The real war is a war on law (and lawyers)

[ariellyn]

Heard on Sam Seder and other AAR shows that BushCo slipped in a nasty little amendment to the patriot act allowing Atty. Gen. (Gonzalez) to fire states' attorney's at his discretion without the review of Congress. They've fired seven so far--many of whom were investigating republican crimes and Gonzalez can re-appoint favorable attorneys without oversight.

Then there's the smear campaign on lawyers defending those at Guantanamo Bay--claiming that the lawyers who are defending people held without charges or trial are defending terra-ists. This puts a new spin on innocence until proven guilty or Habeus Corpus--which, oh I forgot, was also suspended.

Then there's executive privilege where the pResident claims to be able to go to war and violate the constitution by reading our mail and wiretapping our phones without having to answer to any governing body.

I know I am preaching to the choir here. This is more of a brain drain than anything else. So there it is. What do you think?

[Norquist Nemesis]

1. Phase I was the Judiciary; Phase II is the lawyers n/t

[ariellyn]

2. Sounds like the plan to a tee. n/t

[Robbien]

3. This scares me to no end and I keep wondering if anything can be done about it

The lawyers going after high level corruption are all being fired by Gonzo and in their place are lawyers who believe Presidential powers supercede laws.

Really scary.

[librechik]

4. they'll take over the country and turn it into an authoritarian paradise one way

or another.

Nazis. And we won't fight them becasue they are "Americans" and using "the Laws" (as they twisted them.

We are so screwn.

[madrchsod]

5. maybe they do`t plan to have an election?

looks like they will fire as many as they can and it`s a win- win for them in the next two years. they have done a good job implementing this purge

[The Blue Flower]

6. "First, we kill all the lawyers"

That line from "Julius Caesar" is often taken as cynical humor. What Shakespeare was actually saying was that, to establish tyranny, you first have to get rid of all of those who believe in the rule of law and who work to make sure we stick to the law. These worms are gnawing at our very foundations.

[ariellyn]

7. Isn't it amazing how little phrases like that become meaningful?

We joke back and forth by saying things like this all the time and then, one day, the true meaning becomes evident. Thanks for clearing that up for me. It's definitely not humorous any more.