First Bush wants your E-mail, now First Class Post Office Mail Too. Welcome to the USSA

Published on January 5th, 2007

Beria would be proud

Statement May Allow Gov’t to Open Mail | Chicago Tribune — What? Are we living in a Gulag where everything is scrutinized, censored, examined? This is horrible.This is the fastest way to build a dossier on anyone.

WASHINGTON — A signing statement attached to postal legislation by President Bush last month may have opened the way for the government to open mail without a warrant. The White House denies any change in policy.

The law requires government agents to get warrants to open first-class letters. But when he signed the postal reform act, Bush added a statement saying that his administration would construe that provision “in a manner consistent, to the maximum extent permissible, with the need to conduct searches in exigent circumstances.”

“The signing statement raises serious questions whether he is authorizing opening of mail contrary to the Constitution and to laws enacted by Congress,” said Ann Beeson, an attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union. “What is the purpose of the signing statement if it isn’t that?”

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# 1 Grrr said, on January 5th, 2007 at 11:56 am

And “So much for liberals protecting privacy in America,” too. Legislators with any backbone would slap down this whole “signing statement” wickedness. One has to wonder what other advantage or benefit makes them unwilling to do so…

# 2 John Hummel said, on January 5th, 2007 at 12:03 pm

@Grrr – give them a bit, they only just got into office. It’s going to take a bit before the Legislative branch can start doing it’s job again (providing checks and balances and real review of things rather than blank checks – and the same of the executive).

But I would like to see them start investigating the Patroit Act and other events, and when people start with the “You’re not making America safe”, enter evidence of overruns at border stops, failed Iraq policy, oh, and that guy bin Laden who’s still on the loose and evidently *not* in the country that we’re most worried about right now.

# 3 John said, on January 5th, 2007 at 12:05 pm

#1,
The problem is id they passed a bill to stop it either
a) Bush would veto
or if he felt congress had enough votes to override it, he would sign it with a signing statement saying that he understands this to not apply to him.

The only way to stop the executive branch from violating the law and/or not enforcing the law is for the other branches to prosecute them. That is the House impeach the Executive Officers that they have the authority to, the Senate Try them. The Supreme Court hear cases against the practices of the executive and rule against the executive.

Its possible for all this to take place, but the chances are slim, and as long as the current Administration feels they can do whatever they want, disregard the constitution and the laws lawfully passed under it, and not get punished they will. But they will also be the first to complain if their successors have different political views and try to evoke the same amount of power and disrespect the other branches of Government and the laws.

# 4 JT said, on January 5th, 2007 at 12:43 pm

The attack on America by Al Qaeda was not on 9/11. That was just the catalyst to instigate a bigger attack on our civil liberties. Now they just have to sit back and watch us destroy ourselves from within.

# 5 malren said, on January 5th, 2007 at 1:41 pm

For the umpteenth million time – Bush. Is. Not. A. Conservative.

He’s not even a Republican.

# 6 tallwookie said, on January 5th, 2007 at 2:17 pm

yeah ok that sucks an all, but how the hell are they supposed to inspect ALL the mail??!? think how much mail i sent – lol like the Unabomber – and HOW long did it take to track his ass down?

Useless fucking government

# 7 Gig said, on January 5th, 2007 at 2:30 pm

Didn’t have this post yesterday? Or is all the Bush bashing really starting to look alike?

# 8 Childish Personal Attacker said, on January 5th, 2007 at 2:36 pm

What about UPS and FedEx? I know it says first class mail but why stop there? I understand that FedEx is the world’s largest drug dealer, they just don’t know it.

# 9 Aaron said, on January 5th, 2007 at 4:27 pm

I think JCD was right when he said this will most likely be used to “move markets”. Think of it as an incentive of enrichment for those in power.

# 10 MikeN said, on January 5th, 2007 at 10:04 pm

At least you actually posted the signing statement this time instead of all the hysteria commentary descriptions. That’s a pretty straightforward statement, and completely in line with what the president should do.

Offhand question, do you guys support John Ashcroft’s decision to not let the FBI look through gun purchase records for the names of 9/11 hijackers? This could potentially have found the names of others associated with them. However, the gun records were not intended to be a registry of gun purchases, so Ashcroft said no.

# 11 Mr. Fusion said, on January 5th, 2007 at 10:09 pm

#5, For the umpteenth million time – Bush. Is. Not. A. Conservative.
He’s not even a Republican.
Comment by malren — 1/5/2007 @ 1:41 pm

Of course, he is a compassionate conservative. That automatically disqualifies him from being a Republican. Even though he gained the Republican nomination and holds a valid membership in the Republican Party.

Hey, I thought your mother told you a million times NOT to exaggerate.

# 12 noname said, on January 5th, 2007 at 10:58 pm

Yes Beria would be proud and fit right in GW administration. 9/11 shouldn’t be used as an excuse to turn America into a police state.

Anyway, I don’t think this is about 9/11, Bush was born with a silver spoon up his end, and never really had to depend on common people, those outside of his families circle. Everything he hasn’t accomplished has been given to him. So he doesn’t believe or see value in the average Joe 6-pack American. That’s why even while campaigning he can only meets people on a prearranged basis. He is really not the aferable Texan he portrays himself as.

The only legacy this dufus will have is as a self-centered A-Hole.

# 13 Dallas said, on January 6th, 2007 at 6:17 am

Now for the good news !! …Less than 2 years left !! Can we make it?

Can the Democrats and Libertarians stop the deterioration of our civil rights by the Republican Party?

Is it time to fight the republicans in the streets? YES !! Afraid of their obnoxiously large suburban McMansions, SUV Hummers, and fat wives?

Don’t be !! It’s an illusion – those big homes are made of particle board and plaster. Hummers break down off road – you can get them there. Defeat their fat wives by burning down the Cheesecake factory and get Oprah on our side – they will fall apart.

# 14 Vaslo said, on January 6th, 2007 at 8:35 am

Chicken Little, the sky is falling. God forbid our government go after terrorists.

It won’t change with the next administration either, democrat or republican, so get over it.

# 15 noname said, on January 6th, 2007 at 3:20 pm

#14 You sound like a paid government stodge, I guess you don’t see the hypocrisy with how Bush Bush doesn’t trust the American public.

Do you think our Government can last another 200yrs with this crap?

# 16 noname said, on January 6th, 2007 at 3:35 pm

#14, Wrong, the sky has already fallen, oh the hypocrisy

“Our” government wants to track our mail, e-mail, and phone conversations, meanwhile the Government has sealed a once available White house visitor logs and hide behind executive privilege. We lost the Bill of Rights and gained a police state. How could you think anything else?

Hopefully the next administration will change this back to a more open government.

# 17 Greg Allen said, on January 7th, 2007 at 11:43 pm

#5 >>For the umpteenth million time – Bush. Is. Not. A. Conservative.

But he is. You can say he isn’t a Goldwater conservative but that was then and this his now. Bush is a conservative. My conservative friends have argued for years that he is the best-kind of conservative.

The vast majority of American conservatives strongly supported every major initiative Bush took, with the first sign of stress over immigration reform. It is very hard to claim that Bush does not represent (modern) conservatism.

Saying “Bush is not a real conservative” is akin to Muslims who say “bin Laden is not a real Muslim”… and then consider the issue settled.

Real or not, both men are supported by large constituencies who consider themselves true conservatives or Muslims, respectively.

# 18 Greg Allen said, on January 8th, 2007 at 4:48 am

#1 And “So much for liberals protecting privacy in America,” too. Legislators with any backbone would slap down this whole “signing statement” wickedness

How can you blame the liberals? — especially since they have controlled congress for all of three days!

But I don’t think the legislative branch can do very much to stop the executive from declaring “no laws apply to me.”

I’m pretty sure that only the courts can rule on this kind of thing — and I think it will probably come to that. Of course, the conservatives will howl “kill the liberal judges” if the courts rule against the Bush administration.

The Bush Administration, if true to form, will counter the Supreme Court with blatant noncompliance.

Then the only redress is impeachment but after the blow-job impeachment clown show, few of us Americans have any energy for another impeachment, even though this is a much more worthy issue.

So, I predict we’ll just live with this Bush mess.

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