Unclaimed Territory - by Glenn Greenwald: The Administration's humiliation of Congress

This is the ultimate outcome of the "unitary executive" theory of the executive branch is about. It is both unconstitutional and undemocratic to the extreme.

This is "democratic" facism. Glenn Greenwald hits the homerun in letting people know in clear and unambiguous writing that Bush and his administration are unchained from the law and Constitution.

While many people have blanched at the word "impeachment" this is a time for impeaching a rogue president. Glenn Greenwald shows that Congress and the rule of law have been trampled upon by a president that has with knowledge aforethought to becoming a criminal.

It is time for Congress to begin impeachment proceedings.

Robert Byrd hangs up on the Constitution.

I cannot believe that ROBERT BYRD has said that he would support Justice Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court. This is the man who should clearly recognize the danger that Alito would bring to the evisceration of the "seperation of powers" in the Constitution.

What is he thinking? He has written a book, Losing America: Confronting a Reckless and Arrogant Presidency.

Senator Byrd should look into the actions of Judge Alito and not just with his conversation with the nominee.

He of all Senators should be aware of the danger that Alito is to the Constitution, and why those "signing statements" by the president and the president's use in those signing statements of a "unitary executive" shows that there is a clear bright line in the Constitution which should not be crossed due to the seperation of powers doctrine in the Article 1. The president is trying to make law himself and circumventing and prevent the will and intent of Congress when he produces a signing statement as he signs a bill into law.

John Dean and other lawyers have brought significant insight into this power grab by the president based on the recent uproar over Bush's signing statement on the McCain amendment to the DoD budget bill.

The founding fathers knew that men with power will hold on and enlarge their power at the expense of the people. This is why there was the dividing of governmental power between the executive, legislative and judiciary as delineated in the Constitution.

The Denver news organizations- the Denver Post and Channel 7- have had disgraceful coverage of the Senate confirmation hearings on Judge Alito.

Last night, Channel 7's 10 p.m. news "coverage" was all of 30 seconds. The 30 second sound bite was showing Judge Alito talking. There was no analysis or contexting or statements by the Senators about the line(s) of questioning on Alito and how he responds.

I will say that Channel 4 had slightly better coverage in providing more then a 30 second pro-Alito sound bite. However the Channel 4 analysis was more on the Republican meme that "there will be no Democratic filibuster".

In today's Denver Post there was a boxed national poll that supposedly shows that the American people barely (54 percent) want Alito to become an Associate Justice. However, John Avarosis of AmericaBlog provides a counter example of a January 9th poll done by CBS News. The vast majority of Americans don't even know who Sam Alito is and what his opinions are but those people still have to form an opinion on the fitness of Alito to serve on the Supreme Court.

I find it hard to believe given the paucity coverage by both the local and national media on Alito that even one in ten Americans knew of Alito before his nomination by Bush. It is highly suspect that the Denver Post would run with a poll that shows Americans support Alito to the high court.

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

Operation Bird Dog- Colorado will have it's members watch the local media for lack of objective coverage of the Alito hearings and be in campaign mode to let Colorado media know when analysis is simply providing RNC talkingpoints or amplifying Republican memes on Alito.

Contact: Ken at therebis@yahoo.com on how to participate in Operation Bird Dog- Colorado

Bush the Lawless.

He is openly defiant of what his duties of President are.

The traditional Republicans should be in an uproar over the fact that Bush views himself not as President but as Command in Chief. There is a crucial distinction in the two roles that the president is charged with in the Constitution. The view that is supported by this administration's lawyers and supporters, like John Yoo, is that the President should simply be "trusted".

However it is with sad experience that Mr. Bush cannot be trusted with any national security matter. From the first incident of having the Chinese force down an American surveillence plane to the outing of an active CIA agent specializing in WMD proliferation, Mr. Bush has a history of allowing politics to overcome his duty to protect and defend the United States from foreign powers. I would further argue that Mr. Bush has, through his administration's actions, have helped weaken America's security.

This is not in dispute but many experts in the national security field have been telling us that Bush deserves an "F" in protecting the people of this nation. Ask Bob Graham or Gary Hart or Warren Rudman as to what effect Mr. Bush and his administration has had in developing and implementing an effective national security policy through the Department of Homeland Security.

What everyone should be made aware of is that Mr. Bush and his cohorts have always placed politics above the Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the safety of all Americans.