When a President lies and breaks the law isn’t that an impeachable offense?
The American Civil Liberties Union ran a full page ad in the NY Times today asking for an official inquiry to start. They are asking that a special counsel be appointed to determine whether oaths of office were broken and Federal laws were violated through the Bush NSA program.The public may not be there in the polls yet, but isn’t that the way it always is.
Did the US Constitution set up an Imperial Presidency that is above the law? No! Presidents need to comply with the law just like everyone else. Nixon found that out. Why are we then not demanding that President Bush comply with US law and the Constitution?
George W Bush on April 20, 2004 stated the following (while secret wietaps were being made that were not authorized by the Courts or Congress):
“Now, by the way, any time you hear the United States government talking about wiretap, it requires – a wiretap requires a court order. Nothing has changed, by the way. When we’re talking about chasing down terrorists, we’re talking about getting a court order before we do so. It’s important for our fellow citizens to understand, when you think Patriot Act, constitutional guarantees are in place when it comes to doing what is necessary to protect our homeland, because we value the Constitution.”
We know Bush has authorized wiretaps of US citizens without getting a court order as required by law. After the manipulation of data and facts to justify going to war with Iraq, why should we be surprised? But isn’t it time for America to start worrying? What else does Bush feel he can do outside the law?
What else has he done that we don’t know about? As President he sets the moral tone for his administration. If it’s O.K for the President to ignore the law, how soon before others in his cabinet and administration, likewise start making decisions that iignore the law and the Constitution.
Bush may feel that he can ignore the law in the name of fighting terrorism. But where in the Patriot Act or elsewhere does it give him that power? And is that the power you would want to give the President, that he and he alone, can decide which laws he needs to obey?
Why have laws and courts and a Constitution if the President can choose to ignore them when he wants to? Can he and his appointees do the same with the economy, health care, education and the environment? Should he and his cronies decide what is best for us and choose to ignore the rule of law because they feel they are doing good and serving some higher purpose. Isn’t that what others have said before? The late Senator Fullbright called it “the arrogance of power.”
If we do not raise our voices in protest now then we tacitly join in complicity. By our knowing it is wrong but not speaking out and remaining silent we are acknowledging acceptance of what he has done and is doing. We can not be good citizens by being silent. Democracy requires that we be involved and participate.
Just like not voting, not speaking out, lets others make the decisions. I, for one, agree with the ACLU, that it is time to for us to act and demand a special counsel be appointed. I beleive President Bush has broken his oath of office where he pledged to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States” He has broken Federal law by not getting court approval for wiretaps.
