Things That Make One Go "Hmm"

I prefer to think of myself free thinker. I believe that is the problem with politics today, God forbid if you agree with somebody from the other side you will be labeled a traitor a rino and God knows what else.

The other thing that gets me is how many people can't have a differing viewpoint without getting mean spirited and close minded.

One of the best things to happen to Florida was Bob Graham as governor. He said it best. when I was in Washington the game was played between the forty yard lines now it is played on the ten yard lines.

So all in all you may be right maybe I am a left leaning independent who thinks everyone has good ideas and bad ideas. Most of us love the country we just have different ideas about what path to take.

Things that make you go Hmmmm.....

I did not know the President of the United States could fundamentally diminish rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights by Executive Order.

DonDiego also does not know this. In fact, he thinks it is not so. But what DonDiego thinks is not what matters.

Oh the things you don't know!

Fundamental rights have limitations put on them every day. For example, the government can limit speech if it takes the form of yelling fire in a crowded theater, kiddie porn, advocating the violent overthrow of the government, libel; slander, copyright violation, publishing military secrets, and so on.

Anyone who claims that ANY right is absolute is either ignorant or dishonest. Perhaps both.

The issue is not that rights can be limited.
Endangerment of the citizenry trumps one's right to yell "fire" in a theater, . . . unless there is a fire. And the right to sell a work of art can be overridden by previous ownership as a copyright violation.
And the Biden Discussion Group may determine a way to solve the current problem. DonDiego hopes the group defines the problem clearly, before they derive a solution limiting citizens' rights injudiciously.

But the specific issue here is can rights guaranteed in the Bill of Rights be limited by an Executive Order.

I seem to recall an unpopular recent President asserting a unilateral right to electronically monitor American citizens within this country without a warrant despite words in the Fourth Amendment.

And imprison them outside this country, never to be brought to trial, despite words in the Fifth Amendment.

And torture them on foreign soil despite words in the Eighth Amendment.

Popular President Obama has not yet proposed to do anything about firearms by executive order. Early indications are that he is considering merely limproving the existing, Congressionally-approved databases used to perform background checks, and press the Senate to confirm his choice for ATF Director, which has been vacant for six years. Oooh, scary!

Hardly the sort of attack on the Bill of Rights we saw that unpopular recent President take.

But more than enough to cause President Obama's dwindling number of detractors to fly off in their usual ignorant rage.

President Reagan issued an executive order voiding the rights of litigants to due process in US federal court, and then handed final jurisdiction over to an international court. The president was sued. The Supreme Court upheld the executive order.

I think that settles it.

I guess the President could also declare Marshall Law......I don't think that would work out so well though.

Arse...do you have more details on the Reagan "limitation" you quote so I can research?

There seems to be quite a bit of bellyaching about the President's ability to issue executive orders.
Don Diego frames it as being performed by people with a God complex. The Drudge Report today compared it to Hitler and Stalin. They had cute little pictures too to assist their readers who might not iknow who those people are. That was certainly enough to make this gentle contributor say, "hmmm"

I can find plenty of examples of executive orders I dont like. I can do the same with Congressionally passed legislation. But I dont have a standing objection to the process by which either is performed in our system.

Of course, for anyone who does I invite them to sound off on each of the several hundred such orders issued by our last president. I'll even give them a helpful boost by providing the list here. Enjoy

Bush's long list of Stalinist, Nazi executive orders.

I didn't know that either. Further, I dont know of a case where this president has.

Do you have an example or are you referencing a hypothetical executive order you fabricated for the purposes of beating up a strawman?