# Tony Snow and the new American dictatorship **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 22, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015 "2007-06-22T16:36:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/21 "2007-06-23T00:18:04Z")
[QUOTE=JohnBckWLD] farties [/QUOTE] Huh huh. Huh huh huh huh huh. Huh huh huh. “Fart.” ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/22 "2007-06-23T00:56:03Z")
Thank goodness we’ve got the Judicial Branch to fall back on in times like these. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/23 "2007-06-23T02:10:07Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] Thank goodness we’ve got the Judicial Branch to fall back on in times like these. [/QUOTE] Don’t forget the Cheney branch. We’ve got that one, too-- at least for another 18 months! ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/24 "2007-06-23T03:04:34Z")
If its a sturdy enough branch, perhaps we can throw the rope over it? Make for a nice touch. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/25 "2007-06-23T07:20:14Z")
Heh. Gotta love gallows humor. ETA: not that I think you’re kidding, **luc’**. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hung\_Mung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a88e4f/32.png) [@Hung\_Mung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hung_Mung)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 7:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/26 "2007-06-23T07:23:39Z")
Well, it’s good to know that some people don’t think our executive should have any oversight. I’ll remember that when a Democrat gets elected. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/27 "2007-06-23T17:16:08Z")
[QUOTE=El Cid Viscoso] Thank goodness we’ve got the Judicial Branch to fall back on in times like these. [/QUOTE] Only if the legislative-executive conflict leads to a lawsuit or some other form of court case. Which might well happen. E.g., if a Congressional committee subpoenas Rove and he fails to appear. Otherwise, the SCOTUS can’t simply be asked to decide the matter. I recall from Con Law I, George Washington once sent a proposed treaty to the SCOTUS, asking for an advisory opinion on its constitutionality. They replied, in essence, we can’t do that; as a court of law, we can only make rulings in connection with actual cases in controversy. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/28 "2007-06-23T17:21:43Z")
[QUOTE=Hung Mung] … I’ll remember that when a Democrat gets elected. [/QUOTE] Oh, the mad scramble that will ensue, along with the Hillarity! “War on Terror is over, and we won! Yaaaay! No need for all those special Unitarian Executive thingys, cancel all of those, 'cause its over and we won! Wheww, what a relief to have that over with! Now the President is just a president, and not the Maximum Leader anymore, because we don’t need that like we did before!..” ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/29 "2007-06-23T19:26:37Z")
They can impact the budget of executive. [http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Democrats\_plan\_to\_cut\_Cheney\_out\_0623.html](http://rawstory.com/news/2007/Democrats_plan_to_cut_Cheney_out_0623.html) Part of the checks and balances is still intact. Will piss of the Bushies if Dems do it. ---
**Author:** ![El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@El\_Cid\_Viscoso](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Cid_Viscoso)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/30 "2007-06-23T20:25:14Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] Only if . . . [/QUOTE] I was just jokin’. When it comes to these old sacks of shit I’ve got more faith in the judges on “So You Think You Can Dance.” At least Nigel listens to the client. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/31 "2007-06-23T20:42:22Z")
Good observation, Cid. Maybe we should capitalize government. Make the bastards earn their pay. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2007, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/32 "2007-06-23T21:23:24Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] Good observation, Cid. Maybe we should capitalize government. Make the bastards earn their pay. [/QUOTE] The Bush Admin has already privatized a lot of public functions, and not with happy results. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/33 "2007-06-24T01:13:39Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] The Bush Admin has already privatized a lot of public functions, and not with happy results. [/QUOTE] That’s interesting, except that it’s a comment on the opposite of what I said. ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/34 "2007-06-24T01:14:55Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] That’s interesting, except that it’s a comment on the opposite of what I said. [/QUOTE] How exactly would you “capitalize government,” then? ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/35 "2007-06-24T01:44:37Z")
[QUOTE=elucidator] “War on Terror is over, and we won! Yaaaay! No need for all those special Unitarian Executive thingys, cancel all of those, 'cause its over and we won! Wheww, what a relief to have that over with! Now the President is just a president, and not the Maximum Leader anymore, because we don’t need that like we did before!..” [/QUOTE] I am, just slightly, more skeptical that you are that a Democratic President would readily reliquish the extra-consititutional powers that Bush has fought with such vigor to retain. I am, with some enthusiasm, awating the time when the United States Congress (of whichever party) realizes again that it is, in fact, a co-equal branch of government, and says to the President (of whichever party), “Umm, excuse me?” ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/36 "2007-06-24T02:22:45Z")
Oh, I definitely favor de-emphasizing the Executive in favor of the Legislature, Right Party, Left Party or Very Silly Party. I am really thoroughly sick of this shit, big time and down town. My comments above has to do with them scrambling _before_ she takes office, starting with the Document Shredding for Victory Act of 2008 ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/37 "2007-06-24T08:58:54Z")
I did not mean that by ‘oversight’, Congress is in ‘control’ of the executive branch. But what Mr. Snow is claiming is that Congress has no authority whatsoever to investigate the executive branch or otherwise interfere in the Grand Plan of the Bush administration. Hell, judging by the presidential signing statements, I don’t think they particularly believe that Congress has any business passing laws… ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/38 "2007-06-24T12:59:08Z")
[QUOTE=BrainGlutton] How exactly would you “capitalize government,” then? [/QUOTE] By paying them when and only when they succeed, just like other industries and services. Let there be risk to what they do. Let them lose money when they fail miserably. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/39 "2007-06-24T14:45:29Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] What **Jodi** said. Each branch of government has powers and duties specific to them. [/QUOTE] Yes, the president has powers and duties specific to the office. Some of those powers and duties come from the constitution and others come from legislation passed by congress. For example there is no power in the consittuion for the president to have a press secretary. That was established by legislation and if it hadn’t been it wouldn’t be possible to pay Tony Snow’s salary. By far the majority of executive department functions and the money to pay for them are authorized by legislation. Congress has the right and the duty to examine how that legislation and the money spent pursant to its passage are being administered by the executive department. Congress also has the right and the duty to look into whether or not the powers granted an executive office by legislation are being exceeded or misused. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015/40 "2007-06-24T15:41:33Z")
[QUOTE=Liberal] By paying them when and only when they succeed, just like other industries and services. Let there be risk to what they do. Let them lose money when they fail miserably. [/QUOTE] You mean like when executives get multi-million dollar bonuses for laying off a large part of their workforce so that they can show an a temporary “profit” to the stockholders? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tony-snow-and-the-new-american-dictatorship/409015.md?page=3)