[quidnunc]

Re: Campaign finance reform

Bush warned Congress to be sure that what they passed was what they wanted because he wasn't going to veto it.

But the bandwagon was rolling and the pols were sure that the SCOTUS would find most of it unconstitutional.

The congresscreatures wanted to look good by backing the cause du jour and for Dubya to take the political hit by vetoing it.

Well, they miscalciulated.

[Kevin Curry]

Well, they miscalciulated . . .

So you assign no responsibility to Bush at all? If that's the way the game is played--if the President is not responsible for the legislation he rubberstamps--why even bother having a president? The position is superfluous. Let's just give him ceremonial duties like Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands has.

[ShadowDancer]

Bush warned Congress to be sure that what they passed was what they wanted because he wasn't going to veto it.

Why? Why wouldn't he veto something he felt deeply and inherently against?

[SerpentDove]

>>>>>"Bush warned Congress to be sure that what they passed was what they wanted because he wasn't going to veto it.

But the bandwagon was rolling and the pols were sure that the SCOTUS would find most of it unconstitutional.

The congresscreatures wanted to look good by backing the cause du jour and for Dubya to take the political hit by vetoing it.

Well, they miscalciulated."<<<<<<<

And so, effectively, GWB signed a piece of unconstitutional legislation, *knowing* it was unconstitutional, and now we have an unconstitutional law on the books with no foreseeable chance of being overturned. Nice.

What bedrock principles to operate from. Signing unconstitutional legislation because to do otherwise might not be "politically expedient." Excellent.

Diminish the First Amendment, because to do otherwise might cost votes. Nice "strategery."

Pass on the responsibility to SCOTUS to overturn it. Obviously, "The buck stops here" has no meaning in this case.

[RockyMtnMan]

If the president felt it was unconstitutional, by his oath of office, he should have vetoed it regardless of what he told Congress. IMO