Is President Bush above the law?!, page 1

From the Boston Globe today:

Boston.com

President Bush has quietly claimed the authority to disobey more than 750 laws enacted since he took office, asserting that he has the power to set aside any statute passed by Congress when it conflicts with his interpretation of the Constitution.

Among the laws Bush said he can ignore are military rules and regulations, affirmative-action provisions, requirements that Congress be told about immigration services problems, ''whistle-blower" protections for nuclear regulatory officials, and safeguards against political interference in federally funded research.

Legal scholars say the scope and aggression of Bush's assertions that he can bypass laws represent a concerted effort to expand his power at the expense of Congress, upsetting the balance between the branches of government. The Constitution is clear in assigning to Congress the power to write the laws and to the president a duty ''to take care that the laws be faithfully executed." Bush, however, has repeatedly declared that he does not need to ''execute" a law he believes is unconstitutional.

So there you have it. President Bush seems to think it's ok to pick and choose which laws apply to him. I sure wish i could do that...

Some officals are saying that while Mr. Bush chooses to disobey certain laws, he is by no means above enforcing these same laws on others. (Do as i say, not as i do?)

What are your thoughts on this?

I am of the opinion that the law applies equally to the President as it does to you or I.

edit-

Here is another source for the article.

Also- here are some examples of President Bush's signing statements:

Boston.com

March 9: Justice Department officials must give reports to Congress by certain dates on how the FBI is using the USA Patriot Act to search homes and secretly seize papers.

Bush's signing statement: The president can order Justice Department officials to withhold any information from Congress if he decides it could impair national security or executive branch operations.

Dec. 30, 2005: US interrogators cannot torture prisoners or otherwise subject them to cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment.

Bush's signing statement: The president, as commander in chief, can waive the torture ban if he decides that harsh interrogation techniques will assist in preventing terrorist attacks.

...

There are plenty more examples at the link.

[edit on 1-5-2006 by negativenihil]

[edit on 1-5-2006 by negativenihil]