"Think of Addington as the id of the Bush White House. Though his hidden hand is often merely suspected -- in signing statements, torture policy and other brazen assertions of executive power -- Addington's unbridled hostility was live and unfiltered yesterday.
He sat slouched in his chair, scratching his mustache, as Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), chairman of the Constitution subcommittee, warned about "the unaccountable monarchy" before offering Addington five minutes to make an opening statement. Addington spoke for a minute and 12 seconds -- most of which was devoted to correcting two errors in Nadler's introduction.
"Is that the entirety of your statement?" the chairman asked.
"Yes, thank you," Addington replied. "I'm ready to answer your questions." "
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Caliban maybe?
Although Addington is rumored to be a neighbor, I have never seen his "unbridled hostility" stalking the streets of our neighborhood.
The Congress in its particular human components is often less than impressive, but the institution is an essential part of the scheme of government that has kept people like Yoo and Addington from running this country as they please.
The arrogance with which these nasties behaved before a committee of the people's tribunes is appalling.
Milbank apparently was appalled as well. pl
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/26/AR2008062603456.html
Their position with respect to the "Unitary Executive", the Imperial Presidency, is well known. Hence no surprises here.
One can argue that as Straussians, they simply assert the doctrines of Strauss's Nazi mentor, Carl Schmitt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carl_Schmitt
Another way to view it would be they assert the concept of "royal prerogative" as did the Court Party in England. They assimilate the Office of the President of the United States into that of an absolutist monarch. This is nothing new in Anglo-American legal and political history. See, for example, Robert Filmer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sir_Robert_Filmer
Posted by: Clifford Kiracofe | 29 June 2008 at 09:32 AM
wow, this is breathtaking.
this really reminds me of trials against high powered white collar criminals with money where so many times the prosecution is simply out-gunned.
It's interesting that John Yoo is a professor at Berkeley of all places.
Posted by: eakens | 29 June 2008 at 01:27 PM