This signing-statement crap is getting out of hand. Instead of vetoing bills and sending them back to Congress where (heaven forbid) they would be debated and brought into the public eye, he “signs” them while simultaneously emasculating them and exempting his office from the laws they establish. Bush recently used this tactic to render the Postal Reform bill pretty much useless.
President Bush has quietly claimed sweeping new powers to open Americans’ mail without a judge’s warrant, the Daily News has learned.
The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a “signing statement” that declared his right to open people’s mail under emergency conditions.
That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.
Bush’s move came during the winter congressional recess and a year after his secret domestic electronic eavesdropping program was first revealed. It caught Capitol Hill by surprise.
Here is the exact wording of the assertation that he can read mail used in the signing statement itself:
The executive branch shall construe subsection 404(c) of title 39, as enacted by subsection 1010(e) of the Act, which provides for opening of an item of a class of mail otherwise sealed against inspection, in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances, such as to protect human life and safety against hazardous materials, and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection.
There’s a lot more, but this alone basically gives the President the right to read your mail without a warrant just by declaring he needs to.
Off Topic.
The end of the hard drive on consumer equipment is here!
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=6938
Also.
Its funny how Bush talks about bipartisanship yesterday, then does something totally contrary like this today. Although hearing the republicans squeel like the pigs they are, that the democrats are not being fair… and they havent even had a debate yet… is fun.
Hint to republicans “my way or the highway” is not bipartisanship.
Also… I told you guys to work your way through the grief process. Heh, looks like you guys are still in denial. Better get started on recovery if you wana have a say anytime in the next 20 years.
Off Topic.
The end of the hard drive on consumer equipment is here!
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/content.asp?contentid=6938
Also.
Its funny how Bush talks about bipartisanship yesterday, then does something totally contrary like this today. Although hearing the republicans squeal like the pigs they are, that the democrats are not being fair… and they haven’t even had a debate yet… is fun.
Hint to republicans “my way or the highway” is not bipartisanship.
Also… I told you guys to work your way through the grief process. Heh, looks like you guys are still in denial. Better get started on recovery if you wanna have a say anytime in the next 20 years. First step is admitting you have a problem.
What’s the big deal? In fact, lets make it easy for him. From now on, every email you send… CC the white house.
Somedays I just dont care anymore. So many sheep on this blog will say “If you dont have anything to hide, or your just being paranoid, or some shit like that. To those people I say Fuck It. You deserve it. Unfortunately, we all get dragged down the same pit of sewage. At this point, apathy starts to kick in, which is part of the plan, I’m sure.
#4, dead on guy, dead on..
Disgusting.
6. Hey Canada, you got any room up there for me? I dont need much, and I’m real quiet. I dont mind paying taxes, and I’d really appreciate it, its getting scary here. I’ll even sing a song to the Queen now and then. Come on, how about it?
People still send mail?
The only surprising thing here is that it took him so long to go from reading our e-mails to reading our mail…
Didn’t anyone follow the bouncing ball after the NSA wiretap thing? Oops, that was okay, if forgot.
Have any of these signing statements held up in court? Wait until someone gets their mail opened and then challenges it in court. A court that has to wade through what the bill actually says…seeing that the president signed it…then seeing he added added a “sticky note” to it.
What does the court then follow, the actual bill or the sticky note? From what I understand, the bill itself protects people from just what the president included in the sticky note….so which one is it?
He can read my mail all he wants, nothing but junk mail and bills.
Unless he has someone read it to him, we have nothing to fear.
I thought the content of telegrams were private in Austria!
#10, The conundrum is that regardless of what he says, the President is responsible for implementing and upholding the laws passed by Congress. By adding his little “sticky notes” he is giving notice he won’t enforce the law.
As soon as a few of these tricks become more well known and Bush gives quick pardons to his agents, the Impeachment chant will start getting louder. Even if the he never gets impeached, his legacy will be firmly held as the destroyer of civil rights. Barring a Presidential Pardon, there isn’t a time bar on most of the wiretap and mail laws.
I think that you need to read the statement again and try to understand it this time:
“in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances, such as to protect human life and safety against hazardous materials, and the need for physical searches specifically authorized by law for foreign intelligence collection.”
This is what the courts are for.
15,
Do you understand it? “in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible” is very broad language that allows the President to justify any such search by simply declaring it part of a foreign intelligence investigation.
Now, any real investigation should be able to get judicial approval in the form of a warrant.
Look at the bright side guys, at least now you can tell your utilities/cell phone provider/ etc… that the bill is late because “teh president opened it and I never got it”
On a serious note, when exactly did America stop caring about privacy? I always thought that was one of the more important and glamorous aspects of the US….
It’s truly unfortunate they didn’t hang this retarded slack jawed alcoholic bastard along side of Saddam.
Comment #13 for the win!!! Priceless. X-D
II signed my mortgage papers like this…
” The undersigned reserves the right to determine whether paying said mortgage bill on selected dates should be done in full or in a lesser amount not to be less that the full amount minus whatever lesser amount the undersigned decides to pay.”
I’ll let you know how that works out for me
@18. On a serious note, when exactly did America stop caring about privacy?
ANS: Not all of us have. Only the livestock.
“I always thought that was one of the more important and glamorous aspects of the US…. ”
It is. (was).
#19,
I’m sorry but your comment is completely uncalled for.
You have just greviously insulted retards everywhere.
Bush isn’t stupid, he just doesn’t give a rat’s ass. It isn’t that Bush can’t understand an issue, he doesn’t bother to. He makes a decision and ignores everything that doesn’t reinforce his worldview.
The first task of this new Congress is to stop these “get out of jail free” cards Bush keeps writing for himself. I don’t care if he’s impeached or not at this point, but he must be reminded that the President is not above the law.
Alix,
“The first task of this new Congress is to stop these “get out of jail free” cards Bush keeps writing for himself. I don’t care if he’s impeached or not at this point, but he must be reminded that the President is not above the law.”
I totally agree, but how can that happen if this is true?
Bush isn’t stupid, he just doesn’t give a rat’s ass. It isn’t that Bush can’t understand an issue, he doesn’t bother to. He makes a decision and ignores everything that doesn’t reinforce his world view.
This is a serious question.
25,
Well, for starters the new Congress could put forward a Bill that strips the President of any ability to make a signing statement. If the President doesn’t like a piece of proposed legislation the Veto is a powerful weapon, and the only one he needs. A Veto not only stops any Bill cold, it forces those that proposed it to sell it to the public or create a satisfactory compromise.
Here is the exact wording of the assertation…
He should have to read that aloud, at a news conference, before it can take effect.
Did he even read the “statement” before it was released?
You know he is incapable of writing it by himself, but did he even read it?
They’ve done it for a long time. It’s just that it’s now official. Get used to it or encrypt your communication.
Bush is an idiot. He deserves every bit of condemnation he gets.
His ass will be handed to him one day, when a court doesn’t care what kind of signing statement was made.