If you're leary of impeachment-- read this!

[Amy6627]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melinda-henneberger/prominent-conservatives-l_b_43859.html

Four prominent conservative thinkers are set to launch a campaign "to restore checks and balances and civil liberties protections under assault by the Executive Branch," arguing that, "since 9/11, the President has acquired too much power."
Former Georgia Congressman Bob Barr, who led the effort to impeach President Clinton, is one of the organizers of the effort, called the American Freedom Agenda. Others are David Keene of the American Conservative Union, writer and conservative direct mail pioneer Richard Viguerie, and constitutional scholar Bruce Fein, who served in the Reagan administration as associate deputy attorney general.
At a 1 p.m. news conference today at the National Press Club, they will pitch a legislative package "to restore congressional oversight and habeas corpus, end torture and extraordinary rendition, narrow the President's authority to designate 'enemy combatants,' prevent unconstitutional wiretaps, email and mail openings, protect journalists from prosecution under the Espionage Act, and more."
In a statement, the four said the president "has encroached on the power of Congress to make laws, and on the power of the courts to interpret the law - a scenario that the Founding Fathers foresaw and warned against." As a result, they said, "We are issuing this call to Americans of all political and philosophical persuasions to join us in urging Congress to enact The American Freedom Agenda."
"The AFA would roll back the alarming recent concentration of power in the White House and its end runs around due process... The AFA seeks to restore America's tradition of respect for the rule of law and the benefits of dispersed as opposed to concentrated power, to redeem the principle that no man is above the law, and to prevent injustices that undermine national security."
"We are conservative scholars, activists and writers. We do not favor a crippled executive or enfeebled government. In a time of danger, checks and balances make for stronger government because the people will more readily accept a muscular authority if barriers against abuses are strong. If at some future time Congress, in turn, aggrandizes power and invades the executive or judicial domains, we will be equally alert to sound the alarm. But today, the clear and present danger to conservative philosophy is the White House."

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melinda-henneberger/prominent-conservatives-l_b_43859.html

[babylonsister]

1. Wow! If only this would get legs. Rec'd! nt

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. The link directs to Articles of Impeachment against Nixon

Is there a link to the report posted here?

Never mind. Found it here:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/melinda-henneberger/prominent-conservatives-l_b_43859.html

[Amy6627]

19. Thanks for posting the correct link! I just assumed the link went to the right place. n/t

[Vadem]

3. They are on C-Span2 right now: Bruce Fein, Bob Barr, et. al....n/t

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. lol! i j ust ca n't t ype fffast nf

[Sammy Pepys]

4. Yeah, but I doubt they'll argue for all out impeachment

I don't think encroachments of the kind they are mentioning could be found to constitute impeachable offenses.

[mahina]

5. Almost said as though the Republican party wasn't behind him

every blind step of the way. This seems like a move to distance the party from the man. You knew it was coming. But we can't let them step away from responsibility. Like it just started today- where the fuck were they?
Oh yeah, the republicans are keepers of the constitution.

ppppthhhhh Bruce Fein, you disrespectful anti-Hawaiian jackass.

[Norquist Nemesis]

6. Watching this now on CSPAN 2!

Fein has a graphic with the list of abuses of power.

[Lisa0825]

8. Of COURSE they want to restore checks and balances...

their power has peaked, and now they are on the downhill side. They want to restrict the power before a Democrat takes office in 2008.

[bahrbearian]

12. My thoughts too. eom

[truedelphi]

18. I don't care if God himself appears demanding

that we keep these powers for all future Presidencies

Wrong is wrong - and I don't want my habeus corpus omitted during some sleeze ball
Democrat's reign of terror anymore than I would want it omitted durign a Repuke's.
(Thinking of Lieberman while typing this.)

Grew up in Chicago during Mayor Daley The First's machine politics era. It is no more pleasant
to have the wheels of power out of the people's hands under a Democrat than under a Republican.

[Lisa0825]

20. Hey, I didn't say it was right....

I was just stating that the reason they want changes is because of their fear of a Democrat having the same powers. I happen to agree with you. I just wish we could do something to ensure that once the powers are restrained (while a Democrat is in office), they will not be able to so easily be expanded to this extent for the next Ruthuglican dictator-wannabe that comes along.

[Auntie Bush]

9. Fantastic! Send this to the MSM outlets...especially KO & FOX eom

Wonder what Limpballs, Hanitty and Billo will have to say about this...especially since they are ALL things that have bugged Democrats?

[Norquist Nemesis]

10. Viguerie up now

As much as I disagree with him ideologically, at least he has the foresight to recognize the real dangers and attack on the Constitution. He knows that it's not always going to be GWB or a Republican in the WH.

[Ghost in the Machine]

11. I loved the last sentence on this post... it should be headlines in every

newspaper in the country by tomorrow... but sadly, it'll never be mentioned...

"But today, the clear and present danger to conservative philosophy is the White House."


Ghost

[Norquist Nemesis]

14. Having these four speaking out like this will make headlines

It's known Conservative leaders criticizing the WH in a very public way, grassroots movement and all. They're even calling together "those from the Center and the Left" on this.

Now, I have to wonder if Hannity is going to trash them as 'unpatriotic turncoats' who have suddenly become liberals.

[truedelphi]

21. Sure hope so...

It is a great final sentence of the <snip>
"But today, the clear and present danger to conservative philosophy is the White House."

[corkhead]

13. Faced with the inevitable prospect of a Democratic occupant in the White House for years to come...

They now decide it is time to reel it in.
:nopity: :wtf:

A good way to scare a republick is to ask them to imagine what things will be like if Hillary has all the unitary executive power that has been given to the Presidency.


:rofl:

[Lisa0825]

17. Exactly. (nt)

[Terri S]

15. interesting timing

where the hell have they been the last 6 years??

[buzzard]

16. Well it looks like they might lose power now so what else is there to do.eom

[RedEarth]

22. Interesting....not quite sure what to make of it.....

I wonder if they're worried about the Democrats taking control of the White House....

[thethinker]

23. Better late than never

Many republicans are beginning to see the light.

[Morgana LaFey]

24. Hmmm

In the words of James Madison, "the accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny."
quoted by Al Gore in his speech in Jan 07
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2006/01/16/the-full-text-of-al-gore_n_13930.html


For those of you worried that they're getting concerned now that a Democratic President may take over in a bit less than 2 years, we don't want a Dem with that much power, either. Or at least I don't (and you shouldn't).

These are "real conservatives" who recognize that things are not good, and that this group in the W.H. is NOT conservative by any measure of meaning that the word used to have. They're extremists (and fascists). Support them. We MUST have a functional democracy as the Founders intended if we are to survive as a republic. It's as simple as that, and our survival is by NO MEANS assured. We are teetering on the brink as we speak.

[mtnHov]

25. the repubplikan party has run out of booze and these guys know where the dems stash is.

smooth move....fishy timing

[progressoid]

26. Of course NOW it's a problem when the WH will likely go to a Democrat.

They didn't seem to give a shit as long as a Repub was sitting in the WHouse.

[omega minimo]

27. In a sane world, impeachment wouldn't even be a question