Bush Asserts Constitutional Right To Hire Incompetent People At FEMA
Bush Asserts Constitutional Right To Hire Incompetent People At FEMA
On Wednesday, the President signed “The Department of Homeland Security Appropriations Act of 2007.” In response to FEMA’s disastrous response to Katrina — led by the former Commissioner for the International Arabian Horse Association, Michael Brown (a.k.a. Brownie) — Congress included some minimum professional requirements for FEMA’s director. From the bill:
President Bush, however, released a “signing statement” at the time he signed the bill. In it, he asserted his constitutional right to continue to install incompetent FEMA administrators. From the statement released by the President:
Section 503(c)(2) vests in the President authority to appoint the Administrator, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, but purports to limit the qualifications of the pool of persons from whom the President may select the appointee in a manner that rules out a large portion of those persons best qualified by experience and knowledge to fill the office. The executive branch shall construe section 503(c)(2) in a manner consistent with the Appointments Clause of the Constitution.
It’s unclear how requiring someone to have five years of management experience and some knowledge of emergency management “rules out a large portion of those persons best qualified.” Georgetown Law School professor Marty Lederman noted, “It’s hard to imagine a more modest and reasonable congressional response to the Michael Brown fiasco,” he said.
Nevertheless, President Bush has “asserted that he has the executive authority to disobey” the law.
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60 Responses to “Bush Asserts Constitutional Right To Hire Incompetent People At FEMA”
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The balls on this guy just never cease to amaze me.
http://www.theworstpresidentever.org
October 6th, 2006 at 4:34 pmFascism works best under a strong ruler.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:37 pmIncompetent fake president asserts his right to hire incompetent fake administrators.
Why does this suprise anyone?
Of course I have a blog
October 6th, 2006 at 4:37 pmGWB is a goddamned moron!!! criminal
October 6th, 2006 at 4:38 pmI’m asking the candidates in my district their view of signing statements and this president’s use of over 800 of them.
#1. I think he switched his addiction from cocaine and alcohol to signing statements.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:40 pmCongress: “Mr. President, can we at least have someone with some experience at emergency management?”
Mr. President:”F-you I pick who I want to, and I will pick someone who is horrible just to teach you not to try to tell me what to do”
October 6th, 2006 at 4:41 pmDon’t blame DUHbya. Turdblossom told hin he was autographing “My Pet Goat” books for the private boy’s school named for Mark Foley.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:45 pmjust sent this off to one of the candidates:
I have 2 questions that will help determine my voting this coming up election.
What is your view of signing statements?
What is your view on the fact that President Bush has issued over 800 of them when all previous Presidents combined had issued just over 600?
I would appreciate a response before the election so I can better determine who I will choose to represent me.
Thank you for your time sir and I look forward to your answers.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:47 pmBush was for hiring incompetent people before he was for hiring incompetent people
bwahahhahaaa!
Heckuva Job Brownie! -GWB
October 6th, 2006 at 4:48 pmMr. Bush is not strong, nor does he have large balls.
He is corrupt, insane, and dangerous. Cahones have nothing to do with it. I don’t think someone who blows away people in a McDonalds has large balls. Someone who drives cheerfully off of a clif, dragging a country and the lives of real flesh and blood American Soldiers with him, is not “gutsy” He is blind and evil. Bush could care less about anything or anyone other than his own power adrenaline rushes. That is evil and it is blind.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:48 pmGWB, using the voice of Cartman: I do what I want! Screw you! You’re not the boss of me…!
October 6th, 2006 at 4:49 pmYou have to consider the “pool of persons” he would be considering. He probably couldn’t come up with any qualified and experienced REPUBLICANS.
God save New Orleans.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:52 pmOf course he had to add the signing statement how else could he get one of Chaneys Halaberton Buddies a job? or anyone else that duba thinks he might be able to throw under the bus if he screws up -
October 6th, 2006 at 4:52 pm# 1 Steve,
I know! Isn’t he great? Ya gotta love him…
Anyway, it appears the limiting language in the bill is a clear violation of the separation of powers and Article II, Sec. 2 of the Constitution. Bush is fulfilling his oath to preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:55 pmAt this point in Dumbya’s presidency, why would he start appointing anyone qualified for any job?
October 6th, 2006 at 4:55 pmYou mean to tell me George has read more than one book?
And here his Preznitual Library was building a display case for the “Very Hungry Caterpillar.”
You know what this means don’t you? We have to build two display cases!!
October 6th, 2006 at 4:55 pm“How dare you question my authoratay” Yes Cartmann voice is good.
October 6th, 2006 at 4:55 pmcan we refer to the pres. as ’smartacus’ from now on?
October 6th, 2006 at 5:00 pmYah, he just loves that gottdamm
October 6th, 2006 at 5:02 pmpiece o’ paper doesn’t he?
So does Cheney and Yoo.
Yah, it’s true.
Carl Schmitt would be
proud of you!
Of course Exley, we wouldn’t want to have somebody with actual experience running FEMA. That’s just nonsense. Someone with 5 or more years of experience just might know too much about how to get things done and that would just mess it all up.
I’m issuing a signing statement that states all further posts from Exley will be ridiculed and mocked.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:05 pm…is that the only signing statement to that bill? …just curious…
October 6th, 2006 at 5:05 pm[…] See also here and here. Comedy Relief.And here, a look back at the good old days. […]
October 6th, 2006 at 5:05 pmWhat a freaking idiot.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:07 pmThis man is unbelieveable. But it is hardly surprising. I mena this is what his 800th signing statement?
October 6th, 2006 at 5:08 pmThis man is unbelieveable. But it is hardly surprising. I mean this is what his 800th signing statement?
October 6th, 2006 at 5:08 pmI guess Bush doesn’t care if his incompetent appointees result in death and suffering among the nation’s poorest citizens. Ah, those Christian ethics again guiding his leadership.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:09 pmExley: how’s that law degree working for you? Oh, right.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:11 pmYou all at Think Progress are amazing. Thanks for posting this information.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:12 pmThis is a living nightmare, when will these assholes be out of power!?!
When, oh when!!!!?
October 6th, 2006 at 5:17 pmLooks like Rove can now hire Limbaugh, maybe BORe huh Exley?
October 6th, 2006 at 5:17 pmOh man, the title of this post made me laugh out loud. Anyway, I think that the original basic requirements weren’t too much to ask. I mean, Bush is a socialite by his nature, he knows thousands of people. Out of all those people, he could find one who met those very minimal requirements? I can never push this point enough, Bush is incredibly stupid.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:20 pmThank you President aBush fot reminiding voters how machiavellian he really is. Does he really think his poll numbers will bouvce back from this?
October 6th, 2006 at 5:22 pmBush is dilusional. His lies have become the truth to him.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:35 pmEx,
Congress isn’t telling the President that he cannot appoint an administrator of FEMA. They are just trying to prevent another unqualified ass like Brownie getting in. And yet you have a problem with that.
Tell me, oh Constitutional scholar, where it states that Congress cannot put conditions on such appointments.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:36 pmBush is a dilusional psychopath.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:36 pmI think it would be extremely valuable to run more articles about signing statements, because I don’t think many people, including myself, understand what is really being done here. They could have the exact same format as this one.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:41 pmThe use of signing statements is not a constitutionally guaranteed right of the executive branch and cannot be used in lye of the Judicial Braches right to interpret the law as set forth by the constitution. Any signing statements used by the president can be unilaterally ignored without any legal contention as it is within the right of the legislative branch to amend the law and it is their constitutional powers he is ignoring, if he didn’t agree with it he could veto it under executive authority a constitutionally guaranteed right of the executive branch.
The current reason why this is being continuously allowed is because the judicial branch is consistently failing in performing its duties to uphold the separation of authority for both braches under constitutional law.
Another George, George Washington was given the chance to become President for life and make such affirmations before the creation of terms for the office of the president and his response was “I will not replace one king for another.”
It took a lot of time before the office of the president even had any real power due to the fear of possible tyranny which is why the Judicial branch at first only had the power to try the president for treason should he be found in violation of constitutional law and give constitutional checks for laws passed by the legislative branch when they overstepped constitutional boundaries (interpretation of laws outside of constitutional law came later).
But now it appears that none of the branches of our government are checking the others due to the constant power grabs of politicians (not leaders) and the whole thing is falling apart.
God pities the Egalitarian States of America. In their hands did we place our trust.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:46 pmhere’s a ’signing statement’ bush….anything you do is NULL AND VOID…Signed “THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’…
October 6th, 2006 at 5:47 pmRelax people. Chimp-In-Charge is doing what comes naturally to him.
He was given easy duty in the reserves. He screwed it up by going AWOL
He was given 3 businesses to run, with easy financing from daddy’s friends and the Saudi’s. He screwed it up and they went bankrupt
He had a ownership of a baseball team. He screwed it up and the team was in the last place.
He was appointed President of the USA. He screwed it up by believing he is King George.
He had the youngest, the best and the brightest to chose from as cabinet members. He screwed it up by hiring daddy’s old fossil friends.
Now he has a chanve to appoint somebody qualified, and watch him screw it up by appointing another moron like Brownie.
I only hope his streak holds up because he will screw up the election and the neo-con turds will be out of office and in jail where they belong. (Hopefully being gang rapped by all those enemy combatants waiting for secret military tribunals).
Enjoy the weekend.
October 6th, 2006 at 5:53 pmDoes this seem like an Onion article to anyone?
October 6th, 2006 at 6:13 pmSheesh. i mean WTF!?!?! 32 days and 2 years. just gotta wait it out.
I don’t see why anyone is surprised. This administration has continually betrayed the Constitution and will do so until Jan 19th, 2009, 11:59:59. They have no reason to take responsibility when they continue to profit off of their mistakes. We can only hope that come January, when our hopeful Democratic congress is inaugurated, impeachment proceedings will begin.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:14 pmthis nightmare just won’t end…
October 6th, 2006 at 6:28 pm“In response to FEMA’s disastrous response to Katrina…Congress included some minimum professional requirements for FEMA’s director.”
Gee, that’s odd, since President Carter announced THREE PROMISES back when he made the Executive Order back in 1979:
1) FEMA will always deliver services without regard to race, creed, color, gender, etc.
2) FEMA will always be a Cabinet-level post.
3) FEMA will always be run by a qualified first-responder.
And so it was during Clinton’s era.
GFH Bush dismantled these three promises, as he has dismantled the Constitution’s promises of things like habeas corpus or the right to privacy.
So the Rapepublican Congress is ‘adding in’ some qualifications for Director that they TOOK OUT when their Exec took power.
They are the ‘Repair the Door After the Barn is Empty’ Party, and included in that is breaking the barn door in the first place.
October 6th, 2006 at 6:47 pmBreaking News….Bush just added a signing statement to the Constitution…it reads: You’re just a goddamn piece of paper and I can do whatever I want!
October 6th, 2006 at 6:50 pmSection 503(c)(2) … purports to limit the qualifications of the pool of persons from whom the President may select the appointee in a manner that rules out a large portion of those persons best qualified by experience and knowledge to fill the office.
Yes, indeedy. It leaves out such other indicia of qualification as massive donations to the Republican party or friendship and/or kinship with GOP leaders. “Experience not necessary. Salary not commensurate with experience.”
Cheers,
October 6th, 2006 at 6:59 pmBTW, here’s Marty Lederman’s legal analysis of this Dubya stunt.
Cheers,
October 6th, 2006 at 7:01 pm[…] See Think Progress — “Bush Asserts Constitutional Right To Hire Incompetent People At FEMA.” […]
October 6th, 2006 at 7:07 pmThe President of the United States “shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed…” United States Constitution, Article II, Section 3.
When the President signs a bill which has provisions he disagrees with, the entire bill becomes law and he is still charged with the Constitutional duty to uphold the entire law, not merely those portions he so chooses. The President’s Constitutional alternative is to veto the law.
When the President vetos a bill, Congress has the option of overriding the President’s veto, and the entire bill becomes law. Signing statements preclude a Congressional override and usurp the process written into the Constitution.
Courts can only hear cases and controversies brought before them. Thus, for example, when Bush orders someone held and tortured in a secret prison and denied all access to the courts, the courts cannot step in to put a halt to the abuse of power.
The only remedy in the Constitution is impeachment. However, this Republican Congress has ceded dictatorial powers to the President and refused to entertain even the suggestion of an inquiry into high crimes and misdemeanors. When the President has been found to have violated the Constitution and Federal Law and International Treaty Obligations (all the supreme law of the land) the Republican Congress introduces and passes legislation legalizing his conduct and insulating him from any criminal charges.
Power is the sole goal of the Republican Party. They will to what they will to keep and enhance what power they have, no matter who dies, no matter who is destroyed in the process.
The Constitution puts limits on the power of the government and of the President, which is why it must be destroyed. Bush has assumed dictatorial powers, and Congress has willingly granted such powers to him, either actively, through legislation, or tacitly, through not challenging him via the impeachment process.
We the People means something. It means we own this government. Not the corporations. Not the Evangelical Christians. Not the NeoCons. It is time we excercised our collective ownership rights to take power away from those who seek it for their own ends, and give it to those who seek it in order to better the lives of We the People.
October 6th, 2006 at 9:13 pmYeah this does seem like an onion article. But super scary instead of funny.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:07 pmFor cripe sake. We have two more years of this primordial ooze.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:20 pmIn other words, all Bush needs to know is that you were the college roommate of your predecessor.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:21 pmWell said, Briseadh na Faire.
Keith Olbermann said at the end of his show tonight, that on Monday he’ll be going into the Habeas Corpus issue. I look forward to it.
October 6th, 2006 at 10:53 pmMore secret declarations from the boy-king. The lawmakers make the laws, and he signs them with the proper fanfare, but then he goes back to his castle and addes his addendum which states that the laws don’t apply to him, and he can interpret them as he sees fit.
October 6th, 2006 at 11:43 pmThis is a monarchy - he doesn’t need the legislature, nor the judiciary — he does as he pleases and his legislators and judiciary look away when he disregards the laws.
The boy-king owns it all - it is his playground and his toys - he makes the rules.
As usual, BnF has said it all in #49, and said it well. This is a government of the people, for the people, and by the people. Bush&Co work for us. We don’t owe them - they owe us honesty and integrity, loyalty to our Constitution, among other things..
October 6th, 2006 at 11:50 pm“For cripe sake. We have two more years of this primordial ooze.” –Jeanne
HAVEN’T HAD A LEGAL ELECTION SINCE 1999.
Won’t have one in 2006.
It is ABUNDANTLY clear that Bushco has no intention of leaving power EVER.
*Please make a note of it.*
October 7th, 2006 at 1:24 am[…] Source: Think Progress Posted by Michael Kolanos Filed in Police State […]
October 7th, 2006 at 1:25 amWe are not a republic anymore. We are a fading empire “led” by a chimperor
October 7th, 2006 at 5:08 am‘WHEN FASCISM COMES TO AMERICA IT WILL BE DRAPED IN THE FLAG AND CARRYING A CROSS.”
KING GEORGE FITS THAT BILL TO A “T’!
October 7th, 2006 at 10:37 pmIn other words, “Whaaaah!! What if I can’t find a crony that has 5 years of leadership experience or knows something about emergency management? Damn, this needs a signing statement!”
October 8th, 2006 at 1:05 amMonday Morning Blogroll: “Via” Edition (Part 2)…
Before I end up throwing my computer through the nearest wall because Blogger keeps eating this post, let’s get on to Part 2! Has this been happening to anybody else lately? The last two weeks have been dreadful…either the “word verification” thin…
October 9th, 2006 at 11:55 am