Paul Wilczynski's Observations

Boston Globe: Bush challenges hundreds of laws

A Boston Sunday Globe front page, top of the fold article says ...

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research. ...

Just one of many examples cited says

On at least four occasions while Bush has been president, Congress has passed laws forbidding US troops from engaging in combat in Colombia, where the US military is advising the government in its struggle against narcotics-funded Marxist rebels.

After signing each bill, Bush declared in his signing statement [an official document in which a president lays out his legal interpretation of a bill for the federal bureaucracy to follow when implementing the new law] that he did not have to obey any of the Colombia restrictions because he is commander in chief.

If there has ever been a time to impeach a president, this is it. He lies, and makes no apology for acting as if he is above the Constitution. George W. Bush makes a mockery of the rule of law.

posted by Paul Wilczynski @ 7:03 PM