Apparently Bush can now seize Hillary Clintons assets if he so desires. How the hell did this come to be? Well, a few days ago Bush signed a new executive order: Blocking Property of Certain Persons Who Threaten Stabilization Efforts in Iraq. Its a fantastic new order that

Allows the President to seize the property of any person who undermines efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq.

Were talking about people IN America. Yes! Now we are on a roll. The language is so broad that it actually opens up the possibility that war protesters and other candy asses who have a problem with the war could have their property confiscated. What could possibly go wrong?

Well, here are some guys who could tell us how this plan could go wrong: Asif Iqbal, Dr. Robert J. Johnson, Senator Ted Kennedy, James Moore, Jesselyn Radack, Cat Stevens, and professor Walter F. Murphy. Every single one of those good folks has found themselves on the US No Fly List. It took Senator Kennedy three weeks to get himself off the list and hes a Senator. Most people cannot get their names removed once it has been placed on the list. How long to you think it would take you to get your seized property back if you had no access to money? You would sort of need money to hire a lawyer to get your stuff back. Anyone see a problem here?

But dont worry, its not like the administration punishes people who criticize the government. Take James Moore. All he did was co-author a book called, Bush's Brain: How Karl Rove Made George W. Bush Presidential. Bam! Youre on the list, bitch. How about Jesselyn Radack? She worked for the US Department of Justice and argued that John Walker Lindh, the American Taliban, was entitled to a lawyer. Bam! Youre on the list, sister.

And how about Walter Murphy? Hes only the McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence, Emeritus, at Princeton University. Murphy had this delightful exchange at the Albuquerque airport a couple of months ago.

"I was denied a boarding pass because I was on the Terrorist Watch list," he said. When inquiring with a clerk why he was on the list, Murphy was asked if he had participated in any peace marches. "We ban a lot of people from flying because of that," a clerk said. Murphy then explained that he had not marched, but had "in September, 2006, given a lecture at Princeton, televised and put on the Web, highly critical of George Bush for his many violations of the Constitution." The clerk responded, "That'll do it."

No worries. An order that allows Bush to just take your shit should not be abused at all. Dont worry about the disturbing language of the order.

(i) to have committed, or to pose a significant risk of committing, an act or acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of:

(A) threatening the peace or stability of Iraq or the Government of Iraq; or

(B) undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform in Iraq or to provide humanitarian assistance to the Iraqi people;

(ii) to have materially assisted, sponsored, or provided financial, material, logistical, or technical support for, or goods or services in support of, such an act or acts of violence or any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order; or

(iii) to be owned or controlled by, or to have acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, directly or indirectly, any person whose property and interests in property are blocked pursuant to this order.

Undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform. Could that be any more broad? Sounds like anyone who speaks out against the war. Yesterday, Undersecretary of Defense Eric Edelman of the Pentagon, had this to say about Hillary Clinton.

"Premature and public discussion of the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq reinforces enemy propaganda that the United States will abandon its allies in Iraq, much as we are perceived to have done in Vietnam, Lebanon and Somalia," Edelman wrote.

He added that "such talk understandably unnerves the very same Iraqi allies we are asking to assume enormous personal risks."

Take all her shit! Now! Come on, if she is unnerving our Iraqi allies, then she certainly is Undermining efforts to promote economic reconstruction and political reform, right? So, take her stuff. Seize it!

I never liked the Fifth Amendment anyway. Just look at this liberal piece of garbage.

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Antiquated bullshit. So, long Fifth Amendment! Thanks for helping the terrorists.

sparaz

Lompoc, CA

November 2002

JUL 20, 2007 09:07 AM

whoa, gotta love the direction president bush has taken our country, right?

JekyllAndHyde

Baltimore, MD

April 2005

JUL 20, 2007 09:10 AM

Are... you... fucking... kidding? I think the biggest surprise for me about all this is that, somehow, beyond all reasoning, I'm still surprised.

_kungfoo_

Los Angeles, CA

April 2005

JUL 20, 2007 09:11 AM

Another small step towards Year Zero.

scylis

USA

November 2004

JUL 20, 2007 09:15 AM

KUNGFOO said:
Another small step towards Year Zero.

t-minus 14.5 years and counting.

RudieCantFail

Baton Rouge, LA

January 2006

JUL 20, 2007 09:18 AM

How is this...

SPOILERS! (Click to view)

unfiltrator

San Francisco, CA

April 2004

JUL 20, 2007 09:21 AM

Do we live in Uganda?