Bush the Dictator

LAW OF THE LAND
Bush grants presidency extraordinary powers
Directive for emergencies apparently gives authority without congressional oversight

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Posted: May 23, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

President Bush
President Bush has signed a directive granting extraordinary powers to the office of the president in the event of a declared national emergency, apparently without congressional approval or oversight.
The "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive" was signed May 9, notes Jerome R. Corsi in a WND column.
It was issued with the dual designation of NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive.

The directive establishes under the office of the president a new national continuity coordinator whose job is to make plans for "National Essential Functions" of all federal, state, local, territorial and tribal governments, as well as private sector organizations to continue functioning under the president's directives in the event of a national emergency.

"Catastrophic emergency" is loosely defined as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

Corsi says the president can assume the power to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over.
The directive says the assistant to the president for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism, currently Frances Fragos Townsend, would be designated as the national continuity coordinator.

Corsi says the directive makes no attempt to reconcile the powers created for the national continuity coordinator with the National Emergency Act, which requires that such proclamation "shall immediately be transmitted to the Congress and published in the Federal Register."

A Congressional Research Service study notes the National Emergency Act sets up Congress as a balance empowered to "modify, rescind, or render dormant" such emergency authority if Congress believes the president has acted inappropriately.

But the new directive appears to supersede the National Emergency Act by creating the new position of national continuity coordinator without any specific act of Congress authorizing the position, Corsi says.

The directive also makes no reference to Congress and its language appears to negate any requirement that the president submit to Congress a determination that a national emergency exists.

It suggests instead that the powers of the directive can be implemented without any congressional approval or oversight.

Homeland Security spokesman Russ Knocke affirmed to Corsi the Homeland Security Department would implement the requirements of the order under Townsend's direction.

The White House declined to comment on the directive.

 

Good move on the part of the Pres.

 

You like our government doing things in secret? Bush is totally evil. We don't need a dictator.

 

Although Bush wouldn't commit the deeds Hitler did, this is pretty much the enabling act of the Weimar.

 

???????? Presidents cant give themselves authority. They can only exercise the authority they already have.
Laughable to equate with the enabling act of the Weimar. MARK

 

Well you read through the National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive properly and the powers it gives the government and tell me its not similair.

 

Its not similiar. MARK

 

it's incredibly similar.

 

I'm sorry, but WND has never been a reliable source of information. They spin far too many conspiracy theories.

 

If I'm the Muslim apologist, would that make you the Bush apologist?

 

Im just stating the law. MARK

 

The president can issue rules, regulations, and instructions called executive orders, which have the binding force of law upon federal agencies but do not require congressional approval.

 

Correct, power he already has. Congress gave him those powers when they created the agencies. MARK

 

Incorrect. The president can issue new binding legal orders over federal agencies.

 

I meant no offense, only jest.

Okay, maybe a little offense Hopefully you didn't take it personally.