Quotes du jour

"The executive branch shall construe these sections in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President."

"...the executive branch shall construe the section in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief."

"The executive branch shall construe these provisions relating to planning and making of budget recommendations in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority to require the opinions of the heads of departments, to supervise the unitary executive branch, and to recommend for congressional consideration such measures as the President shall judge necessary and expedient."

"The executive branch shall construe section 8104, relating to integration of foreign intelligence information, in a manner consistent with the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief, including for the conduct of intelligence operations, and to supervise the unitary executive branch. Also, the executive branch shall construe sections 8106 and 8119 of the Act, which purport to prohibit the President from altering command and control relationships within the Armed Forces, as advisory, as any other construction would be inconsistent with the constitutional grant to the President of the authority of Commander in Chief."

"The executive branch shall construe Title X in Division A of the Act, relating to detainees, in a manner consistent with the constitutional authority of the President to supervise the unitary executive branch and as Commander in Chief and consistent with the constitutional limitations on the judicial power."

"...the executive branch shall construe section 1005 to preclude the Federal courts from exercising subject matter jurisdiction over any existing or future action, including applications for writs of habeas corpus, described in section 1005."

"Because the President's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and take care that the laws be faithfully executed cannot be made by law subject to a requirement to consult with congressional committees or to involve them in executive decision-making, the executive branch shall construe the provision to require only notification."

Those bits of imperial gobbledygook come from the President's Statement on Signing of H.R. 2863, the "Department of Defense, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations to Address Hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico, and Pandemic Influenza Act, 2006", released by the White House as W signed the bill last Friday. As WIIIAI explains, W is signing a bill while clearly indicating that he doesn't intend to abide by its provisions. Louis XIV and Hitler became the law in their days, and W is making the exact same power grab here. (Okay, Gonzo is making it for him.)

Both WIIIAI and Marty Lederman note with dismay, and the right-wing National Review's Matthew Franck notes with glee, that the fifth paragraph above (about Title X in Division A) demonstrates W's intention not to abide by the McCain amendment banning torture.

Bush and Cheney believe they can do anything they want, including breaking laws they just signed. They must be impeached, and soon.