Comments on: How to Establish an Empire without Congressional Approval http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/ Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:36:08 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: wcsally http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47524 wcsally Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:35:20 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47524 <p>phred,</p> <p>it appears that you don’t understand the dynamics of politics and how even your cherished Democrats are liars along with the Republicans.</p> <p>If you want to rid government of this disregard for the voters, you need to get rid of lobbyists’ control of the politicians by means of controlling the purse strings that Congress and the President use to be elected and to gold in pleasant climes. </p> <p>Vote Obama!</p> <p><em>I guess you and I will never go sculling.</em></p> <p><strong>: )</strong></p> phred,

it appears that you don’t understand the dynamics of politics and how even your cherished Democrats are liars along with the Republicans.

If you want to rid government of this disregard for the voters, you need to get rid of lobbyists’ control of the politicians by means of controlling the purse strings that Congress and the President use to be elected and to gold in pleasant climes.

Vote Obama!

I guess you and I will never go sculling.

: )

]]> By: manys http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47449 manys Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:28:19 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47449 <p>The Hand of Cheney.</p> The Hand of Cheney.

]]> By: phred http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47404 phred Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:23:04 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47404 <p>LOL : ) Thanks tekel (and like bmaz said, nice to see you again). Wouldn’t that be refreshing??? Boy would I love to see that!</p> <p>I didn’t realize that Reid was a boxer, you would never guess it…</p> LOL : ) Thanks tekel (and like bmaz said, nice to see you again). Wouldn’t that be refreshing??? Boy would I love to see that!

I didn’t realize that Reid was a boxer, you would never guess it…

]]> By: DieselDave09 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47403 DieselDave09 Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:21:37 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47403 <p>’so who is going to step up and tell him he can’t?’</p> <p>No one. Evidently, the Dems have bought into the Unitary Executive concept and are willing to let this president screw the entire planet just so they can do the same once Billary is <strike>appointed</strike>, er, elected. They have seen the gravey train pass them by once too ofter and now they want some of the spoils. I just can’t wait until it finally dawns on Democrats that they have been screwed by the Clintons the same way they were screwed by Bush.</p> ’so who is going to step up and tell him he can’t?’

No one. Evidently, the Dems have bought into the Unitary Executive concept and are willing to let this president screw the entire planet just so they can do the same once Billary is appointed, er, elected. They have seen the gravey train pass them by once too ofter and now they want some of the spoils. I just can’t wait until it finally dawns on Democrats that they have been screwed by the Clintons the same way they were screwed by Bush.

]]> By: GulfCoastPirate http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47400 GulfCoastPirate Fri, 25 Jan 2008 18:06:09 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47400 <p>Along these lines:</p> <p>America - A Bankrupt Empire. With video of Chalmers Johnson</p> <p><a href="http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=12259" rel="nofollow">http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=12259</a></p> Along these lines:

America – A Bankrupt Empire. With video of Chalmers Johnson

http://www.antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=12259

]]> By: bmaz http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47397 bmaz Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:57:37 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47397 <p>tekel - Long time, no see. Hope things going well for you up there. Was just thinking of you and wondering where you have been a couple of days ago. Don’t be a stranger. As to Reid, judging from a lot of what I have seen, he probably got pounded pretty hard as a boxer and is a little punch drunk.</p> tekel – Long time, no see. Hope things going well for you up there. Was just thinking of you and wondering where you have been a couple of days ago. Don’t be a stranger. As to Reid, judging from a lot of what I have seen, he probably got pounded pretty hard as a boxer and is a little punch drunk.

]]> By: tekel http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47395 tekel Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:50:10 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47395 <p>as an aside, the time has long been ripe for congress to begin openly mokcing this pretender to the Oval Office. Harry Reid should take every opportunity to say, in front of the tv cameras, something to the effect of:</p> <p>“The President said WHAT? Ah HA HA HA HAAAAA HA HA HA. HA HA AH AH HA HA HA. *sniff* HA HA HA HA, HA. I’m sorry. Excuse me (wipes eyes). Ha ha ha! Can you belive what a total jerk this guy is? Nobody with half a brain believes that. Since we’ve already had the comedy relief, what we’re really going to talk about today is…” </p> <p>“The president told you that? And you believed him? HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAW HA HA HA. HA HA HA! wow, don’t you feel stupid now? Nobody should believe a word that comes out of George Bush’s mouth, he’s an alcoholic and habitual liar! I thought everyone knew that. Now, here is the truth about …. ” </p> <p>really. Reid is a ex-boxer right? This strategy should come as second-nature to him: when your opponent has a cut, you hit the cut over and over and over and over again, until he’s bleeding all over the mat. And then you impeach him and put him on trial for war crimes.</p> as an aside, the time has long been ripe for congress to begin openly mokcing this pretender to the Oval Office. Harry Reid should take every opportunity to say, in front of the tv cameras, something to the effect of:

“The President said WHAT? Ah HA HA HA HAAAAA HA HA HA. HA HA AH AH HA HA HA. *sniff* HA HA HA HA, HA. I’m sorry. Excuse me (wipes eyes). Ha ha ha! Can you belive what a total jerk this guy is? Nobody with half a brain believes that. Since we’ve already had the comedy relief, what we’re really going to talk about today is…”

“The president told you that? And you believed him? HA HA HA HA HA HAAAAW HA HA HA. HA HA HA! wow, don’t you feel stupid now? Nobody should believe a word that comes out of George Bush’s mouth, he’s an alcoholic and habitual liar! I thought everyone knew that. Now, here is the truth about …. ”

really. Reid is a ex-boxer right? This strategy should come as second-nature to him: when your opponent has a cut, you hit the cut over and over and over and over again, until he’s bleeding all over the mat. And then you impeach him and put him on trial for war crimes.

]]> By: radiofreewill http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47393 radiofreewill Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:42:37 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47393 <p>Bush looks to be all alone on this one… </p> <p>He’s still acting out his ‘mission’ and role in Iraq as the UE.</p> <p>Like they say, “He’s a legend in his own mind.”</p> Bush looks to be all alone on this one…

He’s still acting out his ‘mission’ and role in Iraq as the UE.

Like they say, “He’s a legend in his own mind.”

]]> By: tekel http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47392 tekel Fri, 25 Jan 2008 17:41:31 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47392 <p>Prof Foland and phred: You don’t need to rely on Bush precedent. You can go all the way back to Washington’s neutrality proclamation. The modern (read: John Yoo’s ) interpretation of Washington’s act is that a President doesn’t need to even <strong>pretend</strong> to be bound by treaties- Article II grants the President the power to unilaterally interpret and withdraw from international agreements, even the ones he brokered himself. Remember, that’s why the Geneva Convention doesn’t apply to the US military any longer. </p> <p>So whatever W does in the next 300-odd days, Obama or Hillary or Edwards (yeah, right) can tell the Iraqis to go Cheney themselves and withdraw all US support on January 22, and that action would be perfectly consistent with 230 years of American constitutional history. </p> <p>Note, what happens afterwards has nothing to do with whether or not W has the authority to unilaterally encumber the US. It’s clear that he does not. But I don’t think that will stop him from trying- so who is going to step up and tell him he can’t?</p> Prof Foland and phred: You don’t need to rely on Bush precedent. You can go all the way back to Washington’s neutrality proclamation. The modern (read: John Yoo’s ) interpretation of Washington’s act is that a President doesn’t need to even pretend to be bound by treaties- Article II grants the President the power to unilaterally interpret and withdraw from international agreements, even the ones he brokered himself. Remember, that’s why the Geneva Convention doesn’t apply to the US military any longer.

So whatever W does in the next 300-odd days, Obama or Hillary or Edwards (yeah, right) can tell the Iraqis to go Cheney themselves and withdraw all US support on January 22, and that action would be perfectly consistent with 230 years of American constitutional history.

Note, what happens afterwards has nothing to do with whether or not W has the authority to unilaterally encumber the US. It’s clear that he does not. But I don’t think that will stop him from trying- so who is going to step up and tell him he can’t?

]]> By: merkwurdiglieber http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/comment-page-1/#comment-47372 merkwurdiglieber Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:34:24 +0000 http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/2008/01/25/how-to-establish-an-empire-without-congressional-approval/#comment-47372 <p>If he wanted congressional approval it would not be that hard to get,<br /> given the slim majorities and total lack of insight into the scope of<br /> the neocon dream the congressional/provincial types have. Time is so<br /> short now, better to document this freak show for another generation<br /> in the attempt to rebuild what will be left of the USA post Junya.<br /> What was it Fitz said, “madness, madness”, he should know and cannot<br /> tell the rest of that story. Peter Dale Scott’s Road To 9-11 lays out<br /> the template we are in the throes of with excruciating detail and<br /> documentation. There just are not enough informed congressional types<br /> to fight this fight… yet.</p> If he wanted congressional approval it would not be that hard to get,
given the slim majorities and total lack of insight into the scope of
the neocon dream the congressional/provincial types have. Time is so
short now, better to document this freak show for another generation
in the attempt to rebuild what will be left of the USA post Junya.
What was it Fitz said, “madness, madness”, he should know and cannot
tell the rest of that story. Peter Dale Scott’s Road To 9-11 lays out
the template we are in the throes of with excruciating detail and
documentation. There just are not enough informed congressional types
to fight this fight… yet.

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