re: Extra-Constitutional powers
Where does anyone say the Constitution is suspended in time of war?
Where would be the White House and myriad speeches and press conferences around the world. The who would be Dubya and his minions. The official line is that Bush has the power to violate the law with impunity because he's declared a War on Terror and his Constitutional powers as Command-in-Chief have no limits during wartime.
1) As I said, the Constitution doesn't permit itself to be suspended during wartime, thus its requirement that the President uphold the Constitution remains in force.
2) Congress gave in and authorized Bush to invade Iraq, but it has never declared war on terror. The United States is not officially at war. Even if the Constitution allowed it, there is no wartime to justify suspension of Constitutional restrictions on Bush.
3) Even if the Constitution allowed a President to assume broader powers during wartime, the Founders would never have been so stupid as to allow a President to assume dictatorial powers simply because he himself declares that we're at war. At a minimum they'd have required a Congressional declaration of war. And that hasn't happened.
Read my lips: Bush...does...not...get..a...pass...for...breaking....the...law...just ...because ...he... makes...speeches...about...a...war...on...terror.
