The Constitution clearly denotes the Congress as having the "power" to declare war, not the Executive Branch. That Congress has delegated this authority is a travesty. Our Congress has not declared war since the second world war in the 1940s.

This action is basically un-necessary..all that is required is to repeal ALL the un-constitutional measures passed that permit the Executive Branch to "use armed conflict" without congressional oversight.

Congress should be consulted and vote on whether it agrees?

"HOGWASH"

Only the Executive Branch - The President himself, run's his Military, not Congress.

Congress just pays for it when War is called upon.

That's all.

That's in The Constitution.

On July 3, Chief Judge Vaughn Walker of the U.S. District Court in California made a ruling particularly worthy of the nation's attention. In Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation Inc. v. Bush, a key case in the epic battle over warrantless spying inside the United States, Judge Walker ruled, effectively, that President George W. Bush is a felon.

Judge Walker held that the president lacks the authority to disregard the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA -- which means Bush's warrantless electronic surveillance program was illegal. Whether Bush will ultimately be held accountable for violating federal law with the program remains unclear.

It will take 2 decades to undue the damage that the Bush Administration and the GOP have done to the US.

Thanks for this comment
Right on.
G.W. Bush has been the worst offender of the Constitution in the White House
He has some Idea the Constitution stands in the way.

The whole State of Utah does not Recognize the Constitution in the Legislature tromping on the peoples rights.
The Judicial Branch in Utah is unruley in Utah with good ole Boy Legislation

They do not recognize
WE THE PEOPLE, and seem to think they are above the Supreme Law of the Land

All Utahn's know is the 2nt ammendment
The rest goes un noticed that needs to be taught in the schools

I saw in printed words that Utahn's do not care about the Constitution
What a sad mistake for these people of Ignorance

The Constitution gives Congress the power to declare war, but puts the President in charge once that happens. Congress is not given oversight powers by the Constitution. The power they have is the power of the purse string. They can always cut off or limit funding. I believe this is the way the framers of the Constitution intended it. There is much precedence for this in English history with the King and Parliament.

The Constitution also forbids a standing army by the federal government when war has not been declared. The states are supposed to provide the soldiers (National Guard) when needed. I don't know how well that would work today.

Perhaps congress could vote on every bullet that is fired in a war.

"violated the Constitution by infringing upon the president's right as commander in chief to protect the nation" --GWB

Um, I have a copy of the Constitution right here and I can't find anywhere that the president has the power to declare war. It doesn't even say that he has the right to protect the nation.

Can you see how many liberties we lose when the president thinks it's his job to protect us above all else? It's his job to protect our liberty, not our property.

To Tom Paine, It will take 2 years for Obama and his Dem. Congress to put us in a depression and make us no-growth,2nd rate country.

On this issue of reigning in Bush and restoring our constitutional protections and balance of power, the first thing Baker, Christopher and Congress need to do is overturn Bush's Executive Order (EO) #51, which grossly violates the Constitution. What EO #51 allows Bush to do is, if he perceives a terrorist threat or massive civil unrest by U.S. citizens due to his bad decisions,he can go entirely around the other branches of the government and declare Marshal Law. That's right! Through the Patriot Act and his many executive orders to go around the Constitution, Bush has placed himself in a position to rule independently. Perhaps we should call him King George.

Let me give you a most serious and plausible example: Bush goes in preimptively and bombs Iran, bringing the entire middle-east,us and Europe into WWIII. Gas immediaately shoots up to $10-12 per gallon. In less than a week, our economy and pretty much, the entire economy of the world collapses. There's an uprising in the U.S. Bush declares Marshal Law. You and I are gathered up and placed in PEMA camps. (By the way, I've verified it - there are numerous detention centers throughout the U.S.

Tell ya what Lee,

Why not focus on the intense problems Bush & Cheney forced on all of us before we start doing the usual Limbaugh song-and-dance bashing routine on the next administration?

The Senate finally is expected to pass a bill overhauling rules on secret government eavesdropping, completing a lengthy and bitter debate that pitted privacy and civil liberties concerns against the desire to prevent terrorist attacks.

Just as predicted. REAL America has had enough of the neoconservative we-can-do-anything-we-want policy and like the OLD America that I know and love, is bouncing back from the policy of fear and intimidation forced on us by the current neocon administration.

I find it rather interesting that McCain had no comment. You can bet Republicians, he'll continue down the exact same path as Bush. Incidently, Bush made a commitment to Israel, that he would go into Iran before he leaves office - His commitment was published in Israel's leading newspaper.

Baker, Christopher, Congress? Are you aware of Bush's intentions? Keep your eyes open! Sometime either before the general election, or if McCain is elected, between then and Jan 20th, some false flag event will occur that is blamed on Iran to give Bush the excuse to go to war.

Have you ever heard of the words "secret combinations"?

re: Way too much power, Keith -
Both excellent and salient points; I believe the article makes the point that this administration has constantly tried to dissolve the checks and balances of the three branches of government, from signing statements, executive orders to refusal to respond to subpoenas to testify before congress. These attempts at consolidation of power will hopefully end in less than 200 days without an attack on Iran.

Really, what problems would that be Anonymous 9:14am?

I see a man in GW who has desperately tried to protect his country and its citizens after the terrorist attacks of 9/11.

But let's look at the facts:

1991 Nov: Beirut University bombed
1993 Jan: terrorist attack CIA headquarters
Feb: World Trade Center bombed
1995 Jan: bin Laden's plan to blow up 12 airliners discovered.
Nov: attack on a U.S. Army office in Saudi Arabia
1996 Jun: Truck bomb at Khobar Towers
Jun: Terrorist opens fire at top of Empire State
1997 Feb: Palestinian opens fire at top of Empire State
Nov: Terrorists murder four American oil company employees in Pakistan
1998 Jan: U.S. Embassy in Peru bombed
Aug: Simultaneous bomb attacks on U.S. Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania
1999 Oct: Egypt Air flt 990 crashed off the coast of Mass
2000 Oct: suicide boat exploded next to the USS Cole
2001 Sep: Terrorists with four hijacked airplanes kill around 3,000 Americans in NY, DC and Penn.
2002 Diplomat Laurence Foley murdered in Jordan
2003 Suicide bombers killed 10 Americans at housing compounds in Saudi Arabia
2004,2005,2006,2007,2008 no successful attacks

No-Bama would procecute terrorists in courts. We've been there, done that

Doug Slater 5:31 a.m.:

"The Constitution clearly denotes the Congress as having the "power" to declare war, not the Executive Branch. That Congress has delegated this authority is a travesty."

Wrong! The Congress has not delegated the authority. The Constitution requires an oath from the president before taking office that he will "preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution." That doesn't mean he has to stand guard over a piece of paper. If a foreign nation is perceived to threaten the US Constitution in any way the president can take action... including war.

"Our Congress has not declared war since the second world war in the 1940s."

Wrong! It has declared war on the terrorists in Iraq. Read the "Resolution." A war declaration does not necessarily have to contain the words "Declare war."

"This action is basically un-necessary..all that is required is to repeal ALL the un-constitutional measures passed that permit the Executive Branch to "use armed conflict" without congressional oversight."

I can see it all now. A foreign nation attacks the US. The Congress must meet in committee for a month or two to discuss and decide. In the mean time, the enemy has blown up the Capitol.

WHAT?!? | 8:21 a.m.:

"Um, I have a copy of the Constitution right here and I can't find anywhere that the president has the power to declare war. It doesn't even say that he has the right to protect the nation."

Read the oath of the President in Article II, Section 1, Clause 7.

"Can you see how many liberties we lose when the president thinks it's his job to protect us above all else?"

If the president doesn't protect you, who will? Don't ask the Congress, they will be busy in committee discussing things like... "should Roger Clemens be reprimanded for using steroids."

"It's his job to protect our liberty, not our property."

Lose your right to own property and your loss of liberty will soon follow.

The illiterate cowboy wannabe fool we have for president, due to him accruing unlimited power during "war situations" (a war HE and Cheney designed), should resign ASAP.
In doing so, perhaps this once proud country can hold its head high once again.

How did Bush protect the United States when he signed an agreement with Pakistan that ultimately allows Bin Laden to remain free strengthening Al Queda? How did Bush protect the United States when he didn't finish the job in Afghanistan against those who attacked us on 9/11? How did Bush protect the United States when he lied to the American people about Iraq being an imminent threat and having wmd's? How did he protect the United States when he invaded Iraq, a country who has never attacked us and had nothing to do with 9/11? Bush is the most inept, unqualified president in the history of the United States, and will go down in history as such. That's why his approval rating is less than 30%, and the GOP now has him attending T ball games rather than helping his clone, McCain.

Tom Paine | 1:07 p.m.: "How did Bush protect the United States when he signed an agreement with Pakistan that ultimately allows Bin Laden to remain free strengthening Al Queda?"

Reference please, I doubt if any such document exists.

"How did Bush protect the United States when he didn't finish the job in Afghanistan against those who attacked us on 9/11?"

Finish the job? How can you finish a job when the enemy runs to Pakistan (a sovereign nation with nukes) for protection?

And who said it was the Taliban and/or Al qaeda that attacked the US on 9/11? It was Saudis from (gasp) Saudi Arabia.

"How did Bush protect the United States when he lied to the American people about Iraq being an imminent threat and having wmd's?"

The Democrats in the Senate did a fair share of the lying if lying was done. I have the list and what they said if you'd care to know.

"How did he protect the United States when he invaded Iraq, a country who has never attacked us...?"

He learned that tactic when he saw Bill Clinton preemptively attack Belgrade, Serbia.