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Politics : Just the Facts, Ma'am: A Compendium of Liberal Fiction -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: wonk who wrote (52301)	10/31/2008 7:21:51 AM
From: thames_sider	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 90947

I am curious at what point people start to raise their eyebrows at the continued accumulation of power by the Executive. I thought it a good time to bring this back into view. No doubt there will be a mass raising of eyebrows in a week's time. Especially when the more worried remember this... commondreams.org armytimes.com [The 1st of the 3rd] may be called upon to help with civil unrest and crowd control ... The 1st BCT’s soldiers also will learn how to use “the first ever nonlethal package that the Army has fielded,” 1st BCT commander Col. Roger Cloutier said, referring to crowd and traffic control equipment and nonlethal weapons designed to subdue unruly or dangerous individuals without killing them. The package is for use only in war-zone operations, not for any domestic purpose.... The package includes equipment to stand up a hasty road block; spike strips for slowing, stopping or controlling traffic; shields and batons; and, beanbag bullets. On October 1, the Pentagon, for the first time ever, dedicated an Army force specifically to NorthCom, which is in charge of securing not some foreign region but the United States of America. ... This marks a change for NorthCom, which was established on October 1, 2002. Its website still says it "has few permanently assigned forces," and that "the command is assigned forces whenever necessary to execute missions, as ordered by the President and the Secretary of Defense." ... Leahy was instrumental in getting Congress to repeal the "Insurrection Act Rider" in the 2006 defense appropriations bill. That rider had given the President sweeping power to use military troops in ways contrary to the Insurrection Act and Posse Comitatus Act. The rider authorized the President to have troops patrol our streets in response to disasters, epidemics, and any "condition" he might cite. ... The repeal of the rider was signed by Bush on January 28, though Amy Goodman reports that "Bush attached a signing statement that he did not feel bound by the repeal." No doubt those who were comfortable with Bush having such powers will be just as sanguine with a President Obama having them and the troops to enforce them, and be equally content if Obama also "does not feel bound by the repeal". Of course there's the Senate and House to oversee such activities. That will surely be a comfort to all here.