The Obama Administration looks to limits on its war powers with disdain, at best.
Tag Archives | Executive Power
An Imperial Presidency In The Making?
The question is, Will my State raise the “Don’t Tread On Me” flag and sincerely defend my liberties? And the follow-up question is, If my State will not do it, which states will, and what will I do?
The Constitution is Clear on Presidential War Powers
We are long past the point at which constitutional arguments have much hope of restraining the American political class, either at home or abroad. They are still worth making, though, since they serve to show the two major parties’ contempt for American law and tradition.
The Constitution as a Limit on Executive Power
by Bob Barr Testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, July 25, 2008 Mr. Chairman and distinguished Members of this Committee, on which I was privileged to serve throughout my eight years as a Member of the House of Representatives, it is an honor to appear today to speak on the importance of the separation of [...]
Not my Commander in Chief
Cross-Posted from DailyKos.com with permission of the author, Crashing Vor Watching Keith [Olbermann] just now, I heard him mention Antonin “Nino” Scalia’s dissenting opinion from today’s ruling in regards habeas corpus rights for detainees. The lowlight of Justice Scalia’s opinion was the paragraph: “The game of bait-and-switch that today’s opinion plays upon the Nation’s Commander [...]
The Presidency: Executive or Imperial Branch?
by Ivan Eland More memos recently have surfaced that were written early in the Bush administration by John C. Yoo from the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel — the man who gave us the administration’s horrifyingly narrow definition of torture. As difficult as it is to believe, the recently released memos are even scarier [...]
Partisanship instead of Liberty
This week, Rep. Ron Paul introduced HR 3835 – the American Freedom Agenda Act of 2007. This bill, if passed, would go a long way towards restoring liberty and the constitution in this country, and eliminate a number of “laws” that were enacted beyond the Constitution’s limit on federal power.
NAFTA Expansion – It’s Still Unconstitutional
George Bush has formally presented an expansion of NAFTA to Peru. And, under FastTrack “rules,”Congress cannot amend the legislation. What does this mean? Well, it’s quite simple. Under Fast Track, the president has the authority to ignore the will of Congress in negotiating new trade agreements.
In Any Case
A recent OpEd by Mario Cuomo in the Los Angeles Times, What The Constitution Says About Iraq, gave some surprisingly good analysis of how the Iraq war is a direct violation of the constitution. Here’s a few tidbits:
The Root of the Problem
Reports from the UK are talking about a British General lambasting US policy failures in Iraq. From the Guardian: The bitter transatlantic row over Iraq intensified as another key British general lambasted the US for bungling the aftermath of the invasion. Major General Tim Cross, the most senior UK officer involved in the post-war planning, [...]
Understanding Limited Government
Kevin Gutzman’s new book, The Politically Incorrect Guide to the Constitution, might be the best available overview of the principles of limited government as espoused by the Tenth Amendment. After reading this book, you’ll see quite clearly that the original constitution has very little in common with how this government is run today (if you [...]
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