Tuesday, April 18, 2006
Bush Code
Josh Marshall over at TPM has the following quote from Bush (though he doesn't provide a link), "Pres. Bush: 'I'm the decider, and I decide what's best.'"
Is this code for "I'm the dictator?" One really has to wonder given Bush's history of similar comments and his refusal to abide by the Constitution. You know the Constitution, the document that holds that all political power emanates from the people, the document that limits executive power, legislative power, and even judicial power? I know words like "ordain and establish" might be a bit tough to understand, but what they mean is that it is the People who have the power. These words mean that the government exists because the people want it to exist. These words mean that you, Mr. President, serve at our pleasure.
When George Bush says he's the "decider" or that he doesn't pay attention to polls, or that things would be easier if he were the dictator, it illustrates his complete and utter ignorance of the Constitution and the ideas behind it. The People in 1789 decided that the Constitution might be misunderstood and so attached the Bill of Rights to the Constitution
Mr. President, we the people, decide what rights and freedoms we will hold. We decide what rights and freedoms we will temporarily cede to the government, not you, not some shift supervisor at DHS or the CIA or the NSA. You may "decide" to your heart's content, but we decide if you have the right to sit in the Oval Office. Keep that in mind as you wander through your days ignoring the will of the people. Get off your power trip and remember you have the power to "decide" only because we allow you to have it. We, the people, gave you that power and we can take it away. Ignore us at your peril. We, the People, will not sit idly by as you raze the Constitution.
Josh Marshall over at TPM has the following quote from Bush (though he doesn't provide a link), "Pres. Bush: 'I'm the decider, and I decide what's best.'"
Is this code for "I'm the dictator?" One really has to wonder given Bush's history of similar comments and his refusal to abide by the Constitution. You know the Constitution, the document that holds that all political power emanates from the people, the document that limits executive power, legislative power, and even judicial power? I know words like "ordain and establish" might be a bit tough to understand, but what they mean is that it is the People who have the power. These words mean that the government exists because the people want it to exist. These words mean that you, Mr. President, serve at our pleasure.
When George Bush says he's the "decider" or that he doesn't pay attention to polls, or that things would be easier if he were the dictator, it illustrates his complete and utter ignorance of the Constitution and the ideas behind it. The People in 1789 decided that the Constitution might be misunderstood and so attached the Bill of Rights to the Constitution
in order to prevent misconstruction or abuse of its powers, [. . .] further declaratory and restrictive clauses should be added.One of the key words here is "restrictive." As in restricting the power of the government, including the President's power. The People made no exception in these "declaratory and restrictive clauses" for times of war. These clauses fly in the face of your fancy pants legal theory of the unitary executive. These "restrictive clauses" are in effect at all times and no judge, no President, no one but the People has the power to set them aside for any reason. They restrict your power, Mr. Bush, to be the "decider." And just to be sure the people in 1789 declared in Amendment Ten that
The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.Got that? "[T]o the people," Mr. Bush. The people in 1789 knew the dangers of an executive, a judge, a Congress that would want to overreach and declare himself or itself "the decider" and thus the people declared that they and they alone will be "the decider." The people in 1789 declared that they have rights not enumerated in the Constitution. They declared that they decide what rights and powers they have, not some self-appointed "decider."
Mr. President, we the people, decide what rights and freedoms we will hold. We decide what rights and freedoms we will temporarily cede to the government, not you, not some shift supervisor at DHS or the CIA or the NSA. You may "decide" to your heart's content, but we decide if you have the right to sit in the Oval Office. Keep that in mind as you wander through your days ignoring the will of the people. Get off your power trip and remember you have the power to "decide" only because we allow you to have it. We, the people, gave you that power and we can take it away. Ignore us at your peril. We, the People, will not sit idly by as you raze the Constitution.