The Founders Never Imagined a Bush Administration-Gary Hart, Joyce Appleby

[highplainsdem]

http://www.hnn.us/articles/23297.html


History News Network
3-27-06

The Founders Never Imagined a Bush Administration
By Joyce Appleby and Gary Hart


-snip-

The presidency possesses no power not granted to it under the Constitution. The powers the current administration seeks in its "war on terror" are not granted under the Constitution. Indeed, they are explicitly prohibited by acts of Congress.

The Founding Fathers, who always come to mind when the Constitution is in danger, anticipated just such a possibility. Writing in the Federalist Papers, James Madison defined tyranny as the concentration of powers in one branch of the government.

-snip-

Madison's solution to the concentration of powers that lead to tyranny relied upon either Congress or the Supreme Court to check the overreaching of a president. In our present crisis, Congress has been supine in the face of the president's grab for unconstitutional, unlimited power, and no case is working its way towards a Supreme Court judgment.

If Madison's reliance on the ambition of other office holders has failed us, we need to look elsewhere. Can what Thomas Jefferson called the "common sense and good judgment of the American people" help us now? In the past, they have been a critical last resort when our leaders endangered the constitutional checks and balances that have made us the world's oldest democracy. But first the public must wake up to this constitutional crisis.

[ristruck]

1. They were deathly afraid

of what we now have. They warned against it continually. They would not be surprised. They had their own King George so they nhave seen this very form of abuse of power.

[newyawker99]

5. Hi rlstruck!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Disturbed]

2. Tyranny of an Impirial Presidency.

The Neo Fascists of America have succeeded, so far.

[bleever]

3. We've been in a constitutional crisis for a while now, it's just that

few people have recognized it.

:thumbsup:

[Mend]

4. Ben Franklin warned about a fragile republic and that no one knew

how long we would have it.

[unblock]

6. oh yes they did!

that's why they gave the other branches and state governments checks and balances, including but not limited to impeachment and removal.

the just never imagined that both houses of congress, the supreme court, and much of the federal judiciary and state governments would be occupied by like-minded corruptocrats who believe that the constitutional institutions should be (ab)used for the convenience of their political party and its sponsors.

[burythehatchet]

7. and all based upon an event (9/11) that THEY

intentionally allowed to occur.

[AzDar]

8. Worst. Congress. EVER. n/t

[Kansas Wyatt]

9. Guilt Projection

Project on to others what you, yourself are guilty of, and provoke disdain and hatred of your projected guilt recipient. Whether it is a domestic political enemy or an international opponent, guilt projection works the same.

Listen to Bush as he rants about tyranny and tyrannical brutal dictators, and remember that the manipulator is projecting his own guilty thoughts. If you want to know how bad Bush really is, just listen to him describe his opponents. If allowed to go completely unchecked, he would have no problem filling mass graves right here at home.

[kentuck]

10. Yep...Bush describes his enemies by projection....

As most people describe their dogs by projection. There are scientific studies about this.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. K, R, and added to my Journal list of recommended DU posts.