Bush Postpones 2008 Election

[Catchawave]

by Stephen Gillers, The Nation
Mon Jul 31, 12:00 AM ET

Cites Constitutional Power to Protect Nation's Security

What Did 'Four Years' Mean in 1789?

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2008. President Bush, citing his authority as Commander in Chief of the armed forces and his inherent constitutional power over foreign affairs, today ordered a postponement of the 2008 presidential election in order "to protect the American people in our war on terror."

In a speech during a surprise visit to Baghdad, where he celebrated the summer solstice with the troops, Mr. Bush told the nation that the election will be "rescheduled as soon as a change in leadership does not create a security threat and not a second later. When the Iraqis stand up, we'll vote."

"Elections are important," the President acknowledged. "I know that. I believe in elections. I'm President because of an election, sort of. But protecting the nation from another 9/11 is more important than holding an election precisely on time."

The President noted that as Commander in Chief he had already approved telephone wiretapping without court warrant, incarcerated alleged "enemy combatants" indefinitely without trial and, in a February 2002 order, now rescinded, had authorized the armed forces to ignore the Geneva Conventions when "consistent with military necessity," so long as everyone was treated "humanely."

"If I can do all that, I can defer an election," the President said. "Look, as between not voting on time and getting locked up without all those Geneva rules and such, which is worse?"

cont'd....(snork)....http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20060731/cm_thenation/20060814gillers;_ylt=AqJHkegvL_Ba5.inDrgPq9w__8QF;_ylu=X3oDMTBidHQxYjh2BHNlYwN5bnN0b3J5

[napi21]

1. He wouldn't dare do that! He'd have to sirvive in an armed bubble!

I think even Shrub knows he'd never survive a move like that!

[AlinPA]

3. Really, what - who would stop him? Media would suck right up. He

controls all the big weapons. It could happen if he got another big "attack" going for him. Control of the voting machines makes all that unnecessary, however.

[napi21]

8. Hmmmm, I wasn't talking aobut the media or any ligitimate

opposer. Ahhh, how do I say this....there are concerns about home grown terrorists who are usually individuals who are just ticked off at their Gov't and don't see any other option except theirs.

[Sapere aude]

16. Those are the future residents of the new detention centers.

Bush says no election because of national security. You call him on it. You are a enemy combatant. You go to detention without Constitutional protections. Who's next to decent?

[reaper66]

4. Bush is declaring himself a king

We need to distribute this all over the internet on message boards, chat rooms, email, etc if we want to stop a full blown dictatorship from rising in the U.S. people need to know what's going on. This is insane. Of course I'm sure the government will carry out another terror attack to justify all of this.

[Catchawave]

6. I agree about distributing this all over....

...but you did realize this was a parody of "real news". Still, it could happen.

Welcome to DU :hi: :toast: :hi:

[Name removed]

11. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. 
[link:www.democraticunderground.com/forums/rules.html|Click
here] to review the message board rules.

[kimmerspixelated]

2. There are many that believe

that this is not too unlikely a scenario. Something horrific will have transpired, marshall law would go in effect, and all elections would be cancelled.The ME crisis is in the beginning stages,what will happen later? It is chilling to think about it. I can't help but get spooked when, sometime in 2004, the chimp said, something to the effect, "I'll do 4 more years and then go home", in such a way and with an evil glimmer in his eyes, as if he thought it would be good to say it, knowing all the while the plan was for him to stay much,much longer. ARGHH!

[Catchawave]

5. That's what I found eerie about this too.....

While I did find it funny, it still put a knot in my stomach :scared:

So we need to take back this congress more than ever, I don't want to give The Little King any more mandates by keeping his merrymen in power :silly:

[RamboLiberal]

7. I remember Freepers and Wingnuts saying that Clinton

was going to postpone the 2000 election. He was going to declare martial law, yada, yada, yada. That was their wild-eyed conspiracy theory along with Y2K and black helicopters. Nope, I don't think even Bush/Cheney would dare!

[napi21]

9. Yes, I remember that too. It's a radical idea that wouldn't happen

no matter who was Prez.

[Catchawave]

10. But...but....but.....

Bush has the track record of manipulating the Constitution, Clinton was definitely the object of that "right wing conspiracy" (OMIGOD, I think I just defended Hillary!). :hi:

[Catchawave]

12. More snips from the "article"....

...because I don't think you're (generic) are reading the whole thing :rofl:

In a speech on the Senate floor, Joseph Lieberman (IND-Conn.) supported the President's decision. "While I do not believe we should lightly suspend the exercise of the franchise," he said, "protection of the nation cannot be and must not be a partisan issue. As Americans, we can all agree that security is the most important job of a President. We can have a country without an election, but we cannot have an election without a country. It's as simple as that."

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.), the likely Democratic nominee, had no immediate comment, but her office said she will hold a news conference following the results of early polling. A spokesperson for her campaign, granted anonymity because she was not authorized to speak to the press about anything, said the senator "is absolutely opposed to postponing the election as such, but she is amenable to rescheduling the day designated for the actual vote. There is a difference."

:hi:

[LittleClarkie]

13. There were those who thought that 2004 should have been postponed

Which I found scary in and of itself. Not that Bush was calling for it, but that there was support for such a notion. Think of it -- want to stay in power? Start a war. Hoo boy.

[Catchawave]

14. I remember that ...the fear and terror factor....

...and the Bush Administration hanging by a thread...errrggghhh...what went wrong!?!

[TheWatcher]

15. Diebold, Kenneth Blackwell, and Ohio.

That's what went wrong.

And there isn't much that's going to prevent it from happening again.