Imperial Presidency

I know I am not alone when I say it is astounding what this administration gets away with. Fear, guilt and calls to phony patriotism turns all the followers and non critical thinkers in this country into a bunch of sheeple. They allow things they would detest in any other circumstance.(especially if the evil liberals were doing precisely the same thing).

- John Dean, the White House lawyer who famously helped blow the whistle on the Watergate scandal that drove Richard Nixon from office, says the country has returned to an "imperial presidency" that is putting the United States and the world at risk."I am not sure which is more frightening," he adds, "another major terror attack or the response of authoritarian conservatives to that attack."

Well for me, I am far more worried about what is happening to our country from the inside and the lack of homeland security at HOME than I am about a terrorist attack. The country can survive a terrorist attack but it cannot survive the destruction of our constitution and democracy.

"We have an unchecked presidency."

For those of you not following along closely at home(apparently many) that means lack of congressional oversight, "unitary executive" and ignoring of the balance of powers.

His book is anchored to a discussion of authoritarianism, a school of thought that, in the simplest terms, tries to explain why some people lead and others follow. The classic authoritarian personality mostly found in men thirsts for power, is exploitive, cheats to win, opposes equality, intimidates and is mean-spirited.
This headstrong leadership style marks the current Republican right in varying degrees, he says, starting with President Bush and moving on down through the leadership ranks. The Bush White House, Dean says, has "given authoritarianism a new legitimacy."

Certainly it is safe to say that all politicians want power. It is the only way to get things done. It is what you do with it that is critical. Cheats to win? Many think so. Opposes equality? The followers especially would never admit it but when the poor and middle are fine with Exxon etc getting huge tax bonuses and are willing to give up what they earn to give it to the rich, something is askew. When they talk about how horrible the poor are and complain about helping them we have the right wing version of class warfare. It's not the traditional American way. We use to be for the underdog, now it's the aristocrats and giant corporate hotshots. Intimidates and is mean spirited? Just watch Fox News or listen to the right wing talk shows. No more explanation is needed.

In "Conservatives Without Conscience," Dean pays Bush a backhanded compliment, saying that while the president is "not a puppet" it is Vice President Dick Cheney who is the White House's dominant authoritarian. "Cheney has swallowed the presidency," Dean says.

For those of you not closely following along at home(apparently many) Cheney is President. His finger prints and personality is all over it, not Bushs'. There is also much evidence to prove this.

"My views have changed very little over the last 40 years," Dean said. "The Republican Party and conservatism have moved so far to the right that I'm now left of center.

Barry Goldwater would agree John.