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Home > Blogs > Butler County News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > January > 18 > Entry
MU professor cited in report saying Bush abused power
Press release from Miami University:
POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR NOTED IN JUST-RELEASED HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE REPORT
OXFORD, Ohio - House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers, Jr. has released a nearly-500 page report documenting numerous alleged abuses and excesses of the Bush administration.
The report, “Reining in the Imperial Presidency: Lessons and Recommendations Relating to the Presidency of George W. Bush,” contains 47 separate recommendations designed to restore the traditional checks and balances of the constitutional system.
Christopher Kelley, Miami University visiting assistant professor of political science, is noted in the report in a section on the Bush Administration’s use of signing statements.
“According to signing statement expert Professor Christopher Kelley, as of January 12, 2007, President Bush had issued 150 signing statements challenging 1,149 provisions of law,” the report states on page 187. The report footnotes Kelley’s Web page available at http://www.users.muohio.edu/kelleycs/.
Kelley says the signing statements challenge provisions of bills the president signs into law with caveats that allow the president to construe or excise those provisions that he deems constitutionally defective. His 2003 doctoral dissertation at Miami provided the first systematic examination of what the signing statement is, how it is used, and why it has become important to the executive branch in the past 30 years.
President Reagan adopted the signing statement strategy and challenged 95 provisions of the law, President H.W. Bush used signing statements to challenge 232 provisions of the law, and President Clinton used the strategy to challenge 140 provisions of the law, according to Kelley’s count. Kelley notes that President George W. Bush has used signing statements to challenge provisions of law more than all the U.S. presidents before him.
The full House Judiciary Committee report can be found at http://judiciary.house.gov/hearings/printers/110th/IPres090113.pdf.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: National issues
Comments
By ramsey clark
January 18, 2009 9:30 AM | Link to this
BALONY. PRESIDENT BUSH DID THE RIGHT THING. THE PROFESSOR AND CONYERS SHOULD GET A JOB.
By MU Grad....
January 18, 2009 3:09 PM | Link to this
Please Prof. Kelley, keep your thoughts to yourself….I no longer have to play games with liberal professors for good grades….Your highness from the Ivory Tower, you are boring and sickening.
By MU Grad also
January 19, 2009 5:57 AM | Link to this
I am with you my fellow MU Grad! Why has anyone NOT noticed that we have had no other terrorist attacks under Bush’s watch on American soil since 2001. Those attacks were a direct result of the short comings of the Clinton Admin. MU Professor, why do you not do something a bit more productive for society rather than warp the minds of ignorant college children, spreading your liberal agenda?
By Informed MU Grad
January 19, 2009 9:30 AM | Link to this
I’m kind of ashamed of my fellow MU grads. From this article, it seems that the only thing Chris did was to count (of course there is more if you look to his full report) but it seems that these whiney “grads” will attack anyone who gives any information that might be used to criticize their fallen god. I’m guessing they are just angry that they got bad grades in Poli Sci. But don’t blame the tape measure if you find your waist is too big.
By TRS
January 19, 2009 12:08 PM | Link to this
What the professor and “informed” seem to forget is that the “list” occurred in a war footing, much different than peacetime. There has always been a tension between executive, legislative and judicial and the historical perspective reflects that during war the commander in chief has always had greater powers. There is no evaluation mentioned as to the content and reasoning behind each one, only numbers. Outside of Miami, little is known about this guy Kelly, but it is well known that liberals such as Conyers hate Bush so much they cannot let go of their witch hunt. All the things listed in their report is old news and with all the issues within the country, I don’t think the general public has much of a stomach for this silliness - it is only the liberals who want their pound of flesh. The writer is correct that the administration policies kept us safe, Al Quada has been greatly damaged and Iraq is on the way to a successful conclusion. Conyers and his ilk can’t stand that Bush get any credit for this and will do anything to discredit. Pity such small minded people are in Congress. At least Pres Elect Obama has shown a proper restraint and is looking forward. But then, I think he’ll be glad for some of the things President Bush left in place.