Ted Kennedy Addresses the Role of Congress to Challenge Executive Power

[kerrygoddess]

Ted Kennedy Addresses the Role of Congress to Challenge Executive Power
March 18th, 2006 @ 8:38 pm

Senator Ted Kennedy gave a speech earlier today on the role of Congress to challenge Executive Power. A copy of the text was provided to The Democratic Daily. Remarks as prepared for delivery at the University of Virginia School of Law:

{snip}

But I can remember no time in my life when it has been as important as it is today for the Senate to serve as a check on the Executive Branch. The administration has seized upon the 9/11 attacks and their aftermath to assert powers that no President has ever had, and take actions that the Senate must not leave unchallenged:

- President Bush opposed congressional efforts to investigate the governmental failures that contributed to the 9/11 tragedy.

- The Administration gave Congress faulty intelligence and incomplete and misleading information, when Congress voted to authorize the war in Iraq.

- The President continues to claim unlimited power to hold detainees indefinitely and incommunicado – and created military tribunals rather than deferring to the courts.

- He approved policies authorizing torture and inhumane treatment of detainees in violation of federal law and military rules and traditions, and he refused to come clean with the Congress when facts and documents began to show the actual abuses that occurred.

- Today we’re embroiled in the debate over the President’s claimed powers as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces to authorize massive warrantless electronic surveillance of American citizens here at home, without complying with the statutory requirement of judicial approval.

Together, these and other actions demonstrate the Administration’s clear rejection of the Constitution’s demand for a balance of powers among the branches of government. They suggest an arrogance in the White House that betrays the rule of law that is central to our constitutional structure.

FULL SPEECH - http://blog.thedemocraticdaily.com/?p=2338

[Drum]

1. Excellent!

Kick & recommend!

:kick:

[texpatriot2004]

2. Kennedy is right, the Cover-Up Congress is in violation of their

Constitutional Oath and their Constitutional duty to provide oversight.

[MannyGoldstein]

3. So Why is He Evading Censure?

Kennedy voted to censure Clinton - so why is he not in favor of censuring Dubai W? Same goes for Kerry, my other spineless senator.

[kerrygoddess]

4. Has he released a statement saying he is?

No he hasn't. You're assuming because certain senators have not released statements one way or another that they are avoiding this. Better not to assume anything - isn't it?

[texpatriot2004]

5. Yes, it's better not to assume anything nm

[Pryderi]

9. Does his silence on Censure speak volumes??

[IndyOp]

7. Voting for censure for Clinton was a way to *end* the nightmare -

to avoid impeachment. Voting for censure for Bush is a way of moving toward impeachment - since we can't impeach him with a majority Rethug Congress.

Censuring Clinton and Censuring Bush - totally different actions.

:hi:

On Edit: Those of us stuck in freaking Red States with freaking Bushbot Senators like Lugar and freaking Congressmen like Sodrel weary of hearing y'all complain about your Blue State activist Senators and Congressmen as being spineless. Lugar's got a spine and he used it to lead us right into Iraq and now is working overtime to keep us there.

[TayTay]

8. That's funny.

Kennedy and Kerry spineless in the face of this Admin. That's funny.

[texpatriot2004]

6. "...arrogance in the White House that betrays the rule of law..."

well said Senator Kennedy