If it isn't yet obvious to you by now, President Bush has been willfully ignoring laws passed by Congress by issuing signing statements. In these statements, the President often makes clear that he will not follow the law he just signed at all, or construes the law in the exact opposite way it was meant to be taken. One need only look at the recent postal law which reaffirmed the executive branch's responsibility under FISA to obtain warrants before opening postal mail, yet in the signing statement, the President declared that he indeed does have the power to open any mail as he sees fit. This is just one example of the willful disregard he shows to the separation of powers and the Constitution itself, which the President was sworn to uphold.
Even though we ***know*** that he has been disregarding law and riding roughshod over our democracy, I can understand the calls for restraint and the need to properly investigate these misdeeds (or should I say high crimes and misdemeanors?) by Congress. However, what I cannot understand is what these hearings will truly accomplish. Follow me after fold for more...
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