I hate to pee in anyone's cheerios, but GWB has done and proposed no powers not exercised by his predecessors.
From Woodrow Wilson through FDR to GWB, such authority has been claimed and used...and in most cases, upheld by SCOTUS when challenged.
Which means, what?
Of course Bush is not OMG HITLER. Anybody who thinks that is an idiot, or not reading a history book.
But Presidential authority in particular, and executive authority in general, has been expanding continuously at least from FDR, and possibly from Wilson, dovetailing nicely with the general growth of Federal power.
First off, such powers have been in the power of the opposition, before. GWB did not, as you implied and others have stated outright, all the sudden come up with a raft of new powers to exercise and use to beat up on pore, starvin' Johnny Wannabe Jihadis. For the love of Pete, Wilson's administration arrested, prosecuted, & jailed American citizens for
protesting America's involvement in WWI. "Sedition" it was called. FDR jailed thousands of Americans of Japanese
and German
and Italian heritage during WWII.
Yet, WW & FDR are icons of the left and what goes for the elites in this country, and GWB is "Bushitler." Gimme a break.
Second, I totally agree with your last sentence. It has been a process completed over time to expand fed.gov authority and shrink all other possible challengers to that authority.
GWB has done and proposed no powers not exercised by his predecessors.
Like Lincoln, for instance ...
Yep, GWB is a softy compared with Lincoln, WW, & FDR.
