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“There are No Hereditary Kings in America”

The legal logic in U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor’s opinion that the NSA wiretapping program is unconstitutional may be weak, as some con-law scholars are claiming, but you gotta admire her flair for rhetoric:

"It was never the intent of the framers to give the president such unfettered control, particularly where his actions blatantly disregard the parameters clearly enumerated in the Bill of Rights…. There are no hereditary Kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution. So all 'inherent powers' must derive from that Constitution."

And even if her argument were airtight, would the GOP spin be any different?

Congressional Republicans quickly condemned Taylor's ruling, and the Republican National Committee issued a news release titled, "Liberal Judge Backs Dem Agenda To Weaken National Security."

Posted by Clara Jeffery on 08/17/06 at 10:12 PM | E-mail | Print | Digg | de.licio.us | Reddit | Newsvine | Yahoo! MyWeb | StumbleUpon | Netscape | Google |



Comments

Lawlessness

Conservatives have always advanced the idea that the masses are too stupid for self-rule and many intellectuals agree with that assertion . . . up to a point. And lawlessness is that point.

Every group of people from tribes to nations need leaders to establish and maintain order, and every society has traditions, customs, taboos and laws to achieve that end. No matter the form of government a society adopts, there are going to an “elite” who rule. Problems arise when the “elite” see themselves as above the law, which they invariably do. That’s human nature and the unsolvable conundrum that every society has to confront.

Democracy was devised to mitigate that conundrum, so we’re back to self-rule. In spite of their many weaknesses, blunders, and irrational twists and turns, democratic societies are adaptable and self-correcting. Autocratic societies are not adaptable and self-correcting.

The regime presently ruling the United States is trying to impose autocracy to perpetuate their dominance by usurping the rule of law. That is the definition of lawlessness.

Posted by: rabblerowzer on 08/18/06 at 3:23 AM

Bush operates above the law, flying with vultures above, flipping us all off.

Impeach the Hitler clone with his corrupt agenda and blood of thousands dripping off his filthy hands.

Before he inititates his 2nd 9/11 mass murder of American citizens in an attempt just to hang on to the power he's never been entitled to abuse as he clearly has, impeach and hold him accountable for his many, crimes; both the national and international ones.

Posted by: marlene keller on 08/19/06 at 3:44 PM

Bush isn’t an idiot . . . he’s a sociopath.

Many mistake him for an idiot because he’s oblivious to the commonplace ways of thinking, talking and behaving that normal people take for granted. Sociopaths don’t have a conscience or scruples to guide them and behave in ways that disgust normal people . . . but they do attract other sociopaths like flies.

George W. Bush is the current Lord of the Flies.

He inherited the title from Ronald Wilson Reagan.

The Republican party is a coalition of crooks, racists and religious fanatics. Pretty much all sociopaths. Think how birds of a feather flock together.


Posted by: rabblerowzer on 08/20/06 at 12:08 PM

"The Republican party is a coalition of crooks, racists and religious fanatics. Pretty much all sociopaths. Think how birds of a feather flock together."

Racist = one who judges the individuals in a group (read, race) first by their membership in that group and second based on their individual traits.


Posted by: MainstreamMan on 08/21/06 at 11:35 AM

"The Republican party is a coalition of crooks, racists and religious fanatics. Pretty much all sociopaths. Think how birds of a feather flock together."

That is impossible, since only 1-3% of the population has psychopathic tendencies.

This is typical hypocracy some liberals have. Some liberals (note how I said some) preach tolerance, yet they are intolerant to christians, the rich, smokers, Republicans etc. Practice what you preach dude. If you claim to have higher moral standards then the opposite party, then show it.

Posted by: JD on 09/15/06 at 12:45 PM

>>This is typical hypocracy some liberals have. Some liberals (note how I said some) preach tolerance, yet they are intolerant to christians, the rich, smokers, Republicans etc. Practice what you preach dude. If you claim to have higher moral standards then the opposite party, then show it.<<

I'll second that.

Posted by: vicky on 11/24/06 at 2:50 PM

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