Decker

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States." Is Bush preserving, protecting and defending the Constitution as his oath requires or is the American experiment over? I smell a dictatorship don’t you?

He has savaged the Constitution. He has illegally authorized/initiated an invasion of a sovereign country. He violates the 4th amendment and FISA statute by spying/wiretapping on Americans without a warrant, he ignores the 6th and 8th amendments b/c he can throw anyone he deems an enemy combatant (no necessary tie to terrorism—can include protesters) into prison without trial, legal counsel or without charges, and he can call for cruel and unusual punishment aka torture. He uses signing statements for bills he signs into law that change the law itself. Bush's will is law and he asks us to trust him, i.e., no formal review of his actions. I don’t see any preserving, protecting or defending of the Constitution there…do you?

He has claimed these plenary dictatorial powers as a “war time” president. Congress never granted him such power, the constitution grants him no such power, and there has been no “war” declared by Congress. The US can only declare war on another nation. The US cannot declare war on terrorism--a quasi-military tactic—there is no State of Terrorism. That’s like declaring war on lying. Both concepts are abstractions plastic in definition and infinite in life. Essentially Bush is claiming dictatorial powers for the presidency--forever. I don’t trust Bush centralized, secretly executed powers. He’s corrupt & incompetent. He along with a spineless pliant republican-run Congress and stacked Judiciary is causing terrific damage to the US Constitution.

He has executed his other duties incompetently: lying by proxy for passage of a useless and corrupt Medicare bill, negligently handling the Katrina disaster, authorizing more pollution in OUR air and water, ignoring warnings about imminent terrorist attacks engineered by Osama Bin Laden and appointing corporate cronies to commandeer the “commons” owned by all us citizens—e.g., our military, national forests, health care, air, water, social security, and our very system of voting. He's delivered those "commons" to individual ownership in the name of privatization. Because, you know, big business is sooooo much better than government. We the people, instead of unresponsive self-interested and necessarily corrupted corporations, can set the tone for how our country is run...as was intended originally by the Constitution.

Bush has shit on the Constitution and wiped his ass with the Bill of Rights. He abrogates our rights in order to protect us--no thanks, I'm not a chickenshit surrendering all my liberties at the first sign of trouble so I can be SAFE. Anyways, today Fascist Dictators wear flags on their lapels and avuncular smiles on their faces. But hey, that’s just my opinion.

Other than all that, You’re doin’ a heckuva job Georgie.

Steele20

I didn't read 90% of this crap. But based off "Bush has shit on the Constitution and wiped his ass with the Bill of Rights." I'm going to have to call you a moron. Go to college please, or expand your mind somehow.

TJ Cline

Great post. I read every word!!

DOMS

Becuase no one else has any say in how the US runs. That explains why they changed the title from President to Dictator. Oh wait...that only happned in the minds of martyr liberals.

There's no question that Bush has made some poor choices, but he didn't make them in a vacuum. It's not just Bush and it's not just the Republicans. Check out how many rights we lost under Clinton. Plus, it was Clinton that helped to make 9/11 possible and gave us a recession.

Short version: they all suck.

TJ Cline

I agree 100%....both parties suck ass

largepkg

Finally, something the majority can agree upon.

Dale Mabry

Here is what I think...

All of the liberals bitch and moan that they were misled by erroneous intelligence. They were duped. What does the average Senator or Congressman make? At least 6 figures, I am sure. So you are telling me that the price they are getting paid isn't high enough for them to do a little fact checking of their own? If you work for a company and you are responsible for something getting done correctly or you are fired, aren't you going to be 100% sure of it before you say it's done correctly. Fucking morons.

If sense were common, everyone would have it.

4/2007-Current 75th Ranked most popular image 1 spot behind Prince's bulge...

NEW_IN_THE_GAME

Fuck Bush, faggot. He can give the rich money, yet steals more and more from the ever downgrading poor people. takes money to make money asshole. Bush can suck my fucking cock.

Why do you all think he wants control of the oil? For us, haha fat chance.
His family owns a shitload of the oil rigs around Texas. So if he gets the ones in the east, he can open his full board, Duh $$$ for him.

BUsh is a piece of shit asshole, and can die. This is one reason I did not join the military, and chose to wait till i am 21 or so. Bush is too much of a chicken shit to stand up for himself. SO why would I die for someone who would not die for me!!!

These are my dreams, which I must make reality!

topolo

ghey

largepkg

Well thought out and articulated. This is another reason to have faith our futures are in good hands with the youth of today.

NEW_IN_THE_GAME

No see, when I was growing up, All i hear is how the poor are overlooked, and I wasnt from a rich family. you know what I mean.

Better president.

The only future in my hands, is mine.

I will be of no help to any of you, unless you come to my gym sometime. lol

These are my dreams, which I must make reality!

largepkg

Neither was I from a rich family, far from it actually.

Son, if you think small potato's you'll only become small potato's.

MyK

Bush spent about five minutes of his state of the union address talking about how we need to look for oil based alternatives so we can get rid of our "addiction of oil" and lose our dependence on the arab nations!

BigDyl

Pirates don't know anything about politics!!!!

Total ownage.

TJ Cline

TJ Cline

Congress: Rank-and-File Members' Salary
The current salary for rank-and-file members of the House and Senate is $158,100 per year.

• Members are free to turn down pay increase and some choose to do so.

• In a complex system of calculations, administered by the Office of Personnel Management, congressional pay rates also affect the salaries for federal judges and other senior government officials.

• During the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin considered proposing that elected government officials not be paid for their service. Other Founding Fathers, however, decided otherwise.

• From 1789 to 1815, members of Congress received only a per diem (daily payment) of $6.00 while in session. Members began receiving an annual salary in 1815, when they were paid $1,500 per year.

Congress: Leadership Members' Salary (108th Congress)
Leaders of the House and Senate are paid a higher salary than rank-and-file members.

Senate Leadership
Majority Leader - $175,600
Minority Leader - $175,600
House Leadership
Speaker of the House - $203,000
Majority Leader - $175,600
Minority Leader - $175,600

• A cost-of-living-adjustment (COLA) increase takes effect annually unless Congress votes to not accept it.

Congress: Benefits
Members of Congress receive retirement and health benefits under the same plans available to other federal employees. They become vested after five years of full participation.

• Members elected since 1984 are covered by the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS). Those elected prior to 1984 were covered by the Civil Service Retirement System (CSRS). In 1984 all members were given the option of remaining with CSRS or switching to FERS.

• As it is for all other federal employees, congressional retirement is funded through taxes and the participants' contributions. Members of Congress under FERS contribute 1.3 percent of their salary into the FERS retirement plan and pay 6.2 percent of their salary in Social Security taxes.

Members of Congress are not eligible for a pension until they reach the age of 50, but only if they've completed 20 years of service. Members are eligible at any age after completing 25 years of service or after they reach the age of 62. Please also note that Member's of Congress have to serve at least 5 years to even receive a pension.

The amount of a Congressperson's pension depends on the years of service and the average of the highest 3 years of his or her salary. By law, the starting amount of a Member's retirement annuity may not exceed 80% of his or her final salary.

Data compiled in 20034 showed 413 retired Members of Congress were receiving federal pensions based fully or in part on their congressional service. The average age of those retiring under CSRS was 75.5 and had at least 20 years of federal service. Those who retired under FERS had an average age of 68.3 years and 21.6 years of federal service. Their average retirement payment was $3,909 a month.

MyK

Arrrrrrr

your a Scallywag and a Scurvy dog!

maniclion

George Bush doesn't care about any of you people.

MyK

Im not black!

brogers

NSA was spying on the American people, if by "American people" you mean people who have Al-Qaeda on speed dial.

DOMS

Nothing would make be happier than to render the OPEC worthless.

busyLivin

if this NSA thing goes anywhere, we deserve to be blown up.

class Liberalism
{
public void main(){
while (1 != 2)
{ Bitch(); Moan(); BlameBush(); }}
}

DOMS

The same thing happened back in the days of the telegraph. It's nothing new. Don't get so worked up over it.

Decker

How do you know who our government is spying on? The only reason Bush confessed that he was authorizing spying on americans w/out a warrant in the first place is b/c a whistleblower leaked that info. This is a violation of FISA and our 4th Am. rights. And this is why we need the 'Checks' of Judicial review to 'Balance' out this Presidential use of power.

If Bush is spying only on americans "who have Al-Qaeda on speed dial" then getting a warrant from a rubber stamp court for that spying shouldn't be much of a problem now should it? ...unless Bush authorized spying on US citizens w/out Al Qaeda contacts.

This is an example of power corrupting absolutely. Revere the constitution not the tenant in the Whitehouse.

Decker

They all suck but Bush is going that extra mile.

What rights did we lose under Clinton?

largepkg

How about the right to be alive if you were in the twin towers on September 11, 2001.

Decker

Well that's a tour de force answer. Please explain what you mean b/c it has very little to do w/ the premeditated intentional destruction of rights guaranteed to us by the Constitution.

Apparently you hold Bush blameless for 9/11. He was the president at the time, on vacation, who had seen the "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in US" memo. Right?