Friday, December 7, 2007

Audio: Congress pushing back.

http://www.everyzing.com/viewMedia.jsp?index=1&start=0&sort=rel&mc=en-aud&il=en&col=en-aud-public-ep&q=Congress&res=130961077&num=10&filter=1&expand=true&match=query,channel&dedupe=1&channel=42&e=150370

This podcast by Lee Hamilton is talking about how the President is expanding his power and that Congress has helped him expand that power. As well he talks about how lately Congress has been pushing back against the executive branch and is looking over more on the Bush Administration. Even though Congress is not doing enough. It is not over looking the budget and does not have administration officials on capital hill every day. He is suggesting that the executive branch should not be weakened but Congress should be strengthened.

I chose this because he is talking about what is going on today and is not suggesting anything bad. What he says is something to think about. We know how powerful the executive branch is becoming and to counter that Congress should be strengthened as well. To best serve the people Congress needs to be far more assertive and to live up to the expectation of the original framers. He gives good ideas on how to achieve this goal.

Audio: Executive and Judicial Branch

http://www.everyzing.com/viewMedia.jsp?index=2&start=0&sort=rel&mc=en-aud&il=en&col=en-aud-public-ep&q=executive+branch&res=126626349&num=10&filter=1&expand=true&match=query,channel&dedupe=1&channel=42&e=12479475

This audio source is explaining the executive branch. He explains what it is and what consists of the executive branch. The speaker talks about the roles such as Chief Diplomat, Chief Legislature, and and Chief of State. He talks about how the President is symbolic. He talks about the powers the president has. Checks and balances are being talked about. The cabinet is talked about as well and is explained. A cabinet is not part of the constitution. The Judicial branch is also being explained in the end.

I chose this because it is a good explanation of the executive branch how it is explained in the constitution. The speaker is very detailed and covers much within the executive branch. A researcher could use this because it is very detailed and is very explanatory. He explains everything about the branch and goes into examples of each.

Thursday, December 6, 2007

Audio: Ali al-Marri case

http://www.democracynow.org/2007/2/2/the_case_of_ali_al_marri

In this audio be Democracy Now! Amy Goodman is interviewing one of al-Marri's attorneys. I put up a blog of this case and here is the attorney talking about it. He talks about how it was all started by him getting picked up by the FBI. He also talks about the military prison where he is now and for how long. He was held in a brig in South Carolina for almost a year and a half. He was asked what his charge was and the attorney said there was no charge. The term "enemy combatant" is explained. It is a very interesting interview.

I chose this because it is an audio explanation of a blog I put up. It is the attorney talking about the case in detail. Since this case is very interesting to me so an interview with al-Marri's attorney is of great importance. This interview is very revealing and shows what is going on in the case and what the Bush administration is doing.

Video:Scott Jennings And Executive Privilege

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3350822696342418983&q=executive+privilege&total=164&start=0&num=10&so=0&type=search&plindex=1

In this video Karl Rove's assistant, Scott Jennings, is being asked the same questions Sara Taylor was. She was asked if she met the President about any removals of attorneys. She said she did not attend any meetings. Scott Jennings did not answer the question. He also said that he did not meet with the President. He gives his view of executive privilege.

I put this up there because this is a battle going on between Congress and the executive branch. I wanted to put an actual video of a testimony on it to show what goes on and what type of questions are being asked and what kind of answers are in reply. The executive privilege is being used a lot and this testimony shows it

Video:No such thing as seperation of powers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wmhWbzqqWc&feature=related

In this video this guy is talking about how there is no such thing as separation of powers. He says there is nothing in the U.S. Constitution that says separation of powers. He also says that something cannot be independent a branch that regulates it. Such as the judicial court shall operate under such regulations as congress shall make.

I chose this because it puts a different opinion on separation of powers. This person is talking about how there is no such thing as separation of powers. I think that the framers just made certain powers one branch had over another. This person just says one point and that's it. I like it because its something to put into perspective.

Video:Hamdan v Rumsfeld

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FovamMtK5nA

This video is about a professor teaching a class about the Hamdan v Rumsfeld case. The professor is saying that the executive branch is using that "The President shall be commander and chief of the army and navy." Thus, the executive branch can make military tribunals. Although, Congress believes they can make military tribunals because under the constitution "Congress shall have power...to define and punish...offences against the law of nations."

I chose this because it is a good explanation of the battle between Congress and the President. This video explains the case and the situation. It is a good video that shows the battles between two branches. This video is good quality and has an excellent explanation that can be helpful to any researcher.

Blog:Supreme Court

http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/2006/02/separation_of_p.html

In this blog this person is talking about how in order for separation of powers to work each branch must actively watch over each other and stop and of the other branches from power grabbing. The blogger says that each branch, it seems, signed some sort of peace treaty where each branch can do whatever they want as long is it is allowed to do so itself. He gives good examples in the blog.

I like this blog because the blogger likes separation of powers and knows that it is necessary for the government to function. He writes about why none of the branches have been checked at all. It is a blog that shows how the government is dealing with separation of powers. Another reason why I chose this is because there are many comments that people have put which a researcher could read upon and learn more.

Wednesday, December 5, 2007

Website:Why Seperation

http://press-pubs.uchicago.edu/founders/documents/v1ch10I.html

This article describes why there is separation of powers. It talks about many people and what they thought would be best such as Montesquieu, John Adams, and James Madison. It also talks about the history of it and what the framers first came up with. It talks about recent breaches in the separation of powers.

I chose this website because the other websites clearly explain what separation of powers is but they do not explain why we have it as much as this website. A researcher will most likely have to explain why there is separation of powers along with what they are.

Image:Seperation of Powers

This image is about the separation of powers and it is a diagram with each branch. It shows a visual representation of checks and balances. It tell what one branch has over the other and what it looses to the other. It also has a brief description about each branch. It has arrows that represent the checks and balances.



I chose this picture because it is clear and descriptive about each branch. It is also clear about the checks and balances each branch has. It is in a neat triangle that can easily be read. This will be good for any researcher to clearly understand checks and balances.

Website: By the Bar Association

http://www.abanet.org/publiced/lawday/talking/tpseparation.html

This website is from the National Bar Association and they explain the separation of powers. This website explains each branch and its checks and balances in detail. It also explains it briefly in other countries. This website is very detailed it has websites that go to Congress, the Judicial Branch, and the Executive Branch, the U.S. Constitution, and to the Other Systems.

I chose this site because it too is also very detailed in the branch and is very specific about each checks and balances. This is a very respected source and it is a good reference for researchers. This website will be good for a lot of people and I believe that it can be used for much.

Website: Seperation of Powers

http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_sepp.html

In this article it tells about the checks and balances and the separation of powers in our country and in others as well such as Mexico, Canada, and Britain. It talks about each branch and how it has a check on another branch and what checks there is on that branch. It talks about the separation of powers in the other countries and there is a comparison with out country.

I chose it because I liked how other constitutions were on it and that it talked about their separation of powers. The website also has links to other pages that explain more in detail about a certain topic which is very useful if someone wants to do research on it.

Cartoon: Bush growing in power

This cartoon shows President Bush shredding the constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Geneva Convention. He is hiding a lot of stuff like NSA Spying and Torture Plan. He has packed away C.I.A and the F.B.I. George Washington is frowning down on George Bush because he is taking so much power that Washington did not like at all.
It shows that Bush is taking a lot of power for himself and taking away the power of everything else.




I chose this because it is self explanatory about everything. I liked it because it shows that he is taking power and George Washington is frowning upon him. It is good because in the separation of powers issue it tells that President George W. Bush is taking a lot of power from the other branches and that he is destroying the ways the nation was supposed to be set on.

Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Article: Restoring Constitutional Separation of Powers

http://constitutionparty.net/news_print.php?aid=82

This article is about the U.S. courts taking more power and some judge activists protest the use of God in government. There are many uses of God in our country and in our government. It is used every day during when Congress starts its session. It is imprinted on all our money. All public officials swear an oath,"so help me God." There is an act that is being passed called The Constitutional Restoration Act. It will make sure that the Supreme court has no jurisdiction on any cases dealing with God.

I chose this because God has been a major issue lately. The separation of church and state has been debated for a long time. This article is shows the judicial branch taking over in this right in dealing with this issue. It has arguments in support for Congress in dealing with this.

Article:F.B.I. Raid Divides G.O.P. Lawmakers and White House

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/24/washington/24cong.html?_r=1&oref=slog

This article is telling about when the FBI invaded a lawmakers house office building and went through all of his files. It has statements from senators and representatives. One Representative says that it will eventually lead to the supreme court and when it does it will put all branches on edge. Lawmakers do have some legal immunity. This article also said that this is usual with Bush's administration because he asserts his executive authority and pressures the other branches.

I like this article because it gives both side of the stories and not just one biased opinion. It is a current issue that we are now facing with the increase of the executive power and it is still asserting more power now and will continue to assert more and more. If this continues it could put the other branches at risk. This article is relevant to today and will continue in being relevant.

Article: Separation of Powers or a Power Grab?

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID={37A19F03-F0DC-4287-94B5-5DF0E96B1E07}

This article is about "Separation of Powers, or Power Grab?" It gives some exampled of the separation of powers and how it is used. It gives recent times where the separation of powers was an issue such as with Attorney General Roberto Gonzalez and the Nixon wiretap analogies. It also relates it to life like: "It’s like challenging your grandmother’s will because you were left out of it – you may rightly think she did you wrong, but you’re wrong in thinking that she didn’t have the right." I really enjoyed that.

I chose it because it told me quite a bit about the separation of powers and made some things clearer. It clarified a lot and it was very helpful to me. A researcher could use much information from this article. There are many examples and there are many other websites one can go to if needed. There are blogs and other websites that are available.

Cartoon: Executive Privelage

This cartoon is about the executive privilege and it shows that bush id pushing away the press. He is using his right of executive privilege to deter the people from what they should know. He is saying that he has a right to privacy and that if the press saw that they would be invading his right to privacy. Bush is watching other people on his computers and is invading their privacy but he is using his executive privilege to hide what he is doing and to keep his privacy.




I chose this cartoon because it works with separation of powers and that his power is growing and that he is coming up with a lot of ways to make it stronger. It is easy, simple, and to the point. I think this article can tell anyone what Bush is doing and how he has grown in power.

Blog: on Politics

http://theunknowncandidate.blogspot.com/

This blog is about the executive branch and about what goes on with its dealings domestic and foreign. It also talks about the latest political topics such as immigration, health care, and the war. The blog is from the Unknown candidate which is a non-profit basis to tell the people and help them understand, research, educate, and the advancement of human rights and social justice. It is a website that has a lot of other references where people can go to.

I chose this because I like most of all the other websites that a researcher could branch out to. Also it is against the war which I personally like and the sites that are on the site are very informative such as those that report the travesties on the war. A researcher could get a lot of information from this site, not only directly but indirectly as well.