Forever President for a forever war?

By Libby

I hate being right about bad stuff. I've been warning for years now that the Bush administration's underlying agenda from the beginning has been to install a totalitarian government, putting themselves in charge forever. The warning signs have been there all along for those willing to see.

Every step this White House has taken has had the express purpose of abolishing due process and undermining the rule of law. The Patriot Act, domestic surveillance, datamining, the power to designate enemy combatants and hold them indefinitely without charge, secret rendition, the normalization of torture, the unitary executive theory, the abuse of signing statements, the "state's secrets" defenses and the loading of entire Justice system from the local courts to SCOTUS with GOP operatives have all taken us baby steps closer to the realization of the neo-con dream of imperial power.

Then they got serious.

In October 2006, Bush signed into law the John Warner National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007. Quietly slipped into the law at the last minute, at the request of the Bush administration, were sections changing important legal principles, dating back 200 years, which limit the U.S. government's ability to use the military to intervene in domestic affairs. These changes would allow Bush, whenever he thinks it necessary, to institute martial law--under which the military takes direct control over civilian administration.

Now, via Maha, who adds some relevant analysis of the legalese, comes the keystone of their plan. The invaluable White House watcher, Charlie Savage at the Boston Globe reports on the latest sneaky little trick. At the beginning of this month, Bush authorized a new "doomsday plan" to be activated in the event of a national emergency.

The policy broadly defines a "catastrophic emergency" -- the triggering event for the plan -- as "any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions."

A definition that broad could include an ice cream shortage in Manhattan in August and the policy gives Bush wide discretion to decide if such an event constitutes an emergency.

This sudden shift has raised alarm even with such incurable neo-cons as Chief SwiftBoater Jerome Corsi.

When the president determines a catastrophic emergency has occurred, the president can take over all government functions and direct all private sector activities to ensure we will emerge from the emergency with an "enduring constitutional government."

Translated into layman's terms, when the president determines a national emergency has occurred, the president can declare to the office of the presidency powers usually assumed by dictators to direct any and all government and business activities until the emergency is declared over.

What this policy doesn't include is any reference to "statutes in which Congress has imposed checks and balances on the president's power to impose martial law or other extraordinary measures." In other words it cuts Congress right out of the picture and gives Bush authority not only to decide when and if to declare martial law but also to decide when it should end.

Critics of the plan, whom I would think should include just about everyone except the hard-core dead-enders that still support the Madman at 1600 Penn Ave, ask why the policy was enacted without any public announcement or input.

White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said that because of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the American public needs no explanation of such plans.

I've said this many times and I'll say it again. Facism doesn't hit like a sledgehammer. It creeps in like the fog, or in this case under the cover of the fog of the so-called war on terror. That would be the war they tell us will never end.

Think about it and then ask yourself what you would do if Bush suspends elections and refuses to leave office.