LOGO: Truthdig: Drilling Beneath the Headlines. A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.  
December 6, 2009
Log in / Register

 Choose a size
Text Size

Most Read

Why They Hate Us, Part 2

We ‘Support’ the Troops by Burdening Them More

The Crushing Legacy of Bush and Cheney

Osama's Not Here, Man

Google Can Help Newspapers, Says Google CEO

Most Comments
Most Emailed

Reports
Obama on His Own

Ear to the Ground

A/V Booth

Arts & Culture

Digs
Financial Meltdown 101
Vetting Sarah Palin

Truthdig Bazaar
Street Without Joy

Street Without Joy

By Bernard Fall
$16.47

more items

 
Ear to the Ground

Specter Will Hold Hearing on Bush’s ‘Signing Statements’

Email this item Email    Print this item Print   
Posted on May 4, 2006

The Republican senator announced the move in the wake of news that Bush used “signing statements” to assert his supposed right to circumvent more than 750 laws passed over the last five years.
Legal scholars say the breadth of Bush’s use of ‘signing statements’ is unprecedented.


Boston Globe:

WASHINGTON—The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, accusing the White House of a “very blatant encroachment” on congressional authority, said yesterday he will hold an oversight hearing into President Bush’s assertion that he has the power to bypass more than 750 laws enacted over the past five years.

‘‘There is some need for some oversight by Congress to assert its authority here,” Arlen Specter, Republican of Pennsylvania, said in an interview. ‘‘What’s the point of having a statute if . . . the president can cherry-pick what he likes and what he doesn’t like?”

Specter said he plans to hold the hearing in June. He said he intends to call administration officials to explain and defend the president’s claims of authority, as well to invite constitutional scholars to testify on whether Bush has overstepped the boundaries of his power.

Link

More Below the Ad

Advertisement


Elsewhere: .

Comments

Are you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig.

By faith, May 5, 2006 at 1:54 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

It is astonishing that the leader of the free world, manifests a personal value system that allows him to circumvent the letter and spirit of the laws enacted by Congress.

It is tragic that such a leader refuses to acknowledge those mistakes that have led to serious consequences in terms of injury, deaths, devastation, principles, and financial stability effecting not only this country, but other nations. The fact that the leader of the free world and cohort, refuses to go before the entire nation of people represented (and additionally, the global community), in an act of contrition, once confronted with facts that decisions he has made are in error, gives pause.  What manner of person is it that causes so much ill will? Who creates such havoc yet, represents this great nation. Why is there not an outright revolt against such authority?  The leadership of a nation represents the will of the people.  Do we, as Americans, really want our value system to be interpreted by other societies as a society based on malevolence, power used for aggression, and lack of truth or fairness.  I don’t think so.

We must find our voice and speak against this administration’s policies.  We must remind our leaders, in the White House and in Congress that their duty is to represent and speak for the people.  The will of the people.  I encourage eveyone to shun news reporters, including their papers and programs who refuse to be objective and present both sides, but base their articles soley and accordingly to the bottom line of the publication -where the money comes from.  Let’s oust representatives who do not speak truth, and who misunderstand what true principle represents.

Report this

By average joe, May 5, 2006 at 8:33 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

How much longer are we going to allow/permit this administration to go on? It’s time to say enough and remove them from office and with them any lingering odor of their existence.

Report this

Add Your Comment

Posts by unregistered readers are moderated. Posts by members
are published immediately. Why wait? Register today!







Number of characters remaining: 4000

Notify you when others comment on this article?


Are you a human?
Retype the word you see here.


Please read and abide by our comment policy.
By submitting this comment, you agree to this site's terms and conditions.

 
 

 
Join the Liberal Blog Advertising Network
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

A Progressive Journal of News and Opinion. Editor, Robert Scheer. Publisher, Zuade Kaufman.
Copyright © 2009 Truthdig, L.L.C. All rights reserved.