"Heart of the Matter" article & the importance of Executive Orders

[texpatriot2004]

That was a terrific article by Will Pitt. This weekend I got a crash course in the importance of EO's. I had no idea how important they were. Silly me and I have been an avid DUer for quite some time. I don't know how I missed it. Thankfully, someone here pointed this out to me this weekend.

The article references an EO signed May 22, 2003 - 2003, yikes, where have I been - it was right under our noses, hidden in plain site. According to the EO and the article, HalliB was given free reign in Iraq, it was "removed from civilization" (I think that's how it was written) with that EO it no longer was subject to any legal action here and could do whatever it wanted over there and profit from it.

After reading about this, I have this nagging question. How can that be legal? It seems to me criminal and Unconstitutional...not that this matters to this evil regime, but to the rest of us it matters. Can a "pResident" create an EO that is Unconstitutional and/or illegal? Can that EO stand?

One other thing, is that the fingerprint of Chumpy? Is that where he's implicated? It would seem so eh.

Here's the link to the EO
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/05/print/20030522-15.html

Here's the link to the article
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x5077724#5078163

[texpatriot2004]

1. Anyone? n.t

[morgan2]

2. the us consititution doesn't apply to laws in another country.

It just is directing the military to ignore their activities. It can't really stop the Iraqi authorities from arresting them once they get out from under our boot.

[texpatriot2004]

3. That's not what the EO is about IMHO. Of course it doesn't apply

to Iraq's laws or their law enforcement. That's not what I am asking about the US Constitution. The point is the a "pResident" can't grant that kind of blanket opportunity to any US corporation while also eliminating any legal recourse.

[texpatriot2004]

4. Do you see my point here? nm

[texpatriot2004]

5. Who read the article? n.t

[annabanana]

9. I read it

and to me it seems like just another outrage.
A president can't just declare someone an "illegal combatant", jail him indefinately without access to a lawyer and torture him either.

[texpatriot2004]

12. That's the other EO the one dated last Friday. 10/14/05 this EO

is different.

[texpatriot2004]

6. kick for help with this.n/t

[hang a left]

10. Hi Tex,

I remember when this order was made. And I don't think that it just applies to Halliburton. If I remember right it gave immunity to any American Company that was going to be working in the oil sector. That they all had blanket immunity and could never be sued. I'll do a DU search, but I think this discussion occured on our old servers before July 2003.

[texpatriot2004]

13. Thanks. I didn't find DU until Nov. 2004 so that was B4 my time. nt

[hang a left]

15. I couldn't find it. Found alot of threads from when the Plame outing

first broke though. You know who you should ask is seemslikeadream, you might pm she has everything saved. She will be able to get you info. But yeah, they went in there from the beginning to rape and pillage....bastards.

[texpatriot2004]

16. Thanks for looking and for the tip too.nm

[atommom]

7. Kicking because this is important.

:kick:

[WilliamPitt]

8. Legally, Executive Orders stand alone

They can be overturned by other EOs, by an act of Congress, or by a decision from the high court. The latter two require legislation to be drafted or a case to be brought all the way up the judicial food chain. There is no authority to arbitrarily bag an EO except the president him/herself.

In other words, its legal until someone takes the time to say otherwise.

[texpatriot2004]

11. Wow. Even with such an outrageous action? Giving a US Corp.

one tied to your veep such free reign which removes all legal ramifications from said US corporation?

Does it seem Unconstitutional to you?

[WilliamPitt]

14. The fact that the President has the power to deliver EOs

makes it constitutional...I guess.

There have been some wacky ones in the past.

[texpatriot2004]

17. kick it for the night owls n/t