McCain-Palin Signal Embrace of "Unitary Executive"

John McCain and Sarah Palin have in the last twenty-four hours clearly signaled their embrace of the BushCheneyRumsfeldYoo Regime's Unitary Executive Theory, their intent to continue its Practice, and their desire to expand the powers of the "Unitary Executive".

Yesterday, during an interview with the editorial board of the Des Moines REGISTER, John McCain "joked" that he'd always aspired to becoming "...a Dictator" in the same way that George W. Bush has. This is terrifying enough....

....but tonight, Sarah Palin asserted her support for expansion of Vice Presidential powers, in the Senate and otherwise:

PALIN: No, no. Of course, we know what a vice president does. And that's not only to preside over the Senate and will take that position very seriously also. I'm thankful the Constitution would allow a bit more authority given to the vice president if that vice president so chose to exert it in working with the Senate and making sure that we are supportive of the president's policies and making sure too that our president understands what our strengths are. John McCain and I have had good conversations about where I would lead with his agenda. That is energy independence in America and reform of government over all, and then working with families of children with special needs. That's near and dear to my heart also. In those arenas, John McCain has already tapped me and said, that's where I want you, I want you to lead. I said, I can't wait to get and there go to work with you. * * *

IFILL: Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?

PALIN: Well, our founding fathers were very wise there in allowing through the Constitution much flexibility there in the office of the vice president. And we will do what is best for the American people in tapping into that position and ushering in an agenda that is supportive and cooperative with the president's agenda in that position. Yeah, so I do agree with him that we have a lot of flexibility in there, and we'll do what we have to do to administer very appropriately the plans that are needed for this nation. And it is my executive experience that is partly to be attributed to my pick as V.P. with McCain, not only as a governor, but earlier on as a mayor, as an oil and gas regulator, as a business owner. It is those years of experience on an executive level that will be put to good use in the White House also.

No mention from the Good Governor about Executive Orders signed by Bush as President to delegate various powers to Cheney as Vice-President, no discussion of Article II of The U. S. Constitution, no discussion of Cheney as de facto "Chief of Staff for George W. Bush, no discussion of The Office of Legal Counsel, its powers and responsibilities. And, besides McCain's statements yesterday, no word from the McCain Campaign about The Unitary Executive Theory.

And yet, the last twenty-four hours open a previously closed window on the McCain-Palin view of governance and power, and it appears crystal clear now that they intend to "govern" as BushCheneyRumsfeldYoo have "governed" these last eight years. This is what is beyond terrifying.

If you did not believe until yesterday and tonight that the very idea of "America" is at risk, you'd best believe that now, for now you have Evidence.

It's too late to reconsider the Pelosi/Conyers/Reid Pact to take Impeachment off the table, but its not too late to begin speaking right now about the mandatory Duties and Responsibilities of those we elect to our Federal Government to impeach those who commit High Crimes and Misdemeanors. And, We the People need to be strongly considering how we want our Government to spend its time "governing": do we want yet another four/eight years of de facto Dictatorship? Or do we want to take back our Republic and its representative democracy? The latter is the only kind of Change I can believe in. Anything else is just POW medals and lip tatoos on a Dictator Pig.