Yet another reason for censure, if not impeachment

Did you know that when The Occupant signed the renewal of the Patriot Act, he added a written statement:

'The executive branch shall construe the provisions . . . that call for furnishing information to entities outside the executive branch . . . in a manner consistent with the president's constitutional authority to supervise the unitary executive branch and to withhold information . . . "

Congress can make laws governing law enforcement or torture, but The Occupant gets to decide whether government agencies in the executive branch have to follow them.

If you remember your high school civics, you know that we have three co-equal branches of government. W's position is a usurpation of the legislative and judicial powers to make laws and to decide whether those laws are consistent with the constitution. In other words, he's disregarding the constitution.

Bush has said before that the constitution is "just a goddamned piece of paper" and we should "stop throwing it at" him.

Should a man with this attitude ever have been president? If folks had known in November 2004 what we know today, he would never have been "re-elected". Amazing, isn't it, how far spin, smoke and mirrors can take us?

Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.) has the right idea: impeachment. Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) has an idea that may be more likely to fly: censure. If you missed his eloquent explanation on the Daily Show, you can see it here.

The Senate Judiciary Committee will hold a hearing next Friday.