Glenn Greenwald on Bush’s "signing statements"
Glenn Greenwald refers to two Boston Globe articles (here and here) about Bush’s use of “signing statements” that in effect state his interpretations of the laws and his intent to violate them as he deems appropriate.
Far more than any predecessor, Bush has been aggressive about declaring his right to ignore vast swaths of laws -- many of which he says infringe on power he believes the Constitution assigns to him alone as the head of the executive branch or the commander in chief of the military.Many legal scholars say they believe that Bush's theory about his own powers goes too far and that he is seizing for himself some of the law-making role of Congress and the Constitution-interpreting role of the courts. [emphasis added]
Numerous examples are cited in the article, from sending US troops into combat in Colombia, new regulations for military prisons, diverting money to start secret operations, withholding information from Congressional oversight committees, and using information collected on Americans in violation of the fourth amendment.
Even the conservative Cato Institute recognizes the threat the Dubya poses to constitutional law, in their report "Power Surge: The Constitutional Record of George W. Bush." Their executive summary is here, and their full report is here. (319KB PDF).