What I'd like

So, my favorite blogger posted a list of what he wants out of the candidate who is to be the recipient of his vote in the '08 Presidential election. Its quite good. The criteria I particularly like are:

• Restoration of Habeus corpus;
• Repeal of NSPD-51, a directive signed by the current President that empowers the Executive to legally seize all powers of government;
• Cessation or severe curtailment of the use of Signing Statements;
• Cessation of all extralegal activities of the Executive Branch with regard to FISA;
• Cessation of all extralegal or otherwise inhuman methods of treatment of captured "enemy combatants";
• Assertion that the Vice-Presidency is in the Executive Branch;
• Refusal to grant pardons in which they have a vested interest;

The other three on the list are totally valid, but these seven truly float my boat. In the past, I have pondered the next executive to hold the office of President and the powers they will inherit. What Checkypantz has done is to remind me of this and make me wonder why no journalists are asking questions about this stuff. Seriously. Habeas corpus, NSPD-51, Signing Statements, FISA and the actual place of the office of the Vice President in government have all been major stories over the last seven years and have total relevance and bearing on the next President to hold office. So why aren't the candidates being vetted on such issues?

These questions need to be asked and definitive answers need to be given from all the candidates. Over the last eight years, the American people have let too much slide with regards to their rights and governance. That has to stop and the effort begins with this election.

The Paks Are In The Lead

From Friday's (9/15/06) press conference w/ President Bush.

QUESTION: ... Mr. President.Earlier this week, you told a group of journalists that you thought the idea of sending special forces to Pakistan to hunt down bin Laden was a strategy that would not work.

BUSH: Yes.

QUESTION: Now recently, you've also...

BUSH: Because, first of all, Pakistan is a sovereign nation.

QUESTION: Well, recently, you've also described bin Laden as a sort of modern day Hitler or Mussolini. And I'm wondering why, if you can explain, why you think it's a bad idea to send more resources to hunt down bin Laden wherever he is.

BUSH: We are, Richard. Thank you. Thanks for asking the question. They were asking me about -- somebody report -- well, you know, your special forces here. Pakistan -- if he is in Pakistan, which this person thought he might be who was asking me the question -- Pakistan's a sovereign nation. In order for us to send thousands of troops into a sovereign nation, we've got to be invited by the government of Pakistan. Secondly, the best way to find somebody who is hiding is to enhance your intelligence and to spend the resources necessary to do that. And then when you find him, you bring him to justice. And, you know, there is a kind of an urban myth here in Washington about how this administration hasn't stayed focused on Osama bin Laden. Forget it. It's convenient throw-away lines, you know, when people say that. We have been on the hunt, and we'll stay on the hunt until we bring him to justice. And we're doing it in a smart fashion, Richard, we are. And I'll look forward to talking to President Musharraf. Look, he doesn't like Al Qaida. They tried to kill him. And we've had a good record of bringing people to justice inside of Pakistan, because the Paks are in the lead. They know the stakes about dealing with a, you know, a violent form of ideological extremists. So we will continue on the hunt, and we've been effective about bringing to justice most of those who planned and plotted the 9/11 attacks, and we still got a lot of pressure on them. The best way to protect the homeland is to stay on the offense and keep pressure on them.

How is an answer like this acceptable from a sitting President of the United States? The only urban myths in Washington are President Bush's competency, that his administration sees actual reality as the rest of us do and that America is actually on the offensive in the war on terror.