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Originally Posted by multi
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the American Bar Association, hardly a collection of lefties, just issued a report on this very subject:
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American Bar Association denounces Bush's signing statements
By Mark Silva
Chicago Tribune
WASHINGTON - President Bush has vetoed only one piece of legislation during more than five years in office, but he has issued more than 800 challenges to bills that he has signed into law with formal "signing statements," more than all of his predecessors combined.
Now, however, a task force of the American Bar Association has concluded that the president's unprecedented stream of signing statements poses a dangerous challenge to the constitutional checks and balances central to power in the United States. One of the signing statements reserves the right to torture detainees held in the war on terror.
The ABA report, to be released Monday, calls on Congress to exert more oversight and empower the courts to review presidential signing statements asserting the president's right to "ignore or not enforce laws." If unchecked, ABA President Michael Greco said in a prepared statement, the presidential use of signing statements "raises serious concerns crucial to the survival of our democracy."
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while there is lots of precedence for signing statements from other presidents, none have exercised this to the extent that Bush has:
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The ABA report disputes the White House's contention that signing statements are issued carefully. Bush's are "ritualistic, mechanical and generally carry no citation of authority or detailed explanation," the task force found. It noted that when Congress enacted a law requiring the attorney general to report on instances of officials refraining from carrying out law, the president attached a signing statement insisting on authority to withhold information.
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basically, the Prez asserts the right to ignore the laws that Congress passes. they're not too keen on that whole "checks and balances" thing over at the White House.
http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...s/15106725.htm