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Ear to the Ground

Greenwald: Bush Acting Like a Monarch

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Posted on Aug 18, 2006

In an interview with Democracy Now!, constitutional lawyer and bestselling author Glenn Greenwald explains how a federal judge rejected the president’s monarchial leanings when she ordered a halt to his warrantless eavesdropping program.

Democracy Now!:

AMY GOODMAN: Glenn Greenwald, that was a pretty strong quote of U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor, who said, “There are no hereditary kings in America and no powers not created by the Constitution.”

GLENN GREENWALD: Well, it is strong language. And interestingly, though, the Supreme Court of the United States used similar language one month ago in Hamdan, when it said also that the President has no right, including in the area of national security, including in time of war, to act outside of the law, that in our system of government, the President is subject to the rule of law. Only a king can operate outside of the rule of law. And this court has adopted that approach, that rhetoric, because the Bush administration’s theory of executive power really does vest in him the power of a monarch, and it’s very encouraging, and surprisingly so, to see courts being so explicit about what this government is arguing in and why it’s so wrong.

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By joey, August 19, 2006 at 12:49 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

GW’s GOT THE STATEMENT ALMOST CORRECT.
SOMEONE IS HAVING
TROUBLE WITH THE WAY HE SEES THE WORLD.
IT’S NOT THE DEMS.

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By joey, August 19, 2006 at 12:41 am #
(Unregistered commenter)

GW GOT THE STATEMENT ALMOST CORRECT.
SOMEONE IS HAVING
WITH HIS REALITY BUT
IT’S NOT THE DEMS.

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By Mad As Hell, August 18, 2006 at 8:23 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Y’know, there’s a REASON I always refer to him as “Mad King George”.

Here we have a tradition of no kings, no dictators and this dic-tator-head is trying to create one, and maybe get himself crowned.

In Spain, with little history of democracy and a long history of kings and dictators, King Juan Carlos, upon being handed ABSOLUTE power in November of 1975, used that very power to create a modern democratic state--stripping himself of his absolute power in the process.  The result? He is THE most loved king is Spanish history.  Spain is, as a result, now in the EU and prospering like she NEVER would have under Franco.

And under Mad King George our economy is in the crapper (his BEST economic quarters are worse than the WORST under Clinton), our rights are being undermined, our international prestige is lower than ever, and he’s demanding MORE power.

FDR understood you get more done by CONVINCING people to work with you, not by hammering it down on them as a dictat from Fearless Leader!

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By R. A. Earl, August 18, 2006 at 4:12 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

Right on! Further, the GREAT monarchs, for example, Elizabeth II of England, wouldn’t dream of circumventing their country’s laws because they have TOO MUCH RESPECT for their people and the societies they are honored to represent. (Perhaps also because these days even monarchs can find themselves unemployed if they don’t do the jobs they’re paid to do).

Remind me please of any examples of GENUINE RESPECT GWB has for ANYTHING or ANYBODY (other than money and power).

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By Paul G, August 18, 2006 at 3:24 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)

My faith has been restored in the American Justice system. Congratulations to Judge Anna Diggs Taylor for making a stand and reminding His
Royal Highness George W Bush, that the American Constitution does not allow his flagrant assault on privacy.
I thought the Americans got rid of the Monarchy a long time ago.............

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