Taking notice
Washington Post columnist/blogger Dan Froomkin has led the rest of the media raising concerns about President Bush's unhappy habit of signing bills into law and then issuing "signing statements" in which he outlines reasons why he won't obey or enforce the law he just signed. And Froomkin had been worried that it might be one of those stories that only Washington policy wonks even notice.
Today, Froomkin's White House Briefing happily notes that editorial writers outside The Beltway have been noticing, and writing about, this scandal. He links to some of the same examples I pointed out Monday, plus some others.
For some reason, his list of examples does not include The Salt Lake Tribune's Sunday editorial, nor columnist Barb Guy's take on the same issue.
While we're trying not to be too offended about the oversight, we'll get a kick out of the link Froomkin provided to the ever-edgy piece on The Onion, "Bush Grants Self Permission To Grant More Power To Self."
You gotta laugh, or you'll cry.
-- George Pyle
Today, Froomkin's White House Briefing happily notes that editorial writers outside The Beltway have been noticing, and writing about, this scandal. He links to some of the same examples I pointed out Monday, plus some others.
For some reason, his list of examples does not include The Salt Lake Tribune's Sunday editorial, nor columnist Barb Guy's take on the same issue.
While we're trying not to be too offended about the oversight, we'll get a kick out of the link Froomkin provided to the ever-edgy piece on The Onion, "Bush Grants Self Permission To Grant More Power To Self."
You gotta laugh, or you'll cry.
-- George Pyle
9 Comments:
I think it's hard for you guys to pat yourselves on the back for being on top of the signing statement issue. After all, Charlie Savage, of the Boston Globe broke the story on April 30, 2006, Bush challenges hundreds of laws, President cites powers of his office.
Maybe Froomkin was wondering why it took three months for papers outside the beltway to notice this story. Makes you wonder what else you're missing?
In Froomkin Online, a reader from Dallas wondered how many of those papers had endorsed Bush in 2004. He thought that was a great question, and asked readers for help tracking that down. Perhaps you should an e-mail Froomkin the Tribune's endorsement.
George W Bush has put himself above the law for the last 5 years. This is only one of many examples. The House and the Senate could put a stop to this but they do not. The Supreme court could put a stop to this but they do not.
The mainstream press could publish this abuse of power, but for 5 years they have been nearly silent.
Correct me if I am wrong, but I think the SL Tribune endorsed this criminal not once, but twice.
The most amazing thing to me is that 49% of the people in this country voted for this moreon.
Kyle Dansie
All I can say is Sieg Heil! Amerika has gotten Fuerher the have long deserved,altjough, maybe not wanted.
Froomkin on Friday had a mea culpa, sort of, and mentioned in his colum Pyle and the Tribune, thusly:
"George Pyle, an editorial writer for the Salt Lake Tribune, complains in the Tribune's editorial blog that I did not include his paper's Sunday editorial in my Wednesday column about editorials from all over the country expressing outrage about Bush's signing statements.
"The Tribune wrote: "Congress and the courts must rein in this presidential power grab. To do otherwise would be to court tyranny."
"And yes, in 2004, the Tribune endorsed Bush."
Hah!!
Taking Notice 2
This week, the Republican National Committee and their surrogates, the Swift Boaters, started a campaign to smear John Murtha and his military record. This campaign is following the pattern used to slime John Kerry and Max Cleland. If you're a Vietnam veteran, you don't dare get in the way of George W. Bush.
Several papers have already taken a stand on the tactics.
Republican activists take aim at Murtha reelection bid, Echo tactics used against Kerry in '04, By Bryan Bender, Boston Globe, August 5, 2006, Murtha is assailed for daring to speak out, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Sun, Aug. 06, 2006, and Republican off base with ugly criticism of Jack Murtha,The Daily and Sunday Review, Aug. 5, 2006.
How long will the Tribune wait before recognizing what is happening? Can we expect the Tribune to take notice?
A political commentator,H.L. Mencken,in the 20's & 30's observed, 90% of all Americans are lead around by the nose;5% acctually know what is going on;and the other 5%(politicians) are leading the 90 around by the nose.The fault,Dear Brutus is not in our politicians,but in ourselves
So because John Murtha is a vet his cut and run from Iraq policy shouldn't be questioned or "attacked"? I guess we should ignore the fact that he called some of our soldiers cold-blooded killers over a month ago, before a full investigation of the charges was complete. His support of the military, based on those 2 instances, should be questioned.
The Tribune ran an article on the killing of civilians by the Marines on Aug. 2, 2006, Nearly complete Haditha investigation supports accusations against Marines, which stated, "WASHINGTON - Evidence collected on the deaths of 24 Iraqis in Haditha supports accusations that U.S. Marines deliberately shot the civilians, including unarmed women and children, a Pentagon official said Wednesday."
Murtha is being attacked because of his criticism of President Bush and the conduct of the Iraq war, not because of what he said about Haditha. The Tribune was three months late with the Bush signing statement story, and the question is whether they the attacks on Jack Murtha is worthy of coverage?
Thanks for referencing the Onion, I had forgotten about this funny, often on the point little "newspaper". Otherwise, I cringe when I read the SL Tribune, and rail against the columnists and editorialists. They want to be on both sides of an issue as often as they can, just like a politician (oh wait, like a business? Is this an epiphany for some of you?).
I guess these are the shadow's we're forced to see from inside the cave.
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