Plan would make Bush leader of entire government (not just executive) in an emergency

Story here.

Presidential Directives in question here.

Is this routine federal emergency planning, or an unprecedented power grab?

What’s this about “comity” between the three branches?! They’re not supposed to work in comity, they’re supposed to check each other!

Patriots! To the barricades! To your tents, O Israel! No pasaran! Won’t get fooled again! Fuck this shit!

(I may post a more sensible opinion when I calm down. *If *I calm down…)

Correct me if I’m wrong, but that order doesn’t mean crap outside of the Executive branch, right? I mean, the President doesn’t have the Constitutional power to do this kind of thing, and I don’t see the military just acqueiscing to this if something were to happen that would put it into play.

I have long wondered if Bush would create a crisis, or at least allow one to occur, or even simply release info on the various crises that occur regularly that we never hear about, in order to keep a lock on the executive.

For a long time I thought that Bush was simply acting the fool to keep the people complacent so that he could privatize a lot of the government, send it into bankruptcy and then with the power elite banking structure and oil infrastructure solidify Daddy’s New World Order plans.

A lot of people glaze over at Conspiracy theories, but the tale of the Bush clan’s rise to power follows a pretty common thread.

Ohh so what? He issued a directive from the White House. Has it been 5 minutes since the last “I hate Bush Thread”?

So if we have an "incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government function” would you like the President to wait four years before taking any action? Or do we think he’ll start a nuclear war, hope for destruction so her can take over?
Much ado about nothing.

pats spifflog on the head

Go be a good little German over there, 'kay?

Great addition to the thread!

Of course he has the authority. He just gave it to himself.

This thing chills the blood, does it not? And we have no reason to believe that Congress would not go obsequiously right along with it. Way down deep in the most paranoid part of my brain I fear that this man will not be willing to relinquish power when his time is up. The words “Enabling Act” come to mind.

This Congress?!

Actually, on reading the actual order, it seems to this layman that it really IS much ado about nothing. The whole order is pertinent only to the Executive branch. There is a section about the Executive coordinating with the Legislative and Judicial implementations of a Continuity Plan, but no assertions of presidential authority over those individual branches’ CPs.

And as far as comity, in the situation advanced, and to the purpose that the order is relevant to, comity seems to be a fine thing to have. If we’re in a situation where there is an actual incident which requires the branches to work together in order to preserve order, I want them working together, in spite of any policy differences they may have. Note that I’m talking about major incidents, not a tornado taking out a Kansas town, which, tragic as that may be, doesn’t have major implications for the survival of government.

Congratulations. This might be the most asinine false dilemma I’ve ever seen on this board.

Imagine if Hillary tried to give herself absolute power.

And us Second Amendment supporters are called “nut jobs?” I’m real glad Congress is trying to reinstate the Assault Weapons Ban. Wouldn’t want any pesky criminals getting assault weapons.

And oh, by the way, J. Q. Patriot can turn in his Assault Weapon as well. After all, envisioning scenarios where The People need to defend themselves from a totalitarian, runaway government is just goofy paranoia.

Right?
Right?

How many Army Divisions does the Judicial branch have? How many Fighter Wings the Legislative?

Assuming, of course, that the military played ball…

:rolleyes:

Oh, for gods sake. Bush can’t just wave a magic wand and give himself ultimate power…

Sheesh people…get a grip.

-XT

I don’t know. It give Bush the power to “coordinate” and “lead.” That’s all the daylight this guy needs to start behaving like a dictator…which is what he fervently wants to be. He sees any political opposition or dissent – even parliamentary process – as an intolerable affront. I think he really believes he should operate like an Emperor. If you could harness the entitlement emanating from Bush you could power a small city.

Meh. In Hussein’s Iraq, every household had its AK-47. It didn’t matter. Oh, you have an assault rifle? The government has assault rifles, grenade launchers, flamethrowers, mortars, heavy artillery, helicopters, armored personnel carriers, tanks, fighter jets, bomber jets, and organization. Now shut up and pay your taxes!

Sorry, but I can’t get worked about an editorial from “Progressive.org”. From the actual directive:

Emphasis added. This doesn’t apply to the other 2 branches of government, but just sets up a central coordinating function for the executive branch.

Not that I want to get into a hijack (already) but:

:dubious: Do you have a cite for this incredible statement? Afaik, Joe Iraqi did NOT have an assault rifle in the cupboard…at least not legally. I seriously doubt that most citizens had them ILLEGALLY for that matter, at least before the invasion.

-XT

Cool! Will this still be in effect when Hillary takes over?

:dubious: Get real…Bush The Wondiferous, by the Lord of Light first King of the America’s is going to have her taken out and shot sometime early next week…

:stuck_out_tongue:

-XT

Then I, for one, welcome our new Shrubbery-type overlords. :slight_smile:

Seriously, check out the second-half of that post, my reply to jayjay.

No president has any authority that the armed forces doesn’t give him.