The wheels on the bus

Susie and I were talking last night about President Dubya, and his extensive use of signing statements when signing legislation. These things bother the hell out of me, frankly. The president is changing the law by instructing officials how to interpret and enforce it (or not to enforce it). A simple example: Congress passes legislation that says, "It is illegal for the US or its agencies to use torture, ever." The president signs it (because, who wouldn't?) and then adds a signing statement that says, "But I instruct everyone in the government not to prosecute anyone for violating this law if they do it in support of whatever we decide 'national security' means - and besides, 'torture' means what *I* say it does."

Whatever else you may think of him, the man's got balls. I don't know what to expect from the new Democratic majority, but I know that I'm looking forward to the day when the short bus pulls up to the White House to take Dubya back home...