The Smoking Gun

[Aliantha]

Really? I thought he was a bit of a forgetful old man that probably likes softened oats more than anything as meaty as an 'undemocrat'.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

Why, Ali, that would be... misunderestimating.

This guy's idea of good clean, soul-cleansing fun is tending to his South Texas ranch, clearing brush and so on. Prolly agrees with Reagan that there is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man. Wouldn't be surprised to discover he has about thirty kinds of bottled hot sauce -- and one or two favorites -- and quite a taste for San Antonio-style chili. They invented the stuff there about a century and a quarter back.

[Aliantha]

Well a good hot chilli would probably help keep the old codger regular.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

More the beans than any actual Ring-of-Fire heat, but yeah.

[Rexmons]

you cant compare "Gitmo" with what these guys are doing, remember, alquada is a terrorist group, not an entire nation.

[Urbane Guerrilla]

I'm puzzled by Griff's response to me, for it seems an answer to some other post, some other thread.

Clarification, Griff?

[xoxoxoBruce]

I think he was pointing out what Bush is supposed to be doing, but obviously isn't. Just a guess.

[Griff]

I was pointing out, in a really sloppy way due to thread cross-pollination, that we may not be dealing with a terribly democratic administration. This COG business, under the cover of need, creates some serious problems for separation of powers, that must be considered given the last two administrations' penchant for signing statements. As power has flowed to the executive, more and more legislative functions have been ceded. In a self-defined emergency, the Constitution would be completely ignored.

[Undertoad]

And nobody'll notice! Bar the gates, we've got a full-fledged Constitutional crisis!

Well either that or somebody is trying to figure out how a declaration of war could be passed, or whatever needs doing, with a real representative quota... if half of DC is nuked. You know, *avoiding* the dissolution of Democratic principles in a REAL emergency.

Unless... we've reached a bias circle here!

Bush is fascist!

How do you know?

Because he does fascist things!

How do you know the things are fascist?

Because it's Bush doin' em! Q.E.D., ya dummy!

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Undertoad

Well either that or somebody is trying to figure out how a declaration of war could be passed, or whatever needs doing, with a real representative quota... if half of DC is nuked. You know, *avoiding* the dissolution of Democratic principles in a REAL emergency.
[/i]

The problem is this: Executive departments were charged with enforcing law not writing law. I know from reading education law that that is not how it works anymore or even has worked in a long time, because all the expertise is contained in the executive branch. This is not a deviation from but rather the continuation of a trend shifting power to the executive. This particular piece of paper should have come from legislative branch because it opens the door to bypassing them altogether. Maybe there is a specific authorization for this loosely worded document, but I've not seen it.

To reference your other thread, I am rooting against Bush, since he is obviously insane (yay! let's go after Russia and Iran now that Iraq is all set). Mainly, however, I'm rooting for Congress to grow some hair and stand up to the office. Maybe activist governments inevitably consolidate power, but I'd prefer to see balance.

[Happy Monkey]

Fraternity hazing. Wow.