Of course what the administration did was illegal, and of course there will be no consequences for them breaking the law. Nixon said it, but no administration lives up to it closer than the current occupants: when the president does it, that means that it is not illegal. If the president can get around the law anytime he or the secretary of defense believe that it might save a soldier’s life, then he could disregard almost any congressional restrictions on warmaking. For example, President Bush and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld surely believed that their violations of congressional statutes barring torture of prisoners would help save soldiers’ lives. It is true that the president has the duty of protecting the lives of Americans abroad and protecting U.S. soldiers. But in pursuing those objectives, he must stay within the bounds of laws enacted by Congress, whether they be laws restricting torture, or laws restricting the release of brutal terrorists. Candidate Obama understood that when he rightly criticized President Bush back in 2008. President Obama, however, often seems to forget.
Posted on: Tue, 03 Jun 2014 20:54:30 +0000
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