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On the same day he signed the Military Commission Act, George Bush also signed into law this little tidbit: John Warner Defense Act of 2007.
Here is what Senator Patrick Leahy had to say about the signing of this act into law:
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...on the 29th of September, Leahy entered into the Congressional Record that he had "grave reservations about certain provisions of the fiscal Year 2007 Defense Authorization Bill Conference Report," the language of which, he said, "subverts solid, longstanding posse comitatus statutes that limit the military's involvement in law enforcement, thereby making it easier for the President to declare martial law." This had been "slipped in," Leahy said, "as a rider with little study," while "other congressional committees with jurisdiction over these matters had no chance to comment, let alone hold hearings on, these proposals."
The Senator from Vermont noted that "the implications of changing the (Posse Comitatus) Act are enormous". "There is good reason," he said, "for the constructive friction in existing law when it comes to martial law declarations. Using the military for law enforcement goes against one of the founding tenets of our democracy. We fail our Constitution, neglecting the rights of the States, when we make it easier for the President to declare martial law and trample on local and state sovereignty."
The Senator from Vermont noted that "the implications of changing the (Posse Comitatus) Act are enormous". "There is good reason," he said, "for the constructive friction in existing law when it comes to martial law declarations. Using the military for law enforcement goes against one of the founding tenets of our democracy. We fail our Constitution, neglecting the rights of the States, when we make it easier for the President to declare martial law and trample on local and state sovereignty."
The Patriot Act equated domestic terrorism with international terrorism.
The Military Commissions Act then allowed anyone to be declared an enemy combattant and denied basic judicial rights - goodbye habeus corpus.
The John Warner Defense Act allows the President to declare Martial Law - goodbye Posse Comitatus.
Perhaps we have become so shallow as a nation we are getting only what we deserve - by the way, who did win American Idol?
