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Opposition to Bush Rises to Challenge

American commentators are lashing out at the Bush Administration, increasingly comparing it to a monarchy of sorts with George W. Bush at the helm. They claim that their civil rights have been violated, and warn of a future where civil rights violations will become the rule, rather than against the law. Bill Gallagher, a commentator in Detroit, described the situation in this way, saying of Bush that "He has repeatedly shown contempt for international law, trashed the U.S. Constitution, broken federal laws and has publicly proclaimed he can do anything he wants to `protect us.`"

Gallagher continues with his tirade: "`I`m using constitutional authority vested in me as commander in chief,` King George declares. These scripted words come from a seasoned constitutional scholar who probably thinks Marbury v. Madison was a college football game." But are the critics basing their criticisms on valid observations or simple demagoguery? The latter might be assumed, were it not for one of the voices on the right who shares such concerns.

Bruce Fein, a former advisor to Ronald Reagan during his years in the White House, said "If President Bush is totally unapologetic and says `I continue to maintain that as a wartime President I can do anything I want - I don`t need to consult any other branches,` that is an impeachable offense. It is more dangerous than Clinton`s lying under oath, because it jeopardizes our democratic dispensation and civil liberties for ages. It would set a precedent that would lie around like a loaded gun, able to be used indefinitely for any future occupant."