The White House Office of Administration (you know, the one that "lost 5 million + emails) was created by an Executive Order issued by Jimmy Carter in 1978,

During the Bush Administration, the White House Office of Administration went from being a FOIA'able entity to becoming a non-POIA'able entity, with no explanation.

How much do you want to be that a secret Executive Order "tweak" is behind that one?

Look but don't touch!

Good advice. Don't want to mess up the fingerprints that are on those papers. They might be evidence someday.

"One set of laws for us, one set for them.

We are living in the new middle age, with a new aristocracy, answerable to no one"

----- ----- -----

It's ... Alice in wonderland.

I heard a snippet of Scalia's Sunday opinion-ating. And when he wouldnot define TORTURE as cruel and unusual punishment?

He was asked my the Psuedo Reporter... How is TORTURE, not Cruel and Unusual Punishment. He said, well it's easy When you are trying to get someone to talk - it's not punishment, your just trying to get them to talk. It's not punishment.

Evidently it's not UNUSUAL either.

I hope, hope, hope... that it doesn't take CONGRESS to exorcise these demonic spirits from what used to be the White House and the Executive Offices. AND Cheney, that old outrage says the Vice President, doesn't answer to Congress?

What kind of government does he think he's in?
I know how he acts, he's the government representative for the Oil Interests and the national resource abusers. And they have served them well.

Let's hope they will leave something... If we can get them out

solidarity & peace

Once a president is out of office, can he still be brought up on charges for crap he did while in office?

I, George W. Bush by the authority vested in me by the Constitution of the United States do hereby pardon and remit from any and all liability, for any offenses against the laws of the United States, or any individual states, whether known or unknown, the following individuals : George W. Bush
Richard Cheney
Etc, etc, etc.

Signed, George W. Bush, President of the United States, this 19th day of January, 2009.

Any questions?

Welcome to the new absolute monarchy. Obviously we have no law in this country at all as long as the government claims the right to secretly create and secretly enforce a mysterious set of "laws." No law; no legitemate government. Here's Cesare Beccaria in 1764:

"Without written laws, no society will ever acquire a fixed form of government, in which the power is vested in the whole, and not
in any part of the society; and in which the laws are not to be altered but by the will of the whole, nor corrupted by the force of private interest. ... Hence we see the use of printing, which alone makes the public, and not a few individuals, the guardians and defenders of the laws. It is this art which by diffusing literature, has gradually dissipated the gloomy spirit of cabal and intrigue. To this art it is owing that the atrocious crimes of our ancestors, who were alternately slaves and tyrants, are become less frequent. Those who are acquainted with the history of the two or three last centuries may observe, how from the lap of luxury and effeminacy have sprung the most tender virtues, humanity, benevolence, and toleration of human errors. They may contemplate the effects of what was so improperly called ancient simplicity and good faith; humanity groaning under implacable superstition, the avarice and ambition of a few staining with human blood the drones and palaces of kings, secret treasons and public massacres, every noble a tyrant over the people, and the ministers of the gospel of Christ bathing their hands in blood in the name of the God of all mercy."

But, hey, who needs the Enlightenment?

Only seven more months of the Bush administration to go

Because now that Bush has proven that the executive branch can do anything it wants, in absolute secrecy, immune to law, treaty obligations, congressional scrutiny, or judicial review, and have an opposition party Congress sit back and do nothing, no President will ever be tempted to try that again.

In Elwood's response to whitehouse re: secret re interpretation of executive orders, he cited a ruling from Iran Contra.

I would propose that "secret" modifications of any law or Executive Order, whether signed or not, do not have the power of law. The signed thingies are not law, nor are they Executive Orders. The United States does not have any secret laws.

Can we impeach him now?
Please???

ITMFA

diamondjoe, what makes you think the next president will want to undo Bush's expansions of powers? Every Democratic president, as well as Republican, has pushed to expand executive powers. Look at the record of the Carter and Clinton admins and you'll see some of the same kinds of expansive pushes that Bush has been doing, especially in military affairs. Chomsky has a great many examples of this, re Carter and Clinton, if you read him. The pressure on the Constitution from the executive is always relentless, whatever party is in the White House, especially in a time of permanent war as we now have.

This is why it was SO IMPORTANT to impeach Bush, rather than rely on a changing of administration from Repug to Dem to restore the Constitution. Letting him get away with all this crap DURING his term was a terrible constitutional mistake. One that we, our children and grandchildren will forever rue. And who made it possible? Who refused to impeach? You got it: the Democrats!!!

With friends like that, who needs enemies?

Nothing new here. Bush and his minions have done whatever they please since day one. Every law and our constitution itself are subject to whatever interpretation happens to suit them at any given time. And half the country thinks this is just fine. Which means half of all Americans are just as stupid and just as criminal as Bush and could care less that Bush sent over four thousand Americans to be slaughtered in Iraq for no good reason. What was that reason again?

471 U.S. 159 CIA v. SIMS (We dont have to tell you anything, its classified).

542 U.S. 367 CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, et al. v. UNITED STATES DISTRICT (We especially can't tell you about anything the Dark Lord does)

839 F.2d 768 Sidney M. WOLFE, et al. v. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. (we can change our minds whenever it suits us).

ABSOLUTELY NONE of the leading Democrats in office should EVER hold another public office. At the least, those folks we elected lied about their abilities to make changes at the Washington level. they were nothing more than liars telling us anything to get them more power.

At the most, they are mobsters, protecting their own and their futures with deception, cronyism, fraud and treasonous acts... even to the point of protecting a Republican administration from anything more than negative speeches. They ALL need to be behind bars, not representing decent human beings!!