It's no secret that Republicans have become hypocritical liars, willing to say anything and everything to misrepresent reality on behalf of the long-suffering wealthy people. But their arguments about the limits of Presidential Authority in terms of raising the debt limit has become so outrageous and so contradictory of their interpretations during the Bush Administration that it is time to throw their own legal arguments back in their faces.
In other words, throw the analysis from the Yoo torture memos -- the despicable, horrible Yoo torture memos -- right back in their faces. Because, based on that analysis, either Obama has the authority to raise the debt limit on his own, or the Republicans have to acknowledge that Bush and his ilk engaged in fully unconstitutional acts during that Administration. In other words, they either must side with the Democrats on one issue, or side with them on another.
(Sometimes people have trouble understanding my arguments are not literal: I am not advocating anything. I am pointing out the conflicting realities of the Repub position.)
As I'm sure most of you know, the Yoo memos were one of the most controversial elements of the Bush Administration's legal analysis in support of its actions against al Qaeda (and later Iraq.) The analysis has been repudiated as half-assed and horrible, but the Republicans have continued to rely on them to justify torture, warrantless wiretapping, illegal wars, etc.
A fundamental element of those memos deals with the limits of presidential authority at a time of war. And Yoo's position is, basically there is none. A president can issue an order for a village of civilians to be wiped out. The president can order a military operations against Americans inside the United States, contrary to the Posse Comitatus Act. A President can torture, wiretap, do whatever he wants that he deems essential for the security of the United States at a time of war.
Well, guess what: We're at a time of war. The same wars, in fact. The ones that Yoo relied on to declare Bush's unlimited power.
Could anyone imagine a more destructive action to the national security of the United States than a default? It would put the United States in an economic freefall that would destroy its ability to act on an international basis. Treaties, international committments, military operations -- all would be placed in question. Why, the government might not even be able to continue unlawful detentions and illegal torture -- who is going to give the torturers and guards their paychecks?
So, it is time to hit the Repubs back with their own arguments. If war justified all of the acts -- torture, wiretapping, detention without charge -- then it damn well justifies the president raising the debt limit to protect the United States during a time of war.
And if you disagree, Repubs -- if you now believe that the President's authority is limited -- well that's fine. But then let's go round up Bush and Cheney so they can be tried for what you must now acknowledge are illegal acts.