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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Lane3 who wrote (7317)	12/18/2005 11:20:09 AM
From: Dale Baker	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541403

We are getting into hairsplitting semantics here, but we differ on the assumption that an unconstitutional policy necessarily has any merit. Dictators have an excellent reason to suspend elections. Criminals have a good reason to rob banks. Cops and FBI agents often have a good reason to want to dispense with constitutional impediments to their work. None of which merits weighing if their ideas are good. They cross the lines we all agreed should not be crossed. If you want to address the merits of their positions, you have to do so by debating if you should redraw the lines to accommodate their wishes. Redrawing the lines is done by a definite procedure through Congress and the states. Not in the Oval Office or NSA or FBI. Why? They have no legal authority to do so, whatever they want, need or desire or think best for the voters. I can't believe the primacy of the constitution over arbitrary executive action is even open to question.

To: Lane3 who wrote (7317)	12/18/2005 2:33:20 PM
From: Mary Cluney	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 541403

Of course the president can't be permitted to unilaterally make that decision. OTOH, there is a very good chance that he has a good reason for wanting to do so Okay, the constitution is not written in stone. There are ways to change it. But, the idea was not to make it so that a President, or anyone else, could wake up some fine morning thinking he has a good reason to change it or some aspect of it. A President has enough clout as it is. His wish, if within the provisions of the constitution, can literally move mountains. There is really no need for a President to go outside of the law to accomplish his mission.