Bush Moves Toward Martial Law

Exactly right and that's why there are 65 lobbyists for every Member of Congress. Some even specialize in earmarks like Van Scoyoc who have top flight offices at 101 Connecticut to be just across the Street from the Capitol for those last instant additions. Sunlight Foundation has some great dirt on the spending frauds and links to follow your money. The lobbyists are tracking every penny. The only ones who don't know exactly where it goes are American taxpayers!!

I think so too Chill. it is exactly there where the problems "lies". Either that or they can't simply read good enough. What a sadder and sadder history line about these times this is adding up to.

You're right Ardith, the lobbyists are writing the laws and even the Members who want to read the bills have a hard time wading through the mountains of paper produced. Maybe we need a law that says they must read a law before passing it. If we make that retroactive I'll bet we'd nullify everything but the Congressional pay raises back to the Bicentennial!

You guys are getting close. Do you really want to make our employees work? Require full Constitutional Review and compliance by all parts of our government plus require full public meetings on proposed legislation with a time requirement before passage.

Congress would propose laws based on needs of the people. The Supreme Court (Federal court system) would pass on Constitutionality and the President would enforce all laws equally for all citizens, elected officials included.

Current laws which excuse or make special considerations for Congress or other elected officials probably offend the Equal Treatment Claus. Don't blame me, I didn't help write the Constitution, I just want to see it upheld.

The Great Uniter? To me all he's united is the right and the far right. And yes, I stole that line from President Bartlett.

Now lets give Bush credit for fueling opposition. It may not be on a united front, but issue by issue, from environmental protection to Iraq, he's pushing an opposition groups to grow in strength and numbers.

What do you mean oldfogey?

T-Bone, I mean that IF we don't get some drastic change through this election we are destined to have the remainder of our sojourn as the United States of America so changed and trampled that you and I will not recognize ourselves. This is my opinion, this is what I foresee. I hope the needed changes come about through this election.

I sure hope so too man.

From what I have observed, this included, there is little, if any, meaningful difference between the dems and the pubs except for the wishful thinking of a whole lot of delusioned people.

i doubt anyone with any constitutional sense would have approved this measure unless:

they were motivated by riders attached to the bill

they didn't bother to read or understand what they were voting for

or they were rubber stamping mr. bush's hijacking of the government.

in each case, democrat or republican, it's unacceptable.

Either way, all of us Americans should be concerned about the lot of them. Personally I no longer believe this to be a Democrat vs Republican issue. I think that angle is just there to divide the citizenry.

I agree that the party issues are Red Herrings to keep from talking about the real problems of a corporate government run to fund the Bones friendsters. My favorite is ADM which conservator CATO reviews as America's top corporate welfare recipient in HISTORY. Founder, 1914 Bonesman, Thomas Daniels who created the largest agro-business and grain cartel with Uncle Sam's help. The glory of America, big subsidized business. What are friends for??

Ardith,
Interesting you use the sausage analysis. Otto von Bismark is famous for saying "Laws are like sausages. It is better not to see them being made."

And I agree wholeheartedly with the West Wing comment. That series was a great eye-opener ... full of stuff we should realise, but didn't really want to know about the political process.

Pamela,

This talk of the Bonesman has me intrigued. Perhaps you have more info or could pen an article giving some more insight and info into this society?

t-bone..

im not sure this administration cares much about that "piece of paper" called the constitution.

Supah true, unfortunately :(

@TBone: I'm sure the states could refuse, but the federal government has enough sway over any individual state that it would be a disaster for a state to refuse. *poof* there goes the funding for any number of programs, unless you let us march in with our troops.

and as tschreck said, I don't think this administration really cares about that constitution thing. hasn't mattered yet.

Still, it may be something worth going to a few city council meetings for ya know? If the local law enforcement would protect its citizenry, even from national forces, they could be doing a lot of good. Isn't that their job?

I doubt 100% that ANY local cops could stand up to our Marines (or even Army). Just by sheer numbers alone, not to mention equipment and tactics.

Amen Oldfogey, amen!

LOL!!! I second that Oldfogey!

Nailed It!!!

Section 1043 - States that confidential business information and other sensitive but unclassified homeland security information of DOD that is shared pursuant to the Homeland Security Act of 2006 with state and local personnel involved in the prevention, interdiction, or disruption of terrorist activity shall not be subject to public disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act.

nice.. so they can do it all in secret if their little hearts so desire.

how nice.

anyone need another example of freedoms being restricted under bushco?

tschreck:

Seems to me it's both Republicans and Democrats pushing this one; why only single out Bush? By the way the sections quoted above are only part of a total DOD funding and appropriations bill.

last i checked, bush and company make up the executive branch and are pushing their agenda through using whatever means necessary.

please don't get me wrong, i'm disgusted with both parties in congress and changes MUST be made to restore checks and balances to our government.

With due respect, stuff like this doesn't slip into bills by accident. Bush is just the figurehead in this Fascist operation.

Com Sen, do you think the President (or anyone else for that matter) should have the power to imprison citizens without warrant or judicial hearing, keep them in secret for as long as he pleases, give them some kind of judgement, punish them and then never have to report such action? (All which might occur subsequent to declaration of martial law.)

Since there is no bio info on you, are you a US citizen? Are you a terrorist? Just what is your standing in this discussion?

I ask this not to point a finger or to accuse. Rather, I guess, I wonder if you just disagreeable or are you out to sabotage any dissent within our country? I would like to be able to put some weight and respect toward your comment here and in other places but I find that difficult when confronted by a ghost more into horror than communicating.

oldfogey wrote:

Com Sen, do you think the President (or anyone else for that matter) should have the power to imprison citizens without warrant or judicial hearing, keep them in secret for as long as he pleases, give them some kind of judgement, punish them and then never have to report such action? (All which might occur subsequent to declaration of martial law.)

I did not say that. Please do not put words in my mouth and stick to the subject.

oldfogey wrote:

Since there is no bio info on you, are you a US citizen? Are you a terrorist? Just what is your standing in this discussion?

What's this have to do with the article? Let's not change the subject to personal inquisitions.

funny how asking a pointed question can be construed as "putting words in someone's mouth"!

when one goes on the defensive in this manner, i for one start to think maybe he doesn't have an answer.

stick to your guns comsen.. give them only name, rank, and serial number. you know they can't torture you...

You know that this is the Katrina Law. Everyone says it took too long for the governer to authorize the troops into Louisianna, so this lets the feds move before authorization.

mrcg-

so you are trying to tell us that the w had the troops ready to go and it was the LA governor holding things up?

err... you might wanna look into that.

Horse pookey! Bush repeatedly called the governer to allow the troops to go in ahead of the advancing storm. She said she wanted another 24 hours to think about it, and wouldn't sign permission. She hid, upstate, out of communications while the storm passed, and Bush could not enter without permission. That is why it took 48 hours.

No, she did not.

pass the crack pipe..

remember all the uproar about w having no idea that katrina was causing problems in NOLA?

i think he was again on vacation and more concerned about clearing brush at the ranch.

where is it that you get this information, the bizzaro world news?

FEMA is not a first responder, the local National Guard is. FEMA has no troops, they are medical and food movers. The looters had guns.

Blanco would not release HER National Guard to Bush.

State of Louisana refused entry of the RED CROSS into the state for days:

It took three days for National Guard troops from other states into Louisiana.

Empty school busses sitting in the storage yard were available.

...and lest we forget this small matter ..... William Jefferson, also diverted needed people and transports during the most critical times to transport his bribery money.

After the State of Louisana refused entry of the RED CROSS into the state for days:

Friday September 2, 2005 - 4 Days After

The Red Cross renews its request to enter the city with relief supplies. "We had adequate supplies, the people and the vehicles," Red Cross official Vic Howell would later recall. Louisiana officials say they needed 24 hours to provide an escort and prepare for the Red Cross's arrival. However, 24 hours later, a large-scale evacuation is underway and the Red Cross relief effort never reaches New Orleans.

Katrina time line:

28 Aug 2005.

8:30 p.m. - An empty Amtrak train leaves New Orleans, with room for several hundred potential evacuees. "We offered the city the opportunity to take evacuees out of harm's way…The city declined," said Amtrak spokesman Cliff Black. The train left New Orleans no (extra) passengers on board.

The Dems own New Orleans. Dems approved and dispersed work crews and handed out contracts to build and reinforce the levees to ACE specs. Graft rules the day. The levees were sub-standard.

...Eventually, engineers will conclude that there was little or no overtopping at these spots, and the best evidence suggests that waters remained 3 to 5 feet below the tops of the walls. The NSF report says "these three levee failures were likely caused by failures in the foundation soils underlying the levees." But is also says the failures could easily have been prevented...

...probably due to human error, and possibly to outright malfeasance....

...Some of the sections may not have been constructed as they were designed

The real deal is that Katrina was the biggest thing that ever happened, and NO ONE could be ready for it. The school busses were not used. Lousiana blocked The Feds and the Red Cross on some key things. It was a mess.

A bipartisan joint Congressional Committee is announced to investigate the response to Hurricane Katrina at "all levels of government," as federal, state, and local officials continue to blame each other for the slow response in dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

You know that Mississippi got hit a lot harder. Why weren't they complaining?

Wow... talk about history revisionist.

I'm w/ you, if I make it up it must be true!

BMS, Apollo, Do you guys have something that proves this false? Would be nice for me to see as an observer in this conversation.

Any mainstream news channel reporting during the disaster. All the garbage that came afterwards is pure equivocation.

Well, thank you for showing that it is pointless to engage you in a debate.

good catch Tom.

to me the expiry points toward some nefarious intent on the part of the administration.

you can bet your ass that if the republicans retain the whitehouse, there will indeed be an extension.

I find it odd that such a short timeframe for such authority is instituted. Maybe G.W. is just looking to secure his favorite fishing hole...

Jim, Bush is just doing his job. He signs whatever he is told to sign.

That was not funny! I second it anyway, but this sure is scary stuff people. For anyone in the world.

Not even W is stupid enough to "off" or detain one of these icons of the USA's rapidly eroding Freedom of Speech and Civil Liberties. An act that brazen and bold might actually get a blurb on CNN or in one of your national newspapers. Plus, it might give the American intellectual collective a jolt large enough to wake up the masses of people needed up to actually enable meaningful opposition to this ongoing assault on liberty.

The masses are the targets of the oppression by Bush and his cronies. The people you mention above can afford to wage a public battle against being blacklisted against work offers from right wing media corporations and being a target for harassment from the IRS, etc.

I suspect this is precisely why the mainstream media drops the ball on giving the "Bush Neo-Con Republicans" the raking over the coals they are so over due for. A reporter listens to his editor, an editor listens to his publisher, a publisher listens to his owner.

The person needing the regular paycheck the most in this scenario is the reporter. He or she is the one brave element needed to take on fascism and he is also the one who is left to twist in the wind unprotected by his or her employer.

Government walking on eggshells = democracy; citizens walking on eggshells = fascism.

inkandpaperguy.vox.com

The sarcasm is a little thick there killfile :-)

Madbaddangerous2know, is that your Christmas list? Tall order to fill in 56 days. Though The Decider might decide a Democratic takeover of the House or Senate to be a threat to national security and accelerate things.

Killfile

What is wrong with right around the corner? I would have said it.

Once again, you are picking on minutia rather than dealing with the argument at hand. How can anyone claim fascism, and yet soooooooo many detractors run freely.

This is a non-sequitor. (That means confusing non-sense). You cannot have both at the same time. Either Bush is a fascist or not.

BTW, if he is a fascist, then he will deny the two term limit and seize power and the military will rule the country with an iron fist for a generation or more.

You should run for the bunkers now, because of all of what you have written here over the past many months.

Oh, if he isn't, then you have nothing to worry about. In a year and a half, it will be over and the president elect will be preparing to sit in the big chair.

Oh, AGAIN, go win an election!

And fascism was not on the rise in germany when Hitler first came to power but the jews and his enemies were still running around free?