Turley: 'How Bush became a government unto himself' 1,100 Signing Statements

[tekisui]

Dan Abrams examined the Bush administration's unprecedented use of signing statements in the second installment of his week-long MSNBC series on "Bush League Justice."

"President Bush doesn't like to veto laws," Abrams began. "He doesn't have to. Since he took office, he's been attaching conditions to laws already passed by Congress, allowing him to essentially disobey the will of Congress and dramatically expand his own power."

Bush has issued 1100 signing statements -- almost twice as many as all previous presidents put together -- often completely reversing the intended effect of legislation. For example, when Congress voted overwhelmingly to ban torture, Bush announced that this would "make it clear to the world that this government does not torture." Two weeks later, he added a signing statement to the bill that allowed him to ignore it.

Similarly, when a bill required the Justice Department to report to Congress on the use of the Patriot Act, Bush added a proviso that he could override this requirement any time he thought necessary.

Law professor Jonathan Turley told Abrams that the practice has two very serious effects. On one hand, "by using signing statements to this extent, the president becomes a government unto himself." But it also gives lower-level officials cover for their own illegal behavior by creating a deliberate area of ambiguity about the meaning of the laws.

more at link: http://rawstory.com/news/2007/MSNBC_probes_How_many_laws_has_1212.html

[BeHereNow]

1. Recommended! More people need to know about the signing statements

Hitler did the same thing you know.
BHN

[in_cog_ni_to]

3. STOP COMPARING HIM TO HITLER! THEY ARE NOTHING ALIKE!

:sarcasm:

[BeHereNow]

7. I know, I know...

Bush doesn't have a mustache.
What was I thinking?
BHN

[magellan]

2. k&r

[bonito]

4. K&R

[gateley]

5. K&R -- Thanks!! nt "Government unto himself" -- indeed. nt

[spanone]

6. the signing statement neuters the law he just signed......criminal

[OwnedByFerrets]

8. K & R

[Disturbed]

9. Is there a way that this can be taken away from any future Pres?

It sure seems like a real stupid way for Govt. to operate. Why should a Pres. have this
kind of power?

[BeHereNow]

10. I sincerely appreciate your "futurist" thinking- I wish more people would do that.

Who ever takes office inherits these powers.
I shudder to consider the possibilities given
some of the candidates.
Eh?

BHN

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

13. Only if s/he is a Democrat 'cause the Republicans would scream bloody,...

,...treason!!!!

[THUNDER HANDS]

11. sort of begs the question

what is the purpose of a signing statement, if not to ignore congress?

Seems that whoever slipped that little item in the laws of our nation figured the president would need to use it sometime.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

12. Those damn things should have been constitutionally challenged!!!

It is ridiculous!!! That man has 'signed' himself outside constitutional limits and NO ONE has done one damn thing about it!!!

GR! EW!!! Blech!!! :grr:

[Swamp Rat]

14. This amounts to treason.

In my opinion.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

15. When the intention is to intentionally violate the USC, isn't that being AN ENEMY,...

,...domestic enemy, against the U.S.A.?

:shrug: