Constitution law issues heating up

The Arizona Republic ^ | 23 June, 2002 | Nancy Benac

[brityank]

WASHINGTON - Select any moment in American history and you can find agitation about the meaning of the Constitution. Right now, though, the pondering, probing and hand wringing have reached something of a constitutional clamor.

Secret detentions, wiretaps on lawyers' conversations with clients, military tribunals, monitoring of ordinary Americans. Each day seems to bring new worries about freedoms being infringed, a concern shared in some cases by judges who have blocked the government's course.

[capt. norm]

What about the liberal's continued trashing of ammendments 2 and 10?

[brityank]

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha !! !! !!

This is written by a lieberal, doncha know?
They don't exist in thier 'perfect world'!

[William Terrell]

The Constitution is not going away; we're just not going to pay attention to some parts of it for a little while.

Yes, for the duration of the war on terror. How long did Bush say that would be? Let's see. . .

[steve50]

They've got me confused, we conservatives supported the Constitution and rule of law under klintoon, guess we don't need it now that adults are in charge.

[tet68]

Wait till after the next attack.

It IS coming, you know it IS!

[Straight Vermonter]

I hate to say it but in 18 months Bush has done more to threaten our rights than Clinton did in 8 years.

[brityank]

Unfortunately, I tend to agree; but don't let the FR-BushBots know.

[galt-jw]

true, but how relevant is this to someone whose arguments consist of emotional outbursts that would shame oprah winfrey, and recycled half digested slogans parroted by unawakened exponents of the public school system?

[Darth Sidious]

Let's call him for what he really is, what he's seriously becoming: Emperor Bush. A dictator not bound by Constitution or conscience.

I've figured out why his bootlicks (like the ones on FR) are so sycophantic: they can't think for themselves. They're far more comfortable letting someone think for them. The Bush-bots are as bad (or worse) than the Clintonites: Bush could probably order a synagogue burned to the ground and his supporters would claim its part of his "brilliant strategy".

[weikel]

No you mean in 6 months Bush was fine for his 1st year then he decided for some reason to go hard left( well he hasn't raised taxes like Clinton... yet).

[weikel]

I would have no problem with a right wing Emperor in fact I think it is the only thing that can save America from communism. The problem is Bush has become a left wing Emperor.

[Beenliedto]

I would have no problem with a right wing Emperor in fact I think it is the only thing that can save America from communism.

Good God, man. Did you just write what I just read?

The only thing that can save us from flushing is the Constitution, liberty and rule of law

Where's the soap. We need to wash your keeyboard out.

[weikel]

We have become more of a true Democracy unbound by the constitution except where clever lawyers can corrupt the already corrupt Democratic process for their own ends. If women and non property owners could be disenfranchised then a constitutional restoration might be possible but I doubt that will happen.

"A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves money from the public treasure. From that moment on the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most money from the public treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy followed by a dictatorship." - Alexander Tyler

The only way for us to be saved from communism is someone like Pinochet.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

There's really only one constitutional issue: do we insist that the traditional meanings of words (and language is all tradition) be maintained intact? If not, we have not a "living Constitution" but living rulers--and no constitution at all.

[KC_for_Freedom]

As I recall, the constitution has ways of maintaining itself. These so called "losses of rights" which amount to a few really bad people getting their a** thrown in jail will get worked out. If you believe so strongly that they are the harbringers of all of our future, then get into the ACLU and start your lawsuits. The supreme court can decide that the executive branch is out of order and they can do what ever you would like with the likes of Padilla.

Me, I guess I am a Bush-bot. I would like to give him some slack and not worry that the sky (I mean the constitution) is falling. My guess, the constitution will survive Bush better than it would have survived Clinton or Gore. And these characters who represent us all and are locked up are not being held secretly. We can and will deal with them and their crimes, now what about the arguement that they are soldiers in a battle without uniforms and that their crimes don't fall under the justice system but are more appropriate to a field of battle? Have you ever seen spys caught on the battlefield being turned over to the lawyers? Does a fighter on the battlefield always have to have a judge's opinion before he can return fire?

[dsutah]

Yeah I'd like to add to your excellent post. I just didn't realize how much some of these people missed Clinton/Gore. Many of them show their true colors (not all). One dead give-away, is that they say Bush has done more than Clinton to destroy the constitution. Maybe there is a way it could be arranged to let these people have their fearless leaders back. Maybe we could set up an island and let Bill Clinton be the king, or president; then his adoring groupies on here could join him there, with Queen Hillary, and leave us in peace! (sarcasm)