Sunday, September 21, 2008
Bush Administration: Give Us More Unreviewable Power; We Did So Well The Last Time We Asked
JB
The Bush Administration began in crisis. It now appears to be ending in crisis.
Following the 9/11 attacks, the Administration claimed that it needed enormous new powers to meet the threat of terrorism. Members of the Office of Legal Counsel spun out wild theories under which the President had virtually dictatorial powers when he acted under his authority as commander-in-chief. The OLC also drafted an extremely broad authorization for the use of military force (AUMF) that the Administration would later use as proof that Congress had already authorized virtually anything it wanted to do.
The past seven years have required enormous efforts to keep the Administration from making ever more outrageous claims of unreviewable authority and engaging in ever more unaccountable practices.
And now, as Ronald Reagan would say, there they go again.
more at:
http://balkin.blogspot.com/2008/09/bush-administration-give-us-more.html