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Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | May 23, 2007 | WND

Posted on 05/23/2007 7:00:50 AM PDT by cbkaty

LAW OF THE LAND

Order for emergencies apparently gives authority without congressional oversight

President Bush has signed an executive order granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.

The order was signed May 9 without any announcement, says Jerome R. Corsi in a WND column.

Titled, "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive," it was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive.

The order establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.

"Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

Corsi says the president can assume the power to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over.

The executive order says the assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, currently Frances Fragos Townsend, would be designated as the national continuity coordinator.

Corsi says the executive order makes no attempt to reconcile the powers created for the national continuity coordinator with the National Emergency Act, which requires that such proclamation "shall immediately be transmitted to the Congress and published in the Federal Register."

A Congressional Research Service study notes the National Emergency Act sets up Congress as a balance empowered to "modify, rescind, or render dormant" such emergency authority if Congress believes the president has acted inappropriately.

But the new executive order appears to supersede the National Emergency Act by creating the new position of national continuity coordinator without any specific act of Congress authorizing the position, Corsi says.

The order also makes no reference to Congress and its language appears to negate any a requirement that the president submit to Congress a determination that a national emergency exists.

It suggests instead that the powers of the executive order can be implemented without any congressional approval or oversight.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke affirmed to Corsi the Homeland Security Department would implement the requirements of the order under Townsend's direction.

The White House declined to comment on the order.


TOPICS: Conspiracy
KEYWORDS: bush; buygunsandspam; powers
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To: P-40

I do wonder if he knows of an impending attack that would actually require such powers....that senario is a possibility.


21 posted on 05/23/2007 8:11:31 AM PDT by cbkaty (I may not always post...but I am always here......)
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To: P-40

I do wonder if he knows of an impending attack that would actually require such powers....that senario is a possibility.


22 posted on 05/23/2007 8:11:34 AM PDT by cbkaty (I may not always post...but I am always here......)
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To: cbkaty

This is old news.


23 posted on 05/23/2007 8:11:46 AM PDT by DreamsofPolycarp (Ron Paul in '08)
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To: traviskicks

Reading — Empire by Orson Scott Card, fiction but fascinating. Relevant to this thread.

I could see the need for any President to have this power. Could it be abused? Sure, but presidents also have their finger on the nuclear button.

Which is more dangerous?


24 posted on 05/23/2007 8:12:06 AM PDT by listenhillary (Democrats are sacrificing civilization for political power)
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To: cbkaty

I bet threats about that sort of thing come in all the time.


25 posted on 05/23/2007 8:14:03 AM PDT by P-40 (Al Qaeda was working in Iraq. They were just undocumented.)
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To: cbkaty
I blame Katrina. Bush couldn’t legally send aid until the dumb-o-crat governot asked.

Then he was blamed for the slow response...

26 posted on 05/23/2007 8:15:37 AM PDT by null and void (Carter calling Bush worst president in U.S. history is like Michael Moore calling Ann Coulter fat...)
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To: Rodney King
All power which We The People do not jealously guard is ultimately seized by the government.
27 posted on 05/23/2007 8:20:26 AM PDT by null and void (Carter calling Bush worst president in U.S. history is like Michael Moore calling Ann Coulter fat...)
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To: null and void

Which powers have we jelously guarded recently?

Not being combative, but is there ANYTHING that would make joe 6 pack stand up and say “Now you’ve done it. You’ve gone too far.”


28 posted on 05/23/2007 8:24:05 AM PDT by listenhillary (Democrats are sacrificing civilization for political power)
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To: traviskicks
“”Corsi says the president can assume the power to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over.” “

You mean like FDR did during WWII?

29 posted on 05/23/2007 8:28:01 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: listenhillary

*sigh* No.


30 posted on 05/23/2007 8:28:53 AM PDT by null and void (Carter calling Bush worst president in U.S. history is like Michael Moore calling Ann Coulter fat...)
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To: null and void

Well shutting off professional sports broadcasts would probably do it.

5 million man march on Washington


31 posted on 05/23/2007 8:31:03 AM PDT by listenhillary (Democrats are sacrificing civilization for political power)
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To: All

Maybe it’s a good idea to actually read the document in question before going nuts:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070509-12.html

“(e) “Enduring Constitutional Government,” or “ECG,” means a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers among the branches, to preserve the constitutional framework under which the Nation is governed and the capability of all three branches of government to execute constitutional responsibilities and provide for orderly succession, appropriate transition of leadership, and interoperability and support of the National Essential Functions during a catastrophic emergency;”

“(a) Ensuring the continued functioning of our form of government under the Constitution, including the functioning of the three separate branches of government;”


32 posted on 05/23/2007 8:32:29 AM PDT by SoCal Pubbie
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To: SoCal Pubbie

Chalk up another vote for “Corsi selling books by feeding the conspiracy brigade”?

We need people paying attention, we need alarmists. We also need to weigh what they are saying with other perspectives and going to the original sources for clarification.


33 posted on 05/23/2007 8:40:05 AM PDT by listenhillary (Democrats are sacrificing civilization for political power)
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To: SoCal Pubbie
Abraham Lincoln once asked his son "If you call a tail a leg, how many legs does a dog have?"

Tad replied, "Five."

"No son, he has four, calling it a leg doesn't make it a leg."

34 posted on 05/23/2007 8:43:25 AM PDT by null and void (Carter calling Bush worst president in U.S. history is like Michael Moore calling Ann Coulter fat...)
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To: cbkaty; ShadowAce
"What would we say if this were Clinton?"

I've wondered that many times, especially when I see people on here defending crap like this, who would be raising total hell if Clinton would have done it. Just like ShadowAce said, soon it will be Clinton or some other authoritarian liberal. People should be mindful of the fact that all of these additional authoritarian powers the government is bringing to itself, and with the blessing of many FReepers, will someday be wielded by liberal democrats. THEN, those FReepers will suddenly have a problem with the government doing such things and it will be too late....

35 posted on 05/23/2007 8:50:03 AM PDT by KoRn (Just Say NO ....To Liberal Republicans - FRED THOMPSON FOR PRESIDENT!)
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To: DreamsofPolycarp
This is old news.

.....and your point is? A search did NOT display a previous post....

Is that you Mr. President?

36 posted on 05/23/2007 8:53:42 AM PDT by cbkaty (I may not always post...but I am always here......)
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To: cbkaty

This is very unusual . . . I’m beginning to suspect that the people saying we have already had our last national election are onto something. But that would mean I’m thinking like a believer in conspiracies. Oh, no! You mean to say that down deep we are all stupid ‘sheeple?’ Baaad Baaad. Really, really Baaad Baaad.


37 posted on 05/23/2007 9:09:09 AM PDT by ex-Texan (Matthew 7: 1 - 6)
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To: cbkaty
The position of folks on this board is that it doesn't matter how terrible the president is as long as he is a republican.

He could eat a live baby at a press conference and posters on this board would applaud his "boldness" in the face of massive democratic criticism...

38 posted on 05/23/2007 10:17:46 AM PDT by Remember_Salamis (A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one!)
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To: Bender2

Be Ever Vigilant ~ buy lotsa ammo and pray!


39 posted on 05/23/2007 11:10:48 AM PDT by blackie (Be Well~Be Armed~Be Safe~Molon Labe!)
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To: traditional1

God help us.


40 posted on 05/23/2007 11:46:34 AM PDT by Dr. Eckleburg ("I don't think they want my respect; I think they want my submission." - Flemming Rose)
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