Legal Panel To Investigate Constitutionality of *s Signing Statements

[AtomicKitten]

The Boston Globe
Bar group will review Bush's legal challenges

By Charlie Savage, Globe Staff | June 4, 2006

Excerpts:

WASHINGTON -- The board of governors of the American Bar Association voted unanimously yesterday to investigate whether President Bush has exceeded his constitutional authority in reserving the right to ignore more than 750 laws that have been enacted since he took office.

Bush has appended statements to new laws when he signs them, noting which provisions he believes interfere with his powers.

Among the laws Bush has challenged are the ban on torturing detainees, oversight provisions in the USA Patriot Act, and ``whistle-blower" protections for federal employees.

The challenges also have included safeguards against political interference in taxpayer-funded research.

Bush has challenged more laws than all previous presidents combined.

The ABA's president, Michael Greco, said in an interview that he proposed the task force because he believes the scope and aggressiveness of Bush's signing statements may raise serious constitutional concerns. He said the ABA, which has more than 400,000 members, has a duty to speak out about such legal issues to the public, the courts, and Congress.

``The American Bar Association feels a very serious obligation to ensure that when there are legal issues that affect the American people, the ABA adopts a policy regarding such issues and then speaks out about it," Greco said. ``In this instance, the president's practice of attaching signing statements to laws squarely presents a constitutional issue about the separation of powers among the three branches."

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[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. What are the implications of this?

Will Bush merely say "Ho Hum," and go about his business? Or would a finding from this body make more of the lily livers in Congress decide they better act?

[AtomicKitten]

2. the Republicans have been 100% successful

in avoiding all oversight, investigations, anything that would lead to accountability.

There is much to impeach this mo-fo for; bringing that to fruition will only come when the Democrats retake the House and/or Senate.

And, in answer to your question, of course they will ignore the findings of this panel.

[Monk06]

3. Implications? The findings of the ABA task force will form the basis

of a legal brief presented to the SC for a ruling regarding
the constitutionality of signing statements.

I'm no expert on the US Constitution but it seems to me that
the president only has the power of veto which can be overturned
by the Senate.

Signing statements are clearly being used to usurp the powers of
the legislative branch.

The president cannot chose which laws he is willing to obey.

Unfortunately until it is brought before the SC he can do as he
pleases which pleases this president a great deal.

He's like a spoiled teenager who insists on getting his own way
just for the sake of it.

[Supersedeas]

4. It is about damned time the Bar Association has gotten off its haunches