In 1998, the supreme court held that the line item veto act of 1996 was unconstitutional.
Clinton v. City of New York, 524 U.S. 417 (1998).
In the concurrence, Justice Kennedy (rightly, i think) said that the "undeniable effects" of the Act were to "enhance the President's power to reward one group and punish another, to help one set of taxpayers and hurt another, to favor one State and ignore another."
the president tonight did something more shocking than normal -- he demanded that congress give him the line item veto.
the president tonight stood in the house of representatives, and demanded that rules that applied to the previous administration be changed for his exclusive use. he demanded that something once rendered unconstitutional be added to his arsenal, in clear violation of the separation of powers.
such executive arrogance is a hallmark of this administration, and a threat to the very fabric of the republic.
its not enough for this president to control both houses of congress -- he now wants to censor exactly what they say.
and people clapped for that.
king george, indeed.