DISQUS

Card and friends (Repubs) have a long-standing strategy of diverting attention from what really matters. They use distraction, distortion, and downright nonsense to the max. Their goal is to continually define their opponents' motives negatively and hassle them constantly so as to interfere in any way possible with their ability to succeed. In this case...Pfff! As if the chosen outfit (window dressing) makes a difference in performance. Who cares what our leaders wear when they are getting down to business? My yardstick is the mentality level, creativity in problem solving and the moral compass they employ.

Hear! Hear! My concern is that Obama and friends are missing a major point and taking the political "let's all get along" view too far. If this administration and Congress fail to investigate and make legislative corrections for law-breaking it is not the public's approval that is the only thing at stake here. Our system of government that requires even our leaders to respect and follow our laws are what makes this country a beacon of light in a world full of cruel and corrupt regimes. Failure to enforce the law absolutely would make Congress complicit in all of the lawbreaking and would in effect rewrite our Constitution without the peoples' consent. We cannot allow them to undermine our country because of their political expediency.

I question Bush's right to do this without stepping in a legal mess. Of course, this back-channel behind the scenes surprise governance is a tactic that he has used repeatedly to get what he wants. Example - His lawyers find language in the Constitution that may be open to interpretation. Then they come up with a specious legal argument to support extraordinary rights of the Executive branch to do anything. Bush then uses this argument as cover to enact whatever agenda he favors (such as using torture). Those who disagree with his right then must fight the legality in Congress and/or deal with protracted court proceedings. In the meantime, Bush gets his way. If Bush does get this through, I would insist that my state representatives fight back HARD. It's time for Congress to immediately enact legislation to protect us from overreaching executives attempting to make changes to rules or definitions that infringe on legislative prerogatives pertaining to this or any other subject. This is not an authoritarian government and one man's view of what the "rules" should be on ANY subject must not take precedence over the peoples' consent. America must be better than that.