Posted on 09/08/2002 11:26:24 PM PDT by GalvestonBeachcomber
Americans who value the Constitution should stand with Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., and oppose George Bush's attempted power grab in conjunction with establishing a Department of Homeland Security.
The Bushies are trying to frame the debate as either protecting bureaucracy or providing security for Americans. In fact, the debate is about preventing an authoritarian president from sacrificing the Constitution in the name of providing security.
Let me remind you that those who prefer security to freedom will lose both.
Bush wants to be able to disregard labor contracts and civil-service rules, as well as move money within the department as he pleases. He claims that this is necessary for national security or, to use his current Orwellian phrase, homeland security.
Bull.
The Constitution is quite clear. Congress has sole authority to write the laws, including the civil-service laws and those involving labor contracts. Congress has the sole authority to authorize and appropriate money. So what Mr. Bush wants is to disregard the Constitution and bully Congress into ceding its constitutional authority to the executive branch. The mopes in the House have already done that, but a few of the Democrats in the Senate are resisting it.
We have had ignorant men occupy the presidency several times, but none, I think, as ignorant of the Constitution and as disinclined toward freedom as George Bush.
He made a Freudian slip one day in an offhand remark to the press. He said, "I think Americans ought to be allowed to express their opinions." Ought to be allowed? Ought to be allowed? Hey, Mr. President, read the First Amendment. We have the God-given right to express our opinions, whether you and your government think we should be "allowed" to do so or not. Allowed my foot.
The whole idea of this Department of Homeland Security is silly anyway. Anyone who thinks that sweeping thousands of employees from where they are now into one department is going to improve anything doesn't know much about government. I've lived through a government reorganization, and it results in more employees and less efficiency.
Besides, the two key organizations necessary for homeland security — the FBI and the CIA — are excluded and will remain where they are. That doesn't make sense, frankly, though consolidating the Border Patrol and Customs certainly does. Just don't expect it to be a panacea. It will take months and months to sort it all out after the legislation creates it.
But don't buy this hokum that unless Bush can ride roughshod over the rights of federal employees and ignore the separation of powers, he can't protect the American people. He can't anyway, and this is just another example of his imperial mind-set.
Civil-service laws were enacted to protect federal employees from being abused by politicians who would fire and transfer them to make room for patronage jobs or extort campaign contributions from them. Nothing that involves national security necessitates those protections being removed.
It's odd that Mr. Bush, unable to face the truth that our own Middle East policy is responsible for Sept. 11, would claim that terrorists hate us because we are free. The greatest threat to American freedom today is not Osama bin Laden but George W. Bush, who, if he is even aware of its existence, seems to think the Constitution is just an antiquated piece of parchment that belongs in a museum.
Every abuse of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights in this and the previous century has been done in the name of security. It is the common excuse of those who prefer power to freedom.
Make no mistake: Bush is NOT a conservative. We would do well to make this bird a one-termer if the Republicans can come up with a strong opponent for whatever the dems offer. Of course this won't happen; Republican elitists are no better than democratic elitiests. Personal power is their prime consideration.
I too have my reservations about Bush. He has let many leftist Bills pass his desk that should have received a crushing VETO. But I doubt any President will ever be elected in this country (or any other) that is conservative enough to please my taste.
This is what it all comes down to for Charlie and his friends on the right. His hatred for America and Israel is so thorough that he will make excuses for mass-murder. Truly pathetic.
BS!
This scrap with the Senate is about union representation.
There are some depts. being folded into the Homeland Security Agency that have outlandish perks. The worst one is that they cannot be transfered, demoted or canned without a union review that takes a average of a year or more.
Bush only wants to give them the same union rights that the DOD and FBI currently have so that he can steamline the agency and move folks around.
The dept. making the most fuss is not suprisingly the friggin Immigration and customs depts.(The absolutely worst ones we have!)
Now you know why changes take forever or are not even attempted in these pariah depts. You can't fire em or transfer the dummies without union approval.
Bush is not asking for much. The dems are making a political issue out of this and you have bought it hook, line and sinker. (plus the bobber)
I stopped right there. Somebody else let me know if Reese typed one word worth reading.
Anyone who will stand with Robert Byrd is a fool.
The smartest president we have ever had, as the Clintonista's say, knew the Constitution like the back of his hand and look how he treated it. In case you forgot, the butler looking after the Oval Office restroom spent a considerable amout of time picking pieces of it after our genius president wiped love juice on it.
Even Ross Perot would be better than what we have.
You think that Ross is even a Conservative ? After having made his money through government contracts ... for decades ? You think that he , tinfoiled, beyond belief, is superior, in any way, to President Bush ? WOW ... do YOU need help and quickly !
Or Pat Buchannan!
Long is long dead and I doubt he can be resurected , Ross was on T.V. today, and sounded nuts as ever ( the men in the white coats , were waiting for him , in the " green room", I'm sure ! ),Anderson is also dead, and isn't LaRouche in jail ? :-)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.