Ray McGovern: The Constitution: Checking a Would-Be King

[cal04]

Who can forget the chutzpah of President George W. Bush as he bragged to Bob Woodward, “I’m commander in chief.... That’s the interesting thing about being president...I don’t feel like I owe anybody an explanation.”

* * *

Wrong, Mr. President. You and Vice President Cheney seem to have missed “Constitution 101.” And you seem to have laughed off admonitions against hiring lawyers eager to give an obsequious nihil obstat to whatever you want to do. You have allowed the likes of David Addington, Alberto Gonzales, John Yoo to do what Sen. Chuck Hagel (R, Nebraska) has accused you and your advisers of doing regarding Iraq—“making it up as they go along.” It’s enough to make one conclude that Shakespeare may have been right about lawyers.

Mr. President, you just can’t keep making things up—things like “unitary executive,” and “unlawful combatant,” and “military tribunals” and “enhanced interrogation techniques.” You cannot make-believe them into law. These faux-legal constructs are now coming home to roost.

Contrary to what you have been quoted as saying, the U.S. Constitution is not just another piece of paper. Indeed, it seems to be getting a new lease on life these days. This week you and your lawyers ran into a tough judge who takes the Constitution very seriously indeed and shows no sign of bending with the prevailing winds.

http://www.commondreams.org/views06/0819-29.htm

[Turbineguy]

1. Calling Bush "King"

gives a bad name to kings. But then "King" always goes will with a description. "King George the Idiot" or something like that. Perhaps we should call him "czar". "George the Terrible" has a nice ring to it.

But in America the has only been and will always be one "King"....

on edit: not to take anything away from BB King!

[Slyder]

3. George III

George W. Bush is the third president of the US to have the first name George. This makes him George III, unless you count the three King Georges of Great Britain who also ruled the American colonies, in which case he would be George VI. How the first choice of George III is much more fun. Think about that famous Patrick Henry (a bona fide American hero and founding father) quote about treason, Caesar, Brutus, Charles I, Cromwell, and George III. I dare not quote it for fear of being accused of something and having someone stupid call for Patrick Henry's arrest!

All this calls to mind the quote, often seen in Latin, from the Psalms, I believe, and quoted when the teen-aged Edward VI became king of England: Woe is the nation whose king is a child.

God Save King George and the American Republic for which he stands. One King, now and forever. Amen.

[badgerpup]

8. Oh, but this is WAAAAY too easy and obvious...

Bush...George the Third...George the Turd
:spank:

I know I'm not the first one to come up with this...
in fact, haven't there been pics all over the net with little tiny flags of Bush's face planted in...how would you say it politely...
oh, screw being polite.
Piles of SHIT, George the Turd.

[bleever]

2. The "unitary executive" is now cited in his signing statements

as a pretext for circumventing legislative provisions they find inconvenient.

[Peace Patriot]

4. How did "conservative" come to mean ripping up the Constitution into

little spitwads of hemp and flushing them down the White House executive toilets?

We need to announce the NEW CONSERVATISM: conservation of energy, conservation of the environment, conservative principles of lawfulness and ethical behavior in government and in the marketplace, no "foreign adventures," conservative preservation of our most cherished values of tolerance and equal opportunity, and old-fashioned, paper ballot, hand counting of votes.

Now THERE'S a Democratic Party platform: REAL CONSERVATISM.

The Bush junta and its corporate puppetmasters are the most radical people on this earth!

[glitch]

7. First they trashed the word liberal now they trash the word conservative

not surprising, trash is all they do.

[patricia92243]

5. Bush has said the Constitution was just a piece of paper??? Please tell m

me "no." This is just too horrible if it's true.

We need an emotion of someone wring their hands - in this case - me.:(

[Patchuli]

6. Afraid it's true...

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7779.shtml

[SharonAnn]

9. But didn't her swear "to protect and defend the Constitution of the

United States from enemies foreign and domestic"?

He's really a bozo.

[Patchuli]

10. He did and he's violated it in a myriad of ways!

A clear violation of his oath of office and grounds for impeachment.

[flyarm]

11. true!!!!!!!!!!!!