You may only read this site if you've purchased Our Kampf from Amazon or Powell's or me
• • •
"Mike and Jon, Jon and Mike—I've known them both for years, and, clearly, one of them is very funny. As for the other: truly one of the great hangers-on of our time."—Steve Bodow, head writer, The Daily Show

"Who can really judge what's funny? If humor is a subjective medium, then can there be something that is really and truly hilarious? Me. This book."—Daniel Handler, author, Adverbs, and personal representative of Lemony Snicket

"The good news: I thought Our Kampf was consistently hilarious. The bad news: I’m the guy who wrote Monkeybone."—Sam Hamm, screenwriter, Batman, Batman Returns, and Homecoming

June 19, 2007

Don't You Worry Your Purty Li'l Head About No Presidential Signing Statements

When Charlie Savage of the Boston Globe first began writing stories about Bush's presidential signing statements last year, former Bush administration lawyers told us not to be concerned:

Jack Goldsmith, a Harvard Law School professor who until last year oversaw the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel for the administration, said the statements do not change the law; they just let people know how the president is interpreting it.

''Nobody reads them," said Goldsmith. ''They have no significance. Nothing in the world changes by the publication of a signing statement..."

As a new story by Savage explains, that's apparently now inoperative:

Tony Fratto, a White House spokesman, defended Bush's use of signing statements and his expansive view of the president's constitutional powers.

"We are executing the law as we believe we are empowered to do so," Fratto said. "The signing statements certainly do and should have an impact. They are real."

Posted at June 19, 2007 03:01 PM | TrackBack
Comments

Follow the bouncing powers:
The President can Legislate by signing statement.
The President can Judge by signing statement.
Why did the Founding Fathers bother with including a Legislative and Judicial Branch of Government?

Posted by: shannon at June 20, 2007 08:32 AM

It's part of the Classified 28th Amendment, also known as the 'Unitary Dictator' amendment, which officially absolves Congress and the Courts of any actual power and gives it all to the President who shall be named Emperor for Life.

Posted by: E in MD at June 20, 2007 10:06 AM

Yet, I'm the lunatic for having the gaul to point out that the U.S has become fascist state.

Posted by: Rob at June 20, 2007 08:13 PM

2 Branches WILL NOT work hard enough to keep their jobs RELEVENT and the Third Branch WASN'T WORTH HIRING in the first place. (incompetance, good to see MY money's well spent all the way around)

Posted by: Mike Meyer at June 20, 2007 09:18 PM

Those other branches are there because you can't blame every single thing on overzealous staffers.

Posted by: Kip W at June 22, 2007 01:24 PM