US President's power grab threatens rule of law
"Five years ago this week, the Bush administration came into office determined to reverse what Vice President Cheney and others regarded as undue limits on presidential power. The administration's power grab has reached such brazen heights that President Bush now claims he is above the law. For any American who thinks presidents should have the power of czars and kings, this is good news. For the rest of us, it should raise deep concern. The immediate rationale for expanding executive authority is the war on terrorism — which does, in fact, require some invasive tactics. But the president's actions set a much broader, more enduring precedent. Though Bush should use all legal means to protect against terror attacks, his "the law is what I say it is" attitude threatens the rights of all Americans and the constitutional system of checks and balances. In the words of former representative Bob Barr, a conservative Republican from Georgia: "President George W. Bush has ... dared the American people to do something about it. For the sake of the Constitution, I hope they will."
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