Give me my Habeas Corpus back, YOU SONUVABITCH!

[Knief]

video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5517942312906824233

Bye bye, constitution. *wave*

[bignaz]

messed up.

[Mini-Matt (Achilles)]

No, he shouldn't be able to do this... It completely goes against the constitution.

I'm starting to sence a "Red Scare" of this era...

[Jumprefusal]

I can see the sense of it, but I agree it shouldn't have happened. Granted I doubt it is going to affect the average citizen, but I'm sure somebody somewhere is going to get jacked. Sucks to be a Muslim in the US right about now.

[overkill0001]

meh, fine with me. It won't affect me and it will help catch terrorists. Right?

[OaKeY]

Goodbye the progress we made in the last 300 years, we are now basiclly under a presidential dictatorship. I used to support Bush, but now I don't know anymore.

[D.]

Echo...apparently you know what Habeas Corpus is but you don't know our law making process...
One.
President Bush is not solely responsible he is but one of 486 who take part in this process.
Two.
We are under a System of Checks and Balances. When the law is challenged, it is then up to 9 other people, The Supreme Court Justices, to decide whether or not the Law is illegal or legal.
Three. and finally
The right to vote, Mid-Term elections are coming up, you can vote., and if you aren't 18, then the U.S doesn't care about your opinion.

I myself am against this bill, the way it's worded...it's too broad. That video too is kinda shitty, it's very liberal/one-sided, you can tell easily, but this coming from Knief...it's to be expected. I just don't like how everyone blames Bush, when so many others are to blame for the situation. You could of stopped this in 2004, you'll get your chance in 06...if you are 18+

Also Keith Olbermann is a jackass, he's an Edward R. Murrow Wanna-be, that goes for Bill O'Reilly as well.

[OaKeY]

Sorry that I mis-understood. I take back my comment about the presidential dictactorship. I have very limited knowledge on the bill, only what I could gather from the internet. And I totaly forgot about checks and balances.

[Gestapo]

I'm sure intentions are good for Mr. Bush, But it could easily be misused. People sending angry letters to the whitehouse could now be arrested and exicuted without anyone ever knowing.

[OaKeY]

Me-"Hey guy's where has Knief been in the last couple of days?"

Stapo-"The last time I saw him he was sending a letter at the post office..."

[Knief]

Echo, while bush didn't single handedly draft the bill, he does have ultimate power over whether or not it gets ratified. He could have vetoed it. Of course, if gives him more power, and we know that Bush is as power hungry as they come, so why would he veto it? What it does do, though, is give him and the secretary of defense ultimate power over who can be considered an "unlawful enemy combatant," and thus, who can be detained indefinitely without trial.

Gestapo,
A 16th century proverb once said, "The road to hell is paved with good intentions."

[Dutton]

Yes, the President *can* veto bills, there are 2 ways in which he can do so. But, after vetoing, the bill will go back to Congress (where it was already once passed), and requires 2/3 vote in both the House and Senate, which would then override the president's veto.

For those of you that don't know, and blame the president for every law you don't favor, here's the process a bill goes through to become a law:
1. Bill is placed in the hopper
2. Bill is printed and distributed to law makers
3. Bill is given a number and title
4. Bill is sent to appropriate committee, which then is sent to appropriate subcommittees (where is then can be pigeonholed)
5. The committee can then kill the bill
6. Full committee hearings are scheduled
7. After hearings, bill is marked up
8. After mark up, committee votes to report the bill
9. If favorable, a report of the bill is written
10. Bill sent to the rules committee
11. Scheduled for debate in the house
12. Floor debate takes place
13. Amended on the House floor
14. Voted on in House
15. House passes bill and send it to the Senate (where a similar process occurs)
16. *IF* the bill passed by the House is different than that of the Senate, it is sent to a conference committee
17. Bill passed in both Houses and is sent to the President
18. The president then has 4 choices
a. Sign it
b. Keep the bill 10 days while Congress is in session, which then will become a law with his/*her* signature
c. Veto the bill
d. Pocket veto the bill

[Knief]

Dutton, I realize that the bill gets sent back to congress once vetoed, but it has to pass by a greater margin the second time through (66% as opposed to >50%). Furthermore, even if the bill were to be ratified the second time through, Bush trying to veto a bill that extends his powers would be a very symbolic message. I'd be far less afraid of somebody who was unwillingly given power than somebody who wanted it.

[Gestapo]

" I'm just a bill... ya I'm only a bill......"

Well.. for right now Knief, Bush has nothing to lose. Everyone already stomped on whatever dignity he had, and Ann Arbor ate what was left (fuckin hippies).

[Dutton]

I'm not trying to show supoprt of Bush or anything, I'm just saying that this bill passed through the eyes of the 435 voting House members, and the 100 members of Senate (Damo's number is a little off), before it even reached his table. What many people don't realize is that yes President Bush could have vetoed the bill; however, he didn't, but this bill also was not passed soley because of him, but because out of the 535 members of Congress, at least 268 members in addition to him felt this bill was appropriate.