House report rips Bush’s ‘unsubstantiated’ use of signing statements.
House report rips Bush’s ‘unsubstantiated’ use of signing statements.
Secrecy News notes that the House Armed Services Committee released a report this week criticizing the Bush administration’s extensive use of signing statements, saying that the practice has generated confusion, undermined oversight of defense policy, and is often “broad and unsubstantiated.” From the report:
– “While presidents have issued signing statements for quite some time, this President has issued a significantly larger percentage of signing statements challenging or objecting to various provisions of the law.”
– “78 percent of President Bush’s more than 150 signing statements have raised constitutional or legal objections, compared with only 18% of all of President Clinton’s.”
– In the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, signing statements from President Bush “appear simply to be hortatory assertions of executive power,” according to the Congressional Research Service.
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27 Responses to “House report rips Bush’s ‘unsubstantiated’ use of signing statements.”
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No shit
Now what and when in the hell is someone finally going to do something about it ?
August 20th, 2008 at 8:38 pmIt will take Obama at least 7 of his 8 years, just to clean up after the bush/mccain elephants.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:42 pm78 percent of President Bush’s more than 150 signing statements have raised constitutional or legal objections
At least 78% of Bush's presidency has raised constitutional or legal objections, so I guess that math works out about right.
PEACE
August 20th, 2008 at 8:44 pmAnd the voice was heard from inside the White House -- "So?"
They found him guilty of unsubstantiated usage -- what we have always known -- now what?
August 20th, 2008 at 8:48 pmWell, I guess since they 'released a report' and all . . .
george will down one extra shot of jack tonite, in celebration.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:51 pm"The House rips Bush" eh? Wow, I guess that spells the end for the criminals. Phew, glad our long national nightmare is finally over.
August 20th, 2008 at 8:53 pmHELLO !
August 20th, 2008 at 9:01 pm7 1/2 years after the most obvious assault on our constitutional democracy in our history as nation we hear a tiny peep from a few democratic legislators of timid disapproval .
The GAO report of last summer revealed that as a result of this Presidents use of signing statements the federal government was instructed not to execute nearly 1/3 of all laws passed since 911 , by the elected representatives of the American people !
This fact is made even more frightening by the fact that the VAST majority of people in our country have NEVER heard of Presidential signing statements !
Secrecy News notes that the House Armed Services Committee released a report this week criticizing the Bush administration’s extensive use of signing statements, saying that the practice has generated confusion, undermined oversight of defense policy, and is often “broad and unsubstantiated.”
Do they not get it? Bush has absolutely no respect for democracy or the rule of law. Virtually everything he's done since getting elected has proven that fact making this "report" nothing more than a statement of the obvious.
http://progressiveworldreview.com
August 20th, 2008 at 9:01 pmBut making the law yourself is fine if you are GWB. Pelosi needs to recognize a constitutional crisis when it happens. It may not be a crime (like killing children on the white house lawn or stealing their lunch money), but taking over all 3 branches of government is an impeachable offense in my book. Impeachable offenses do not have to be proven crimes before the impeachment hearings proceed. In fact, a violation of the oath of office is not necessarily criminal, but impeachable nonetheless.
Of course, Pelosi hasn't necessary read the constitution. As long as she gets hers, it's all good.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:04 pmAnd? So? Is this not like Obama's promise to use Chicago rules during the campaign? All sound and fury, signifying nothing.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:10 pm“From the inception of the Republic until 2000, Presidents produced fewer than 600 signing statements taking issue with the bills they signed. According to the most recent update, in his one-and-a-half terms so far, President George Walker Bush ... has produced more than 800.”
August 20th, 2008 at 9:23 pmFrom the American Bar Association's task force on signing statements
Among President Bush’s signing statements, the task force noted refusals to carry out laws involving "Congressional requirements to report back to Congress on the use of Patriot Act authority to secretly search homes and seize private papers, [and] the McCain amendment forbidding any U.S. officials to use torture or cruel and inhumane treatment on prisoners.”
August 20th, 2008 at 9:26 pmAmerican Bar Association’s task force on signing statements
NOW they tell us!
August 20th, 2008 at 9:29 pmRalphie, is this about your cat?
(rude gesture in the air with hand)
The task force said its report and recommendations “are intended to underscore the importance of the doctrine of separation of powers. They therefore represent a call to this President and to all his successors to fully respect the rule of law and our constitutional system of separation of powers and checks and balances.”
August 20th, 2008 at 9:31 pmSO many laws ... so little justice .
August 20th, 2008 at 9:32 pmMaybe the American Bar Association would like to weigh in on Constitutionality of passing a law ( FISA ) to excuse violations of the law retroactively.
August 20th, 2008 at 9:36 pmWHO IS ABOVE THE LAW ?
The deaths of atleast 108 torture victims who never lived to see their Habeas corpus rights restored and in obvious violations of the geneva conventions and basic morality doesn't rise to ther level of a blow job either !
August 20th, 2008 at 9:39 pmHouse report rips Bush’s ‘unsubstantiated’ use of signing statements.»
enough with the ripping...How about an impeachment?
August 20th, 2008 at 9:44 pm"..but barring a national catastrophy it will be hard to galvanize the American public behind such a scheme ."
August 20th, 2008 at 9:49 pmPNAC writing pre 911 on the need to invade the middle east inorder to control China and the developing world and establish American global hegemony
I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT SIGNING STATEMENTS OBAMA COMES UP WITH......PRETTY SOON IT WILL BE ILLEGAL TO BE REPUBLICAN
August 20th, 2008 at 10:29 pmObama signing statement #1 - "The United States of America officially declare the Republican party to be a terrorist organization."
I guess unchecked Presidential powers could be good if used by the right people. Oops, that sounded a little to much like a Republican.
August 20th, 2008 at 11:55 pmSigning Statements should banned period. The executive is essentially overstepping the constitutional authority given to the legislative branch to make law.
August 21st, 2008 at 12:07 amGosh, yeah, that Congress must really mean business this time. Ahh, they said the practice has generated confusion into Wow. I'm excited. Now that means that no more stories have to be printed again about that one. Congratulations Congress and the media for not doing your job, again.
August 21st, 2008 at 3:25 amAlthough I believe it is good to have this on record and someone investigate it. It only becomes inflamitory to me because I have seen no action on taking legal stances that lead into the court for any indictment(s) that may or may not exist...
August 21st, 2008 at 4:00 amRatass,
August 21st, 2008 at 6:07 amThe sooner all the members of the Republican Party and all their sycophantic butt-kissers are sent to Iraq, to live out the rest of their wretched lives (hopefully I wish for a long,long life),the better for the entire world!
"this week"? no day this week? such fanfare. but it is a great week to release such a report. appears to be getting plenty of press (at least from secrecy News). but then there's the olympics, vp chatter, conventions, congress home for . . . month (must be nice).
one last time for old time's sake - now you have your report - what are you going to do about it?!? anything? Anyone? thought not.
August 21st, 2008 at 7:27 am"Secrecy News"? Isn't that an oxymoron?
August 21st, 2008 at 2:08 pm