Friday, December 23, 2005

Bush Requested War Powers for within the US

WAPost: Former Sen Tom Daschle has refuted the Admin's claim that the resolution passed by Congress in the wake of 9/11 implicitly gave the Pres the right to authorize warrantless eavesdropping and domestic espionage. Daschle argues that Congress went out of its way to reject the WH's attempts to grab additional Executive power, including Bush's request (that Congress REJECTED) for "war-making authority in the US". Daschle said: "Literally mins before the Senate cast its vote, the admin sought to add the words 'in the United States and' after 'appropriate force' in the agreed-upon text. This last-min change would have given the pres broad authority to exercise expansive powers not just overseas--where we all understood he wanted authority to act--but right here in the US, potentially against American citizens. I could see no justification for Congress to accede to this extraordinary request for additional authority. I refused." Daschle wrote that Congress also rejected draft language from the WH that would have authorized the use of force to "deter and pre-empt any future acts of terrorism or aggression against the US,'' not only against those responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks. So, I guess that carefully worded letter that the Administration sent up to Congress Thurs was based on a faulty premise, eh? Once again, if Bush can't find a justification for his actions, then they were illegal, unauthorized, unconstitutional, and wrong. Grasping at broad, implied Executive power doesn't cut it--Bush broke a specific law and only a specific punishment will suffice. I-m-p-e-a-c-h-m-e-n-t.
Posted by Tina :: 12:35 AM :: 0 Comments:

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