border Security
#2) A more isolationist for of international relations. Not completely, but I think for the time being we have no credibility in fostering peace and cease fires. We're a joke. Look at Putin's jab at Bush on Iraq.
#3) For some odd reason, gay marriage
#4) Pro-Choice iniatitves
#5) An Iraq Pullout - (my brother is home by the way!)
#6) Last but not least, the budget

Glad to hear your brother made it home.

[NOVA]

The ABA said, "bla, bla, bla......

Who gives a shit what the ABA says....?