Stephen H Baum Leadership

Brushing aside once more the nuisance that is the Constitution and the public’s rights and liberties, the Bush administration decided to ignore Congress again: the White House will ignore the August 2007 law requiring the Homeland Security Department to report to Congress on activities affecting privacy – without editing out the substance.

Is 8 years of putting presidential power first among criteria for White House decisions and conduct irresistible for the next President? More of the same will leave us with ever-diminished rights and liberties.

If the White House can serve notice it will ignore an Act of Congress to forbid political interference with reports to lawmakers, what else can it do? Make party loyalty the litmus test for a job at the Department of Justice? Edit out the opinions of scientists on matters of climate and medical care?

The story on October 25th in the NY Times was nowhere near the front page. And if Charlie Savage who wrote it is the only one to howl, we better worry.