[SirFishalot]

I'm not so worked up about this. I think Bush did the smart thing really. He just negated a whole issue of the Dems and libs, poof, it's gone. I think he knows that there is no way that the 30 and 60 day limits will stand. People will overwhelm the courts with violations from the rampant civil disobedience that will happen if this part stands. A smart man picks his battles and I see Bush as very good at that. He has made the Democrat party look like a bunch of hypocritical idiots for the most part. Don't forget his main selling point in his campaign, "he was going to change the tone". People see that he reaches out to all and treats them with respect and they like that, every time the Dems attack him it turns more and more people off to them and on to him. He's turning their own antagonism against themselves and it seems to be working in my opinion.

[irishfest]

But the man took an oath to UPHOLD the Constitution not to sign into law something he believes VIOLATES the Constitution.

All of his pious moral highground has just been swept out from under him in my opinion.

[Dan from Michigan]

I think he knows that there is no way that the 30 and 60 day limits will stand.

No, he doesn't know. He THINK it won't stand. I don't trust the courts. Dred Scot was constitutional at one point.

[Protagoras]

A smart man picks his battles and I see Bush as very good at that.

So which battles do you prefer he picks instead of the battle for the first amendment? Maybe you liked his fight for more government spending on schools and medicare?

You think he made the Democrats look bad, but he is a Democrat now, and the person he really made look bad,,,,is you and your ilk.

[Armando Guerra]

I'm with you in not being too worried about this. If Bush vetoed the bill, it would just keep coming back again and again every year, being a distraction and preventing other meaningful legislation from coming up (tax reform, Social Security reform, etc.). It would also give McCain more face time with the press and he can still continue riding his one issue to prominence and continue being a thorn in Bush's side. By signing it, Bush has assured it will be challenged and dealt with finality. Guess who gets to present the arguments to support CFR in front of the courts? The Attorney General is the one advocating the government's position. I expect Ashcroft already has the government's position set up presenting such a weak case that it all but openly acknowledges the unconstitutionality of CFR. With the Supreme Court overturning it (and given previous decisions by the court on this matter it will), CFR is totally dead and will not be coming back every year. McCain will have gotten his one issue passed and ruled unconstitutional so he will have nothing left to run on. Those who truly want to see this issue killed know this is the best way to drive a wooden stake through the issue's heart. However, most of the people complaining here don't really care about seeing CFR go away for good, they just want to use the issue to bash Bush.