Law professors; experts on Government; the Constitution; ANYBODY: HELP!!?

Question

When our founding fathers were drawing up our Constitution, and our Bill of Rights etc, did they not include a system of Checks and Balances that were meant to protect this country from cowboys like George W. Bush? I understand this "war time President" nonsense that has thoroughly cowed our citizens at the polls, but are there not men of stronger stuff with an intimate knowledge of the inner workings of government that can stop this runaway destruction of our country. (Umpteen billions of dollars recently approved for the war in Iraq) This idiot in the White House is getting away with murder!! Whatever he wants, he gets!! Is waiting 8 years for another election the only way to stop this fool??

Let us all pause for a moment, dear people; God has spoken (in the form of darwinman), and he is going to clear up this question for all of us. We await your words of wisdom, your eminence.

Answer 1

The main reason everyone voted for the Democrats in the midterm elections was because they PROMISED they would stop supporting Bush and his war(s). Just more lies from politicians as usual.
It's time for a third party to step up that will support the Constitution but I'm afraid that all the sheep will just "stay the course"
Seems like the voters are too stupid or just don't care about this great country of ours anymore. I wish more young people would get involved with politics and vote because they could really make a difference on who is elected. It all starts at the local level and moves progressively up the ladder.
If the politicians you elect don't do what they promised then vote them out!

Answer 2

No, waiting another 8 years is not the answer. The answer is that people need to pay more attention to the congressional elections. (someone from your state should be up for re-election every 2 years) If you want something other than "business as usual" then you need to elect a congressman (or woman) or Senator that will change things and/or be brave enough to challenge Washington's status-quo.

The problem is that the Democrats have a small majority in the House of Representatives (232 to the GOP's 201)and an even smaller majority in the Senate (51 to the GOP's 49).

The result is stalemate because the Dem's majority is not really big enough to get anything done. The current administration proposes legislation, it meets some resistance in congress, but not enough to stop it or substantially change it. There are Dems and GOPs that will "cross-the-aisle" and vote with the other side on a regular basis...that further dilutes any majority the Dems have.

Same thing goes for voicing opposition to so-called "Presidential" or "Executive" orders...(a nice way to get around having Congress vote on things).....again, the Dems have a majority , but not enough of one to have their opposition be heard.

The Dems have been trying to limit or stop funding for the war, but their teeny-tiny majority only allows limited success. Remember too, that most of congress (GOPs and Dems alike) did originally vote in favor of granting the President broad authority to carry out the current "military action" by an even larger margin that in Gulf I (Our last official declaration of war was World War II)

It's a funny thing, but once authority is granted, its always harder to take it away. (..and now you have some Dem presidential candidates having to explain why they now oppose the war when they originally voted for it)

There have been a few things brought up in the courts such as challenges to the Patriot Act or the current wranglings over detentions at Guantanamo, but that is a slow process.

Since federal judges are confirmed by the Senate, the key to change again lies in paying attention to your congressional elections.

Answer 3

Quite possably, unfortunately he has passed new legislature to overturn a few constitutional right in his time in office. I am doubtful that he really has the power or control to actually make any of the choices that came to be in the past 8 years. He is a puppet on a string, don't mind the man behind the curtain.

It's nice to blame him but there are a lot of other people in power who are controlling the government as well. Even with a new president I am doubtful that anything will change, unless of course the country realizes that they have taken a massive step back regarding the constitution.

Answer 4

The main approval to have gone to war was the American people and their pride to find and punish the group who attacked 9/11......is it a surprise that death comes from war? If we all really wanted it to stop it would, but we are too busy living our pathetic lives to support a country wide protest.

Answer 5

the 'check' is to stop the funding, but Congress has no backbone.

Answer 6

you are not very well informed, are you...poor boy.