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TechnoratiJust imagine if one of the leading candidates for the Democratic presidential nomination endorsed this radical agenda:
• End the use of military commissions to prosecute crimes.
• Prohibit the use of secret evidence or evidence obtained by torture.
• Prohibit the detention of American citizens as enemy combatants without proof.
• Restore habeas corpus for alleged alien combatants.
• End National Security Agency warrantless wiretapping.
• Empower Congress to challenge presidential signing statements.
• Bar executive use of the state secret privilege to deny justice.
• Prohibit the President from collaborating with foreign governments to kidnap, detain of torture persons abroad.
• Amend the Espionage Act to permit journalists to report on classified national security matters without threat of persecution.
• Prohibit of the labeling of groups or individuals in the U.S. as global terrorists based on secret evidence.
Of course, it is difficult to conceive of Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or even the somewhat more Constitutionally-courageous John Edwards going to such extremes.
They are, above all, cautious candidates. They don't want to be accused of getting too serious about maintaining the basic underpinnings of the Republic.
Only the nuttiest of radicals who ask that candidates for president would ask that candidates for nation's top job to start talking about the notion that the lawless presidency of George W. Bush has created a Constitutional crisis.
So what left-wing cabal is promoting the above assault on the executives excesses of the Bush administration?
The group that's advancing this so-called "American Freedom Agenda" is chaired by Bruce Fein, a former Nixon administration aide who served as deputy attorney general under President Reagan and who helped to formulate some of the serious -- pre-blue dress -- arguments for impeaching Bill Clinton. Fein is joined by former Georgia Republican Congressman Bob Barr, veteran conservative fund-raiser Richard Viguerie and David Keene, the former aide to Bob Dole who for many years has served as chairman of the American Conservative Union.
What gives? How come conservatives are taking the lead in the fight to restore basic Constitutional protections?
"The most conservative principles of the Constitution have been repeatedly violated in the last several years," says Fein. "[The] Founding Fathers engrafted a system of checks and review of one branch by another -- a system of due process safeguards against injustice that is likely to occur because of prejudice and fear. And those checks and balances have eroded enormously over the last several years, particularly since 9/11."
Viguerie is even blunter, suggesting that "a constitutional crisis... has developed to alarming proportion under President George W. Bush."
Rejecting the suggestion that conservatives must remain silent because Bush is supposedly one of their own, Viguerie says, "Conservatives must not fail to oppose the massive expansion of presidential powers out of fear they will be aid and comfort to the Left. Concern about one branch of government acquiring excessive power should not be the providence of liberals, moderates, or conservatives. It must be the concern of all Americans who value liberty..."
Barr echoes that view, arguing that, "[We]" cannot sit by and wait thirty years for court decisions. We cannot wait until another four-year election cycle is concluded to have the Bill of Rights restored and defended."
The American Freedom Agenda campaign is the vehicle that these conservatives have established, with a self-described twofold mission: "the enactment of a cluster of statutes that would restore the Constitution's checks and balances as enshrined by the Founding Fathers; and, making the subject a staple of political campaigns and of foremost concern to Members of Congress and to voters and educators. Especially since 9/11, the executive branch has chronically usurped legislative or judicial power, and has repeatedly claimed that the President is the law. The constitutional grievances against the White House are chilling, reminiscent of the kingly abuses that provoked the Declaration of Independence."
The agenda was launched two weeks ago. So far, one candidate has expressed support it: Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the libertarian Republican who explains that: "[They] say that the executive branch is always hungry. That's why it's up to the people, up to the congress to reign in the power of the executive branch."
Paul's right to sign on. The question now is whether any Democratic presidential contenders will join him in doing so.
The restoration of the Constitution's system of checks and balances ought not be a project of the left or right. It ought to be something that every presidential candidate can endorse. And, for Democrats, the American Freedom Agenda initiative creates a perfect opportunity to do the right thing with "political cover." After all, if Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama or John Edwards were to express support for the restoring the system of checks and balances and undoing the damage done to the Constitution during the Bush years, they tell the Democratic strategists who constantly counsel ideological caution: "Don't worry, I'm not taking any risks. I'm just making like the conservatives."
John Nichols' new book is THE GENIUS OF IMPEACHMENT: The Founders' Cure for Royalism.
© 2006 The Nation
13 Comments so far
Show AllLet's not say conservatives are right wingers and liberals are left wingers.
Conservatives--Stalin, Hitler, Pol Pot, Bush
Poet - Thanks for carrying the message AGAIN!
I would add that you not only re-register after the primaries, I would suggest that you also personally notify the Democratic political machine as to why you are leaving the Dem party. Does anybody have an idea where we can send our e-mails to the Dem's for the biggest impact? Who should we cc?
Rebel Farmer--
There are two things that heirarchies (like established political machines) understand--Headcount and $$$$$.
Therefore all who are alarmed need to do two things immediately:
1. Donate funds to people like Kucinich and Nader and everyoner else similarly convicted.
2. Register Democratic so you can vote for Kucinich then reregister as Green, non-political (beware of "Independent" as there are some statres which have a political party named "Independent"--check with your supervisor of elections office for details on how to register as a non-partisan if you don't like Green, Populist, Libertarian, or some other 3rd. party.
Watch with glee as the estabishment media "discovers" your discontent over the mainstream duopoly party and writes with ever growing alarm over "American voter alienation" with "their erstablished political order".
Oh and bravo to John Nichols for keeping faith with the recently departed Molly Ivins and keeping the "I" word on the table-- Shrub, "Barbie Doll" Pelosi, and all other political hacks to the contrary notwithstanding.
Actually, the Bush administration's promulgation of the Constitutional crisis and assault on the Bill of Rights described in the article, as well as the illegality of the Iraq war, the criminality of Guantanamo Bay, war crimes committed by Bush, former Secretary of Defense Rumsfeldt, former and current Attorney Generals, etc. have been written up repeatedly in P. Buchanan's 'American Conservative'. I received a copy by mistake just after 911, have read it off and on ever since, and have always found the similarities between the 'liberal' and 'conservative' viewpoints, including calls for impeachment for the same reasons outlined by Rebel Farmer, remarkable.
Okay. We all seem to agree. Now, how do we get Congress to move to adopt this "American Freedom Agenda"? How do we get the current prez candidates to not only endorse this agenda, but to also PROMOTE it? I'd like to hear their PLAN as to how it would be ADOPTED!! I don't want to hear anymore lies or pretty words.
And in the meantime, IMPEACH the criminals that have shredded our rights under the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and International laws. And then have them tried for war crimes and send their collective asses to jail!!
Vince has the prevailing (usually wrong) national view expressed above. Bush is monarch, so should our guy/gal."
Apparently, with Democrats and Republicans it's never about the Constitution; it's about power...all the power. The end always justifies the means. That's why the Founders deliberately enunciated the obligation of Congress (Democrats) to IMPEACH members of the other two branches.
If these current Dem partisans would be equally agitated about Bush's abuse of the US Constitution as they are salivating to install one of their own in the White House, more of us would hold them in less distain.
IMPEACH THE BUGGERS, NANCY!
Candidate Kucinich endorses this, too!
"The agenda was launched two weeks ago. So far, one candidate has expressed support it: Texas Congressman Ron Paul, the libertarian Republican....."
One thing is for certain: Any Democrat who doesn't sign on to this will not be getting my vote. This country was not founded or established as a Monarchy!
"Conservatives must not fail to oppose the massive expansion of presidential powers out of fear they will be aid and comfort to the Left. Concern about one branch of government acquiring excessive power should not be the providence of liberals, moderates, or conservatives. It must be the concern of all Americans who value liberty…"
I can't remember the last time I've read such a beautifully articulated paragraph. Thank you!
For those of you, Democrat or Republican, who aren't familiar with Bob Barr and his campaign for "restoring checks and balances", here's his website: http://www.checksbalances.org/
lf only Barry where here to see this, none would dare call it treason...-
How 'bout this? Inititiate a discussion with the current Republican leadership (conservative my a**) asking them if a President Hillary or President Obama should have all the executive privelage that the shrub now gets away with. Talk about an about face! We have to quit playing by their rules and start framing the discussion.
If Democrats tried to endorse a platform like this they would only be inviting the usual "soft on . . . (fill in the current arch and demonic enemy) rhetoric.
I wonder if this isn't an opportunity to put aside the usual mindless partisanship and find a common path back to sanity. Let's agree to put off disagreement about the fundamental issues that separate liberals and conservatives until later. For now, let's just restore integrity to the structures and institutions that allow for real debate about those differences.
Thank God someone has finally stepped up to the plate! If the Dems tried this, we all know how that would turn out, especially after seeing what was done to decorated and amputee war vet Dems. It's been my opinion for some time that this country will only be saved from this madness by conservatives who love this country and our Constitution more than they love their party rules and regulations!