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Monday, June 26, 2006
The Presidency: Abuse of power
George W. Bush has broken yet another record for presidential arrogance and suppression of information.
We noted last month The Boston Globe report that President Bush had made greater use than any other president of adding "signing statements" to bills passed by Congress that he intends not to follow.
Now, Cox News Service reports that two separate studies show that Bush, more than any president in history, has invoked the "state secrets privilege" to block lawsuits that supposedly would harm national security.
He used it, for instance, to block a suit by the American Civil Liberties Union against the National Security Agency's eavesdropping on Americans' telephone calls.
Between 1953 and 2001, the privilege was invoked 55 times. As far as we know, the Bush administration has invoked the privilege at least 24 times.
William Weaver, political science professor at the University of Texas-El Paso, an expert on presidents' use of the privilege, likens it to the magic ring in "Lord of the Rings." "They put it on and they disappear, at least from the context of potentially illegal or embarrassing circumstances."
Bush slipped on the ring just last month to block a case brought by Khalid el-Masri, the German who claims to have been mistakenly abducted and tortured under the CIA's clandestine "rendition" program.
It's a creative way of trying to hide the emperor's lack of clothing.
Tell us what's on your mind.
 | |
| Do you trust the president to decide which lawsuits brought against his administration can be blocked as a "threat to national security"? | |
 13.5%Yes. |
81.0% No. |
| 5.5% Only if reviewed by the Supreme Court. |
|
| Total Votes: 959 | |
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