Oct 2001, WaPo: after 9.11 -White House wanted to run US without congress

[robbedvoter]

In light of Daschle revelations, I thought it was interesting to visit old articles to see what else WH was doing around October 18. I found this article - the link is no longer active - I have a link to access it though - title may not be the original one
http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/My-stuff/message/137

> THE WHITE HOUSE MADE A POWER PLAY TO RECEIVE EXTRAORDINARY POWERS, IF
> CONGRESS IS OUT OF SESSION, WITH ONLY THE APPROVAL OF DENNIS HASTERT!
>
> FROM THE WASHINGTON POST:
>
> http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35905-2001Oct22.html
>
> By Dana Milbank
> Washington Post Staff Writer
> Tuesday, October 23, 2001; Page A04
>
> Congressional negotiators balked at a White House proposal that would
> give the president new powers to keep the government open if Congress
> could not meet because of a crisis.
>
> The Bush administration last week suggested an emergency spending
> procedure that would allow a president, in consultation with
> congressional leaders, to continue government operations for 30 days at
> existing funding levels if spending authority expires during a time of
> crisis when Congress cannot convene.
>
> The White House dropped the proposal when congressional and
> administration aides could not agree on the structure of such a
> mechanism. In their haste to vacate Capitol Hill because of an anthrax
> scare, lawmakers instead agreed to extend interim legislation to keep
> the government running until Oct. 31 without making a policy for future
> emergencies.
snip
>
> The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday that Vice President Cheney's
> staff promoted the idea of giving the president authority to keep the
> government operating for up to 30 days if Congress could not convene.

[abluelady]

1. But the only thing that will be remembered

is what Clinton DID!

Those are good talking points for us to bring up during our holiday festivities. lol

[robbedvoter]

2. Not by us, obviously. War powers in the US+dissolution of Congress

that's quite a nice little package W was fixing to get for himself courtesy of 9.11.

[The2ndWheel]

3. The Armageddon Plan

http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/prem/200403/mann
http://www.veteransforpeace.org/The_Armageddon_Plan_031904.htm
http://www.commondreams.org/views04/0318-14.htm

During the Reagan era Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were key players in a clandestine program designed to set aside the legal lines of succession and immediately install a new "President" in the event that a nuclear attack killed the country's leaders. The program helps explain the behavior of the Bush Administration on and after 9/11


At least once a year during the 1980s Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld vanished. Cheney was working diligently on Capitol Hill, as a congressman rising through the ranks of the Republican leadership. Rumsfeld, who had served as Gerald Ford's Secretary of Defense, was a hard-driving business executive in the Chicago area—where, as the head of G. D. Searle & Co., he dedicated time and energy to the success of such commercial products as Nutra-Sweet, Equal, and Metamucil. Yet for periods of three or four days at a time no one in Congress knew where Cheney was, nor could anyone at Searle locate Rumsfeld. Even their wives were in the dark; they were handed only a mysterious Washington phone number to use in case of emergency.

[tularetom]

6. I know this is a serious topic but

I can't help wondering what they were doing when they disappeared. I have visions of them prancing around in the shower naked snapping towels at each others ass.

[robbedvoter]

7. Nooo! The people who came up with the ABu Grahib methods?

What would make you think such a thing?

[Poppyseedman]

4. On its face, it's actually not a bad idea.

If the capital building was destroyed or for some reason Congress could not convene. Granting emergency powers for 30 days to keep the government going is forward looking

I'm not real comfortable with just the speaker of the House having approval powers. It needs to be a committee of several bipartisan congressman and Senators. Maybe the top five committees chairs from both parties with equal powers to approve spending.

[robbedvoter]

5. On its face - the face that wanted WAR POWERS in the US?

The idea of posting this old news was to add another piece of the puzzle in the now emerging plan. Look at the date of this article - this was going on at the same time as the Daschle events!

[FloridaPat]

8. There's still the very real shadow government that is to be used

in case of a national emergency. It only replaces the executive branch.

[dweller]

9. and only a Repug congress

this came out after Sept11 also as i recall.

anyone else remember that tidbit?

dp

[robbedvoter]

10. I seem to remember now - although it's not mentioned in the article

[dweller]

11. thanks, i'm glad someone else does

there is such an information overload these past years. Hopefully someone has a link to the facts.


dp