why hasn't general posted any news on Obama suddenly turning into Bush?

[Maxxthepenguin]

So Kuya, why didn't YOU post this in General?

[Kuya]

I have something else planned and posting two threads in such a short amount of time is lame.

[Kuya]

Mission Accomplish Kuya. Nice job.

Redefinition Accomplished.

[Rhinox]

Redefinition Accomplished.

You achieved the easily achievable. Bravo

[Rhinox]

Only I'm not

[Kuya]

Speaking to Marc Ambinder, Gude himself actually defended (or at least excused) Obama's first invocation of the state secrets privilege in the Jeppesen/rendition case back in February at a time when most civil libertarians were furious, insisting back then that the new Obama DOJ officials "deserve the benefit of the doubt" because they had been in office too short of a time to warrant any judgments being made. But so extreme and inexcusable are Obama's actions here that, now, even Gude pronounced Obama's position "disappointing" and described himself as "frustrated" and "uncomfortable" with the DOJ's actions. Moreover, to TPM, Gude "confirmed that the Obama-ites were taking the same position as the Bushies on state secrets questions" and added: ""There's going to be people who are very unhappy, and justifiably so."

Hmmm.

[Rhinox]

Joking

[Rhinox]

Is this the part where you tell us "I told you so!"

[Rhinox]

Because you really didn't

[Rhinox]

Well, Maybe on November 5 you did.

[Rhinox]

But yeah this does piss me off.

[Kuya]

Partisanship is a terrible thing.

[Kuya]

I can't believe we have to count on Congress to do something, they haven't been relevant since the executive absorbed more power in the 30s.

[Conrad]

They got a lot of power back after Watergate though, but Reagan and then Bush 43 have taken a lot of executive power back since then.

[Kuya]

Congress used to be, at least in the 19th century, the main political battlefield, but for some reason (to some it's lobbying and the change in federalism) now it's really weak in comparison, while the executive has been gaining substantial powers that would no doubt freak out the founding fathers.

[Conrad]

That's why Article I deals with the powers of the legislature and not of the executive!

[Rhinox]

Partisanship is a terrible thing.

yeah. Partisan hackary is like Sexuality in men. You either love the cock(Liberal Or Conservatism) or you don't. There is no in between(Bisexuality)

[Conrad]

Although the Founders never really made any specific plans for the President, if you read the Constitution you'll see that Article II is intentionally left vague to allow future Presidents to shape the executive office as they see fit. They just never expected things like signing statements or executive orders to exist, or to be as powerful for the President as they have become, essentially allowing laws to come into existence without Congressional approval.

[Kuya]

That's why Article I deals with the powers of the legislature and not of the executive!

This has been the exact reason why some have said that democracy is dying in the US. Congress, where now you can directly vote for your representatives is a democratic institution, whereas the executive is not even directly voted for by the people, which makes it easier to sway by interests beyond the electorate, add further that the federal government now has more power thanks to grants in aid, and more organized lobbying, and it becomes obvious why people are so apathetic when it comes to politics.

[Kuya]

And apathy is pretty much anathema to democracy.