Digby has a good thread on chimpie and the Constitution

[chaumont58]

Digby writes:

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

<...>

Legal scholars say the scope and aggression of Bush's assertions that he can bypass laws represent a concerted effort to expand his power at the expense of Congress, upsetting the balance between the branches of government. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to ''execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional.

<...>

Far more than any predecessor, Bush has been aggressive about declaring his right to ignore vast swaths of laws -- many of which he says infringe on power he believes the Constitution assigns to him alone as the head of the executive branch or the commander in chief of the military.

Many legal scholars say they believe that Bush's theory about
his own powers goes too far and that he is

Its a thread worth reading, as are all of Digby's writings.


link to Digby:

http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/

What I take out of the thread is that American democracy is a fragile thing. A not very bright man is getting away with murder.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

1. The Constitution is clear...

...in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed."

Perhaps you didn't read President Bush's signing/swearing in statement when he took the Oath of Office.
He made a slight modification to the above text:

"...to take car that the political dissidents be faithfully executed."

All nice and legal. No problem here. Now you run along, and stop libeling our great president.

[chaumont58]

2. Well, if I must.

I think Bush is working a variation of the line item veto power.
I had thought SCOTUS had decided that, but maybe not.

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

3. I agree. He makes a signing...

...statement, by virtue of which, he interprets laws however he pleases.