White House says Bush plans administrative orders to govern, avoiding Congress

[LiberalArkie]

<http://rawstory.com/news/2007/White_House_says_Bush_plans_administrative_1031.html>

It's not quite signing statements, where President George W. Bush used legal means to "interpret" laws, allowing him to avoid Congressional directives, but the White House is now planning to implement as much new policy "as it can" by administrative order "after concluding that President Bush cannot do much business with the Democratic leadership."

According to officials who spoke to the Washington Post, Bush blames Democrats for the holdup of Judge Michael Muskasey's nomination as attorney general, the failure to pass budget bills and an inability to reach compromise on child healthcare.

Bush vetoed the State Children's Health Insurance Program, or SCHIP, saying Democrats hadn't found a way to offset spending for the expansion of the program. Democrats have reservations about Mukasey because he has refused to denounce the president's policy on waterboarding.

"White House aides say the only way Bush seems to be able to influence the process is by vetoing legislation or by issuing administrative orders, as he has in recent weeks on veterans' health care, air-traffic congestion, protecting endangered fish and immigration," the Post authors write. "They say they expect Bush to issue more of such orders in the next several months, even as he speaks out on the need to limit spending and resist any tax increases."

SNIP

Full Story:
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/30/AR2007103000558.html>

[bullimiami]

1. this is a serious seperation of powers problem.

the congress makes the laws.
the executive applies the laws.

bush thinks he is emperor.

[bdamomma]

31. Congress has just got to say this is not a MONARCHY

over and over again.

[peacebird]

2. his contempt for congress is blatant. his contempt for the constitution is also.

why, again, is impeachment "off the table"?

[atreides1]

His Contempt is expected

What is surprising is that the Republican leadership in the congress continues to support this contempt. Do they realize that if Bush is doing this little dictator thing, then a Democratic president can do the same thing?

[TheDebbieDee]

17. A Democratic president won't get the chance

to do the same thing........* isn't leaving office!

Why should he leave office? What will Congress do if he doesn't leave office? Nothing.

[LakeSamish706]

18. Looks like you and I think exactly in the same frame... I am convinced...

that this Administration has no intention of leaving office any time soon! If it takes a war with Iran, so be it... Whatever means is necessary they will use it, and what is anyone going to do about it?

[frylock]

20. you'd have to be pretty damned naive to think cheneyco is going to just walk away

[OnceUponTimeOnTheNet]

3. Sounds like a Cheney/Addington maneuver.

[LakeSamish706]

4. The bigger question is... What are you or anyone else going to do about it? n/t

[cali]

5. what are you going to do about it? n/t

[LakeSamish706]

10. I asked you first! n/t

[LakeSamish706]

11. The reality you see is that I don't really have the problem since I am ...

a Canadian living in Canada... I admit it certainly will affect us up here, but its really up to the American people to solve this delema...

[cali]

12. Well, what would you suggest?

I've done everything I can think of- from marching in DC to writing letters and contacting my reps. The only people who have a chance of stopping this are in Congress or on the federal bench.

[LakeSamish706]

14. I honest to God wish that I had an honest answer for you, but I really don't...

How the hell do you make the elected officials in Congress do there job? It seems that the Democratic Congress is attempting to run out the clock, but my serious fear is that this Administration does not intend on leaving in Jan. 09. Someone had better take that thought very seriously and figure out how to deal with it. It boggles the mind to understand why the Republicans haven't given this any thought either. Do they really see themselves as being safe if God forbid there is a Bush Dictatorship?

[bdamomma]

32. yup, it is up to us, or will the Congress just pull those purse strings

and not give him the money for his invasions.

[hobbit709]

6. IMPEACH!

[Ian David]

7. "If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator."

"If this were a dictatorship, it'd be a heck of a lot easier, just so long as I'm the dictator." —President-elect George W. Bush, at a photo-op with congressional leaders during his first trip to Capitol Hill, Washington, D.C., Dec. 19, 2000

[LakeSamish706]

8. This Administration has been testing the waters for some time now...

for this exact scenario and they know that no one is going to take them on seriously and they will now move with impunity toward an even stronger Fascist Gov't.

[Cleita]

9. Seems it's time for Congress to exercise its Constitutional

powers and shoot the unelected fraud down a peg or two. Impeachment anyone? Trial for war crimes anyone? Indictments and investigations for treason anyone? Arrest for illegally siezing the Presidency in both the 2000 and 2004 elections, which constitutes a coup?

I'm not a lawyer but surely Congress can figure out something here. You know Hitler did the same thing rendering the Reichstag virtually inconsequential in the government of Germany. Bush/Cheney needs to go. The presidential powers they are accumulating is paving the way for generations of dictatorships.

[mmonk]

16. I guess the one catch the founders didn't figure on

was congress abrogating its own power. Maybe they thought judicial appointments would uphold the constitution. They didn't figure there correctly either.

[Cleita]

19. We should have taken a hint from Germany.

The Constitution of the Wiemar Republic was more progressive and democratic than ours, yet the Nazis were able to come to power within and in spite of its structure. We should have passed ammendments in those years after WWII, when we had a Democratic majority, that would have insured that what happened to Germany didn't happen to us.

[Amonester]

29. They should have included some kind of a "reality check" process...

like some kind of "a recall" referendum (by We The People) every 2 years after each GE.

Obviously, there's a big flaw without such a "check" up in this "democracy that isn't one" in reality...

[annabanana]

13. King Bush issues Decrees from the Throne in the Oval Office.

The Pressmen bow, back out of the room and read these Proclamations to the waiting Citizenry..

[in_cog_ni_to]

15. UH....would that not make him the DICTATOR of the United States?

dictator

noun

1. An absolute ruler, especially one who is harsh and oppressive: Big Brother, despot, führer, man on horseback, oppressor, strongman, totalitarian, tyrant. See over/under.
2. One who imposes or favors absolute obedience to authority: authoritarian, autocrat, despot, martinet, totalitarian, tyrant. See over/under.

[spanone]

21. hey dictator bu$h* let's spend the last year of your travesty in the courts

but since you stacked them..........

[frylock]

22. thank goodness he doesn't have the threat of impeachment hanging over him..

it must be quite a relief to know there's nothing congress is prepared to do that will stop him.

[Supersedeas]

23. democracy reformulated -- Dem Candidates should shove Bushist Policy in Repig faces

[Disturbed]

24. This is why the AG Mukasey case is so important.

The Constitution is in peril.

Republican leadership in the Congress has been co-opted. They believe that they must
stand behind their Party Leader, Busholini,no matter what.

Edwards, Dodd, Biden & Kucinich must get together as a force & blast this move of the
Busholini Regime & demand that the Impeachment of Cheney be brought forth. This would
bring the crisis out in open to the American Public. Sen. Clinton is not going to to do
so because she is backed by too many Multi-Corps & the MIC.

[Lugnut]

25. Can we get impeachment put back on the table?

If not, why not?

[Disturbed]

26. Kucinich has placed the Impeachment of Cheney in

the House. He now needs to push it hard.

[bdamomma]

33. Can we as the People press charges against the goverment? Or am I out there?

[BattyDem]

27. I'm surprised it took this long.

He already knows he won't be impeached. When the so-called opposition party, which controls Congress, announces that impeachment is off the table because it will take too long, it's not worth it, we have other priorities, etc., what they're really saying is "The pResident can do whatever the f*ck he wants; we won't stop him." :grr:

[lovuian]

28. He has run amok and Congress is allowing him to run amok

Amazing to watch the chaos he is causing

[kenfrequed]

30. Impeach!

What the hell is going on?

When is it enough?

[riverdeep]

34. Bush is willing to go all the way.

You have one side that has no qualms about doing ANYTHING to get what they want, and another side terrified at the prospect of doing the only this administration understands, applying force. Every time the dems think he will be reasonable this time, he just does a big 'fuck you', and uses the media to make it seems like it's the dems fault.

But hey, what do I know. The only other dems that are saying impeach is that crazy Dennis Kucinich. Did you hear he believes in UFOs? So anyone calling for impeachment must be crazy like him.

[bdamomma]

35. what is the percentage of Americans calling for impeachment?

anyone have a recent number???

[crickets]

36. IMPEACH -nt