I Cogitate
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Imperial George: Congress, peel me a grape
(channeling Presidente Bush) I have just broken a law because I don't believe it is right. I felt it inhibited my free expression and, if you know anything about me, I don't allow anything or anyone--instructors, legislation, advisors, parents--to stop me from what I want to do. Never have and never will. "Don't Fence Me In' is my theme song.
Don't you just love it? No matter what I do, all who come before me genuflect because I still have power over the futures of many people. The money faucet flows or shuts off based upon my commands. He-he, some may not want me appearing with them in the next few months but they sure want the funds I control. Money talks, ethics walk, even within my 'Law & Order' Party.
Not only that, I also have a number of senators and representatives groveling to write up legislation changing the law that I just disregarded. I tell anyone who tries to wag a finger in my face to do what my Vice President said to Patrick Leahy, and only some flunkie from Wisconsin dares to do anything about it.
Is this a great country or what?
(yawns) Okay, it's 9 p.m. and I'm getting a bit tired so I'm heading to my throne to relax. Karl, take my crown and put it away til tomorrow.
Here's a corresponding editorial from the Philadelphia Daily News:
THE FIX IS IN FOR BUSHtop
SENATE RACES TO MAKE THE ILLEGAL LEGAL
Mar. 23, 2006
Across the U.S. capital, lawmakers are scurrying from pillar to post in a frantic effort to put lipstick on a pig.
In an attempt to rein in the Bush administration and its cowboy tactics with the illegal wiretapping of Americans making calls overseas, various Republicans are floating proposed legislation that would make the president's actions legal.
Ohio Sen. Mike DeWine is proposing exempting the warrantless surveillance program from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which determines who and under what circumstances the government can spy inside U.S. borders. In general the law has explicitly prohibited the government from sneaking a listen into the phone calls of American citizens without approval from the federal intelligence court.
To our mind, the surveillance act has been good law. It gives the government the go-ahead to spy, even without a warrant, on Americans suspected of helping terrorists, so long as the government gets one within 72 hours.
DeWine, however, wants to give the administration even more time - 45 days. Which makes us wonder why he didn't just give the Bush team an entire year.
Meanwhile, our own Sen. Arlen Specter has a few proposals of his own. Specter, who has been highly critical of the administration's excuses for violating the law and the Constitution, wants to give the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court the ability to review the government's surveillance activities every 45 days and rule on their constitutionality.
Senate Intelligence Chairman Pat Roberts is also mulling legislation and is reportedly annoyed that his committee is being ignored. He wants any bill that passes out of Specter's Judiciary Committee to be reviewed by the Intelligence Committee.
To us, this is mopping up after spilled milk, while the guy who spilled it, the president, gets off with a smirk.
Rather than trying to fix a law that wasn't broken until Bush decided to break it, Congress should be considering censuring the president. Otherwise the message from Congress to future presidents will be break any law you want.
We've got your back.
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