Bush Can Order Killing of"Terror" 'Suspects'

To the Bush Administration, a president who acts in the name of national security has extreme powers.

From an article by Mark Hosenball in the Feb. 13, 2006 issue of Newsweek:

Move Left: ", a Justice Department official suggested that in certain circumstances, the president might have the power to order the killing of terrorist suspects inside the United States.

Steven Bradbury, acting head of the department's Office of Legal Counsel, went to a closed-door Senate intelligence committee meeting last week to defend President George W. Bush's surveillance program. During the briefing, said administration and Capitol Hill officials (who declined to be identified because the session was private), California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein asked Bradbury questions about the extent of presidential powers to fight Al Qaeda; could Bush, for instance, order the killing of a Qaeda suspect known to be on U.S. soil? Bradbury replied that he believed Bush could indeed do this, at least in certain circumstances."
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The Bush Administration has taken the authorization-for-war-in-Afghanistan and the Commander-in-Chief clause of the Constitution to nullify practically any limit n presidential power.

The problem is that it wasn't the intent of Congress to give Bush the powers of a dictator when it authorized war, nor was it the intent of the Framers to give the president dictatorial powers.

The Constitution gives Congress the power "To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water."

Amanda Marcotte writes of the Bush Administration position, "I do believe the phrase is 'judge, jury and executioner.' Nothing more American than that."

If officials suspect a man in the US is a member of Al Qaeda and about to attack, officials should proceed with an arrest and a trial. Not by murdering the suspect

Action Alert

What are the certain circumstances under which Bush official Steven Bradbury thinks Bush can order people in the US killed?

He should have to answer that question to Congress.

Please contact your Rep. and Senators and request that Jutice Department official Steven Bradbury be ordered to testify.

You can contact the offices of your representatives and leave a message by entering his or her last name on the top-left of www.vote-smart.org.

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Bush laughs as he signs a bill to hurt injured people and protect corporations, the so-called "Class Action Fairness Act."

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ABC plays the FAUX News game

But ABC last night called George W. Bush's goals "America's Agenda:"

Despite President Bush's approval ratings hovering in the low 40s...ABC posted onscreen text reading "America's Agenda" beneath an image of Bush while anchor Elizabeth Vargas introduced ABC correspondent George Stephanopoulos's preview of the 2006 State of the Union address on the January 31 edition of World News Tonight.

Bush's agenda isn't "America's Agenda."

It sure as hell isn't mine. I want more low-cost housing. A federal budget surplus. An end to indecency fines for radio broadcasts. Accountability in Iraq. For the rich to pay more into Social Security. Limits on outsourcing. Less compensation for Fortune 500 CEOs. And many other things the Bush Administration isn't striving for.

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http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Linguistics-and-Philosophy/24-00Fall-2005/Readings/index.htm

1	Introduction
Reason To Believe: Does God Exist?
2	Existence of God: Ontological Argument	Feinberg, Joel, and Russ Shafer-Landau. "Part I: Introduction." (RR: 2) Anselm, St. "The Ontological Argument." From Proslogium. (RR: 6) Gaunilo of Marmoutiers. "On Behalf of the Fool." (RR: 8) Rowe, Wm. "The Ontological Argument." (RR: 11)
3	Problem of Evil I	Dostoevsky, Fyodor. "Rebellion." From The Brothers Karamazov. (RR: 79) Johnson, B. C. "God and the Problem of Evil." (RR: 85) Swinburne, Richard. "God and the Problem of Evil." (RR: 89)
4	Problem of Evil II	Russell, Bruce. "The Problem of Evil: Too Much Suffering." In Introduction to Philosophy. Edited by Louis P. Pojman. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2004. ISBN: 0195171500.
5	Pascal's Wager	Pascal, Blaise. "The Wager." (RR: 114) Blackburn, Simon. "Miracles and Testimony." (RR: 118)

http://www.advancednutrientsmedical.ca/wiseuse.php

http://www.thecancerblog.com/2006/04/28/educated-information-about-medical-marijuana/

http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Linguistics-and-Philosophy/24-00Fall-2005/LectureNotes/index.htm

Reason To Believe: Does God Exist?
2	Existence of God: Ontological Argument (PDF)
3	Problem of Evil I (PDF)
4	Problem of Evil II (PDF)
5	Pascal's Wager (PDF)
Rationality and Belief
6	Ethics of Belief: Evidentialism v. Pragmatism (PDF)
7	Racism and Belief (PDF)
8	Stereotypes and Belief (PDF)
9	Scientific Reason or Scientific Faith? (PDF)
10	More on Science and Faith (PDF)
Mind and Body
11	The Mind-Body Problem (PDF 1) (PDF 2)
12	Consciousness and Felt Experience
13	Materialist Options
14	Robots and Functionalism (PDF)
Freewill, Determinism, and Responsibility
15	Hard Determinism (PDF)
16	Compatibilism I (PDF)
17	Compatibilism II (PDF)
18	Libertarianism (PDF)
Morality and Right Conduct
19	Moral Variation Across Cultures (PDF)
20	Utilitarianism (PDF)
21	Ethical Egoism (PDF)
22	Famine (PDF)
23	Kantianism
24	Famine, Virtue and Duty
25	Moral Luck
26	Just War Theory
27	Final lecture