Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), September 12, 2008:
It is a sad fact, as we approach Constitution Day next week, that for the past seven and a half years, and especially since 9/11, the Bush administration has treated the Constitution and the rule of law with a disrespect that I think we've never seen before in the history of this country. By now the public can be excused for being almost numb to new revelations to government wrongdoing and overreaching.
Former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI), September 12, 2008:
I certainly was there for so many of the abuses, and was frustrated by the lack of congressional spine to stand up to this administration, particularly some of the veteran members of Congress who'd been there for years and years, and worked so hard to build this country to the status that we enjoyed at the turn of the century. I don't have a good answer for why that is; I guess we're all culpable - media, Congress, citizens alike - for not expressing more outrage.
It has been a tough few years for "We the People," as Sen. Russell Feingold (D-WI) and former Sen. Lincoln Chafee (R-RI) noted Friday on a teleconference held by Common Cause. The Bush administration has sidestepped the rule of law, thumbed its nose at congressional oversight and attempted to overwhelm the separation of powers, leaving our Constitution - as well as our democracy and our standing in the world - on a precipice.
September 17 is Constitution Day, the anniversary of the first signing of that sacred founding document 221 years ago, a critical moment not only to relearn the content of the Constitution, but to fight for it - to make sure that its laws and values do not continue to erode.
Fired U.S. attorneys, warrantless wiretaps, government-sanctioned torture, "executive privilege" - how did we get here?
Bloomsburg University Democracy Matters Team
St. Francis University Democracy Matters Team
In scores of campuses across the country this month students celebrate the U.S. Constitution. Through educating their peers on the importance of understanding it and how they can live as active citizens these student leaders are building a movement towards greater civic participation in their generation. Common Cause and Democracy Matters are working together to give young people the tools and support they need to make an impact in how politics will affect their lives. Organizing speaking events with faculty and guest speakers on the importance of what they're doing, a few students have been the headline acts on campuses I have been visiting this week. At Bloomsburg University and St. Francis University, both in rural and small town PA hundreds of other students have stopped by to talk about politics and to register to vote. To learn more or to get involved yourself email
istorrar@commoncause.org.
Remember those FBI agents who searched the Congressional office of Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA)? Remember the uproar that ensued from Congressional leaders of their rights and separation of powers?
I admit that I was skeptical of their argument at the time, but this news puts it in a new light. Snarky post title aside, if this reported FBI behavior is true, then Members may be well within their rights to claim that the whole search was mishandled.
FBI agents who raided the office of Rep. William J. Jefferson (D-La.) last month threatened to pick the lock on the door after the acting U.S. Capitol Police chief asked them to hold off until a congressional lawyer showed up, according to a document filed in U.S. District Court.
The DOJ's response?
A Justice Department official, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the case, said last night that the suggestion that "a target of a criminal investigation be informed before a search takes place is a nonstarter. That clearly places a congressman above the law."
This is turning out to be quite the developing story. We'll keep you posted on the latest back-and-forth between the Justice Department and Congress.
Common Blog
