Did Pres KNOWINGLY Violate Constitution on BUDGET?-Rep Waxman Letter to WH

[kpete]

Flash: Dem accuses Bush of knowingly violating constitution on budget

Congressman writes White House: Did President knowingly sign law that didn't pass?

RAW STORY
Published: Wednesday March 15, 2006

Representative Henry Waxman (D-CA) has alleged in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Andrew CArd that President Bush signed a version of the Reconciliation Act that, in effect, did not pass the House of Representatives.

Further, Waxman says there is reason to believe that the Speaker of the House called President Bush before he signed the law, and alerted him that the version he was about to sign differed from the one that actually passed the U.S. House of Representatives. If true, this would put the President in willful violation of the U.S. Constitution.

The full text of the letter follows:

March 15, 2006

The Honorable Andrew Card

Chief of Staff

The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. Card:

On February 8, 2006, President Bush signed into law a version of the Deficit Reduction Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 2005 that was different in substance from the version that passed the U.S. House of Representatives. Legal scholars have advised me that the substantive differences between the versions - which involve $2 billion in federal spending - mean that this bill did not meet the fundamental constitutional requirement that both Houses of Congress must pass any legislation signed into law by the President.

I am writing to learn what the President and his staff knew about this constitutional defect at the time the President signed the legislation.

more at:
http://www.rawstory.com/news/2006/Congressman_writes_White_House_Did_President_0315.html

[FSogol]

1. Kicked and recommended. n/t

[rucky]

2. Looks like our Unitary Executive is at it again...

K&R


Somebody give him a blowjob so we can impeach him, already!

[aquart]

3. Sorry. It's not a blow job.

[progressoid]

9. Amen brother. Lets stick to important moral issues.

Everybody knows that "the Constitution is just a piece of paper"

[Coexist]

4. what in the world?!

[Benhurst]

5. Recommended. NT

[stop the bleeding]

6. but will Congress do anything NO, will the MSM report on this like

a blow job - HELL NO.

I'm sorry but I am at my witts end for believing in justice anymore.

We need a revolution and we need it now.

[gilpo]

7. Constitution? What Constitution?

Paraphrasing the administration's response, of course.

[Norquist Nemesis]

8. Did Radar O'Card slip something under Bush's nose?

Of course, this won't be a problem for Bush! Unconstitutional? Meh! Some low level staffer, of course, saw the "Approved by the Vice President" stamp with Cheney's initials and didn't know the difference. Andy, who is a walking zombie due to lack of sleep and the rigorous, grueling, impord'nt role he fills for the President, trusted the staff to hand him the "Right" things for signing.

Run along! Nothing to see!

[Atman]

10. Yeah, sure he broke the law AGAIN. Whatya gonna do, censure him?

Sheesh. Knee-jerk, law-loving liberals!

[magellan]

37. No censure -- de-nut Bush**! De-nut them all!!

Of course in lieu of de-nutting, I'll take censure. For a start.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Constitutional defect?

I'd have to say he has a point there.

Shrub just unilaterally changed a law from his office.

No notification, no sending it back to Congress.

This alone should be an impeachable offense, if true.

[lldu]

13. Wouldn't it be so funny.....

If this is the ONE that gets Shrubs out of the WH!
WOOHOO!

[Canuckistanian]

15. Yeah, this is an even clearer violation of the Constitution

There are no "inherent powers" involved here. It's cut-and dried. Congress makes the laws, the President signs the law, or doesn't sign the law.

He doesn't get to change that law as he sees fit.

[wryter2000]

46. It would be great

I'm not holding my breath after all the crap the press lets him get away with, though.

Welcome to DU :hi:

[file83]

42. I wonder if he had made this "mistake" before? INVESTIGATION TIME!

:popcorn: :popcorn: :popcorn:

[Dr. Jones]

12. Holey MOLEY.

This is the UMPTEENTH TIME Bush violated the Constitution. He is a DICTATOR. He feels ABOVE THE LAW. How much more blatant in your face junk must Congress and the American people endure before it's time to IMPEACH? Well that time is NOW!

NOW you weak-kneed Democrats! NOW you stubborn head in the sand criminal-enabling Constitution-trashing Repubs! WAKE UP, UGH!!!

[Just Me]

27. But, if it wasn't the bill passed, it CAN'T be law. Can it?

Why isn't it just declared null and void, and the process start over again? Or, if the Republicans won't follow constitutional dictates, take the damn thing directly to SCOTUS.

I mean, how can a law that wasn't passed by congress be law? That's impossible.

[ThomWV]

33. It Is No Law At All nt

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

14. What's another Constitutional law being broken? Biz as usual! Recommended!

[Lindsay]

16. And once more, kudos to Mr. Waxman,

who consistently does his duty to uphold the Constitution.

[file83]

43. I second that. *props* to Waxman!

[wordpix2]

17. message to criminal enablers in Congress: Do your jobs & IMPEACH the dick-

tator Bush! What are you waiting for, Bush henchmen to set the Capitol on fire?

[wordpix2]

18. K&R! Just another impeachable offense...

[katinmn]

19. Impeach the fucker already!

:mad:

[Burried News]

20. Congress? El Armbusto don't need no steeenkeein Congress.

Hail Geebush - savior of Murka

[wiggs]

21. He shouldn't forget unauthorized transfer of 700,000,000

from Afganistan to Iraq planning. This was illegal.

[leftofthedial]

22. they lie and cheat and steal full-time all the time

that's what they do

they do not "govern."

[hang a left]

23. Why is the this the first time we heard of this and.....

where can you go to view both pieces of legislation. We need a timeline on who did what. Who sent the wrong bill. Who called and spoke to whom. Can anyone think of anything else??

[hang a left]

24. This needs to be "front-paged"

[hang a left]

25. kick

[Just Me]

26. How on earth can the bill even be law, then?

If it's not the bill that was passed, it's simply not law. Right? :shrug:

[file83]

41. EXACTLY. It can NOT be law - it must be retracted.

[AuntiBush]

28. What Hasn't he Violated?

Bush and his rat-pack have far bypassed the Nixon scandals.

Good luck, Rep. Waxman. Wouldn't hold your breathe waiting for a response. Have they ever responded to any Democrat Senator and Representative's letters? I mean, really.

[Up2Late]

29. It wouldn't be the first time...

...just the first time in writing.

[hang a left]

30. ........

[file83]

40. LOL!!! *tears in eyes* LOL!!!

That is a fucking funny :rofl: PICTURE! :rofl:

Very appropriate.

[Blaze Diem]

31. Doesn't surprise me at all..Seriously now,

George didn't know or care to know the Constitution when he moved into the White House. He knows oilfield b.s. Thats It!

I doubt he's ever had a clue what presidentin is about anyway. They tell him what to say, wear, eat, and when to sign on the dotted line, He was never well versed in law nor civics.
Someone either told him to go ahead and sign it, or just plain forgot that george is still too naieve, & too dumb, even after 6 years of being president, to know the proper procedure for any presidential business..He's just there for the benefits it grants him..

Like a kid in a candy store...that's george.

Someone screwed this up..they weren't watching george that day.

[RazzleDazzle]

32. anyone doubt we're already in a dictatorship?

with just a thin veneer of constitutional democracy overlaying the top -- for show, and to keep the natives from getting a little too restless.

[Imagevision]

34. Could the Dems have merely waited Bush out? with so much coming out

in a relatively tight time frame? no, Bush just screwed up on his own on Katrina the rest though is all bad news for the chimp! I yearn for the day of impeachment proceedings to commence, yes indeed!

[Usrename]

35. Congress? We don't need no steenking Congress.

What a freeking psychopath.

[Pryderi]

36. Where would the bill have come from?

[tritsofme]

38. The conference report typed up by the House and Senate clerks

differed very slightly, and they need to be indentical.

[file83]

39. WHOA! *snap* Bush is FUCKED. That is so illegal it isn't even funny.

He signed a bill that wasn't passed by Congress! That's like a....dictatorship!

[glitch]

44. K & R all over the place. nt

[TechBear_Seattle]

45. And why is the "Liberal" media not all over this story?

Perhaps because the MSM is the lapdog of the Traitor in Chief?

As long as it isn't extramarital sex, it must be acceptable. :sarcasm:

[AbbyR]

47. Will it make any difference?

"If true, this would put the President in willful violation of the U.S. Constitution."

Apparently, no one cares. The Democrats don't say anything. The Republicans think it's great. And the MSM thinks it's not nearly as exciting as something to do with a movie star or sex, murder and mayhem.

[NanceGreggs]

48. K'd & R'd!!!

:kick:

[AndyA]

49. Kicked and recommended

Yet another instance of President Bush pissing on the Constitution.

Would someone please give this man a BJ so we can do something about his criminal behavior?

PLEASE! Pretty please? You'll be an American hero... :)

[AGENDA21]

50. Kicked and recommended