Conyers to launch probe of signing statements.
By on Jan 31st, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Conyers to launch probe of signing statements.
House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-MI) announced Wednesday that his committee would open a formal inquiry into President Bush’s use of “presidential signing statements.” “We are not going to take no for an answer,” said Conyers, vowing “to demand answers from the White House about its intention to ignore the ban on torture when needed and its right to open domestic mail when needed.”
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Elections have consequences….in so many ways, that’s a good thing!!
January 31st, 2007 at 6:38 pmthat’s what I’m talking about!
January 31st, 2007 at 6:40 pmIs the door to the Augean Stables being cracked open? Beware the smell.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:43 pmGood! Let’s get going on this. Impeachment and trials for war crimes were on my list of New Year’s resolutions.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:43 pmRight on, man.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:44 pmthings are really picking up. Resolutions, Accountability, hearings on signing statements, the Libby trial.
It looks as though the backbone has returned to congress. It’s been gone for far too long. Welcome back.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:44 pmSorry to be OT…
January 31st, 2007 at 6:49 pmBut Molly Ivins died today. I will miss her wit.
Go, John.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:51 pmThose signing statements are an outrageous abuse of power and they need to be examined in public.
RIP Molly Ivins. A true patriot and hero.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:52 pmMolly, you will be missed. Thank you for your vision and passion.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:56 pmAbout Time!
The “Unitary Executive” theory is really just another name for the ancient “King With Advisors” form of government, widely used around the world for thousands of years in human history. The basic idea is that the King has the final authority and makes all the final decisions. He may consult with his advisors, but he is free to disregard their advice. He may look at the law, but he is not required to follow it. The role of the people is to go along quietly with whatever the King wants to do.
THE ESSENTIAL PROBLEM FOR US is that this Theory denies the authority of Congress, the Supreme Court, or anything else to interfere with the President’s performance of his functions, however he chooses. Thus Congress and the Supreme Court become merely Advisors, with no authority over the President.
That is Dictatorship, the very thing the American Revolution was fought to eliminate. Thus we see that the Unitary Executive Theory is a deviant theory, inherently anti-American, and has no place anywhere in our system of goverment.
January 31st, 2007 at 6:58 pmmolly’s gone… just heard on aar news… : (
just before that i heard a ‘nation minute’ that announced that a berkeley newspaper is going to continue her vow of writing to end the war… i’ll get more info soon…
so sad… but we can carry on her wish…
January 31st, 2007 at 6:58 pmIs there extensive research done by Constitutional scholars on the subject of signing statements. I don’t understand how a bill can be passed thru by our elected officials who create the laws and the President, with the wave of his hand, can decide not to follow the bill he just signed into law.
Did our Founding Fathers intend for this?
January 31st, 2007 at 7:24 pmA concept that needs greater light within these dialogs and congressional speeches is the simple truth of why we are in Iraq – oil.
January 31st, 2007 at 7:26 pmAny nation that can survive what we have lately in the way of government, is on the high road to permanent glory.
January 31st, 2007 at 7:27 pm-Molly Ivins
We’ve lost a great soul.
How dare Conyers launch a probe into King George’s absolute power. Congress is superfluous. Long live King Chimp.
January 31st, 2007 at 7:35 pmtoday I was at a trade show where a caterpillar dealer had a booth – I told them they need to be damn sure they keep bush off their equipment in the future, he ruined the country he’ll damn sure ruin your equipment – mild smiles, earlier I booed loudly when bush showed up on the tube in the hotel lobby – nary a comment from the 10 people near by, and later I debated with someone prior to a meeting if we can impeach bush with cheneydog lurking in the background, just another day in paradise
January 31st, 2007 at 7:40 pmThese “signing statements” are obnoxious.
I don’t care if Clinton or anyone else did them, they have to go. The time for “interpretation” is during the implementation of the signed bill(s), not at signing time.
This rampant grasping at power must finally be stopped. Dead in its tracks.
This is a good thing.
January 31st, 2007 at 7:42 pmNail em Johnny. Pound em hard and don’t let up.
January 31st, 2007 at 7:55 pmA concept that needs greater light within these dialogs and congressional speeches is the simple truth of why we are in Iraq – oil.
Comment by Michael
I agree. -Zep Tepi (Filter fairy ate my moniker)
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/commentary/20060109_bergen.html
James Madison wrote in The Federalist Papers, No. 47, that:
The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.
January 31st, 2007 at 8:01 pmImpeachment by the People
by Howard Zinn
Courage is in short supply in Washington, D.C. The realities of the Iraq War cry out for the overthrow of a government that is criminally responsible for death, mutilation, torture, humiliation, chaos. [...]
http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/views07/0131-25.htm
January 31st, 2007 at 8:18 pm.
whew!…
Unitary Executive = diviine right of kings = tyrant = dictator. OFF WITH HIS HEAD!!!!!
January 31st, 2007 at 8:22 pmWell the American Bar Association doesn’t appear to feel that signing statements, in the way that Bush has used them, are legal. They have filed suit as have other groups.
Whereas other Presidents have used signing statements to clarify provisions of a law, or how to implement the law, Bush has effectively used signing statements to veto laws. From my perspective the most aggregious was the bill outlawing torture, which Bush signed into law and then said he’d whatever he wanted.
Google search will get you a lot of information.
Hopefully Conyers will help get things moving faster on this issue.
January 31st, 2007 at 9:39 pmWhen a Democrat becomes president the Republicans will be very sorry they let the president get so much power. Payback will be sweet.
January 31st, 2007 at 10:16 pmThe only legal purpose for a presidential signing statement is when the president doesn’t think the law is going to pass constitutional muster. He inserts a statement saying, I’m signing this bill, but I disagree with the Congress on its constitutionality. And then he lets the courts decide.
Bush is trying to have it both ways. He wants it to look like he’s agreeing with Congress while he’s essentially vetoing the bill in secret. He’s used more signing statements than all 42 other presidents combined. He’s only vetoed once. If he doesn’t like the bill the way it’s written, he should veto it. And if the veto gets overridden, tough luck. That’s the way it works in this country.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:08 pmRep. Conyers is a good Congressman, so I wish him well investigating the criminal actions of the Bush Regime.
January 31st, 2007 at 11:11 pmWould you really trust any one to have such unlimited power? Payback, in such a case, could amount to a Stalinistic purge.
Would not a true “payback” be merely a return to the rule of law?
January 31st, 2007 at 11:54 pmBush Echoes Biden: Obama Is ‘An Attractive Guy, He’s Articulate’
And probably might have been President had the Clintons not Madrassaed his ass early on.
I love a President who tells it like it is.
DudCity TP. Don`t you have anything better to write about?
TP? You are PART of the Obama Madrassa assassination.
It is like we witnessed the Kennedy assassination all over again in the 21st century without a shot being fired this time.
Obama is quite literally dead political weight. His political career is over.
I mean c`mon, who can honestly forget about the name Osama?
Anymore all someone has to do is murmur the word Obama and right away the name Osama comes to mind.
This circumstance of Osama the terrorist and Obama the politician sounding similiar has just got to be FATE and KARMA.
This word association game of Osama and Obama was played out to a T by Hillary Clintoin and her gang, with your help of course.
I mean after all, this very blog is a Soros funded, Clinton leaning blog.
Some even have called it `Hillarys Personal Blog` when it was founded.
Don`t believe me?
Search yourself.
google- center american progress clinton thinktank
Report back and let me know what you find.
And maybe next time,?
KNOW what kind of a blog you are commenting on BEFORE you comment.
This is a T.H.I.N.K.T.A.N.K.
Get it?
Not a political rally site.
Unless of course you want to sing the praises of Hillary Clinton.
That is acceptable here.
You all have contributed either knowingly or unknowingly to Hillary`s Presidential bid, along with Obama`s political downfall.
Oh the sad irony.
With Obama the Clinton target.
And you folks are the unwitting participants in an unmolested character assassination of Obama at the hands of Clinton and her very own T.H.I.N.T.A.N.K……..ThinkProgress.
Nice work on assassinating the next would be John F Kennedy.
Proud of yourselves?
You fools.
February 1st, 2007 at 12:13 amSo if Hillary becomes president, the Republics will not oppose her signing statements.
February 1st, 2007 at 8:43 amLetting Republics know that Hillary, if elected, can have the same unlimited power as George Bush is means of encouraging the Republics to support impeachment. Agree, a return to the rule of law is what is really needed.
February 1st, 2007 at 8:46 amThe White House wanted to play hardball, Conyers is returning the favor.
February 1st, 2007 at 9:13 am# 28 Comment by madrassa mindy
Sounds like you were pottie trained with firearms.
February 1st, 2007 at 12:24 pmCan we please have Janie Doe back Mindy?
February 1st, 2007 at 12:36 pmEveryone knows the radical right was behind the Obama smear. So who do you think you’re fooling, Mindy? Your post makes you look like an idiot – oh wait. You ARE an idiot. Now that’s the sad truth.
February 1st, 2007 at 2:07 pmNo more probes!
Impeach Bush now before it is too late.
Bush should not be permitted to leave office on his own. He should either resign or be impeached.
February 1st, 2007 at 2:19 pm