Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Pinch me, I must be dreaming.

Specter prepping bill to sue Bush is the word from Forbes. "We will submit legislation to the United States Senate which will...authorize the Congress to undertake judicial review of those signing statements with the view to having the president's acts declared unconstitutional," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said on the Senate floor.

This announcement came on the same day that the ABA says that Bush's use of signing statements is blatantly unconstitutional. Bush, with over 750 signing statements, has used this 200 times more than all other US Presidents, combined. And while others have used signing statements, they've been largely ceremonial - something akin to saying this is a really groovy new law. George W. Bush, however, has used these statements to avoid risking a veto, which can be overturned in Congress. Signing statements let Bush say he's signing the bill into law, but he's not going to follow it. And Congress can't override a signing statement.

First Valerie Plame Wilson, and now Arlen Specter. Can Impeachment be on the horizon?

11 comments:

Yoga Korunta said...

Please!

DivaJood said...

Yoga, no kidding.

pissed off patricia said...

I want to get excited by this but Spector has done things before I thought were going to work out, but in the end he always bows to bush.

The ABA thing is different. I heard the pres of the assoc speak and he sounds serious.

Keep all fingers and toes crossed. Throw a kiss to the moon and let's just hope as hard as we can.

JS said...

Even rumors of such things get me excited. It has been so long since anything of consequence has promised to offer us any hope of being protected from the dictatorial bastard.

billie said...

don't get too excited- he is just proposing legislation that is apt to fail in the senate. if they do go ahead and sue- they won't get anywhere because the federal courts are packed with bushco toadies. i am just grateful that someone at least had balls to try.

Tina said...

I don't know... when Arlen starts talking about doing the actual job he was elected to do-- and that includes upholding the Constitution he swore to uphold-- I am always sorely disappointed... but I still hope.

DivaJood said...

POP, while I doubt if Specter's action will amount to much, it is significant enough for me to think that the House of Representatives might actually hear grounds for Impeachment in committee.

MFM, I agree. When I saw this article this morning, I really got stoked.

Betmo, I'm really thinking that it is a start toward something. Not that Specter or the Senate will successfully sue, but it opens the door for the House to do its job.

Tina, hope is a good thing, really. It beats despair and apathy.

Pete said...

Bush!?!

You guys could always consider immigration. Canada? (too close). How bout Australia ;-)

Pete

DivaJood said...

Pete, I might just stay when I'm there in September. Got tickets to see Hugh Jackman in the Boy from Oz in Brissie. Got a job for me?

Unknown said...

I can only hope! Geeeeeeez.

DivaJood said...

I dunno, Helen. Maybe it's the gay agenda thing again.