Lessig Campaign and the Change Congress Movement

GoldenShale wrote a follow up to last week's discussion about Lessig running for congress. He writes "Larry Lessig has created a Lessig08 website, and it looks like he is getting serious about running for congress. In his introduction video he proposes the creation of a national "Change Congress" movement which would try to limit the influence of money in the electoral and legislative processes. Having a technologically savvy representative and a clear intellectual leader to head this kind of movement is exactly what we need to counter the last 8 years of corporate dominance in government."

Comments

Re:Bush's foreign policy is awesome

[nuttycom]

The only role the President plays in war is to lead the armies...

Oh, how I wish this were true. I think that we'd be a lot less likely to engage in wars of adventure like the current one if the President were legally required to lead the troops in battle. Any leader who isn't willing to put his own life on the line as much as he is willing to risk the lives of others is a coward and a hypocrite.

Re:last 8 years?

[sm62704]

The primary power of the presidency is the establishment and implementation of foreign policy

I was going to rebut this and say that as Chief Executive his primary duty is enforcement of Federal Law, but the Constitution says I'm wrong. From Article II (the first section of this article says who can be President and How, etc)

Section 2. The President shall be commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the militia of the several states, when called into the actual service of the United States; he may require the opinion, in writing, of the principal officer in each of the executive departments, upon any subject relating to the duties of their respective offices, and he shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment.

He shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur; and he shall nominate, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint ambassadors, other public ministers and consuls, judges of the Supreme Court, and all other officers of the United States, whose appointments are not herein otherwise provided for, and which shall be established by law: but the Congress may by law vest the appointment of such inferior officers, as they think proper, in the President alone, in the courts of law, or in the heads of departments.

The President shall have power to fill up all vacancies that may happen during the recess of the Senate, by granting commissions which shall expire at the end of their next session.

Section 3. He shall from time to time give to the Congress information of the state of the union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient; he may, on extraordinary occasions, convene both Houses, or either of them, and in case of disagreement between them, with respect to the time of adjournment, he may adjourn them to such time as he shall think proper; he shall receive ambassadors and other public ministers; he shall take care that the laws be faithfully executed, and shall commission all the officers of the United States.

Section 4. The President, Vice President and all civil officers of the United States, shall be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.

I rather like Section 4. Gasoline costs three times what it did when Bush took office. Why is the Traitor In Chief oil man still President after he obviously started a needless war to destabilise the middle east so that he can enrich himself at the expense of the American people and the lives of the brave servicepeople he is commander in chief of? He should be impeached, tried, convicted, and put in front of a firing squad.

Re:Bush's foreign policy is awesome

[PopeRatzo]

This isolationist attitude would eventually lead to our demise.

Just who are you referring to when you say "our"? If you mean "all of the war-loving neocons, war profiteers and authoritarian crypto-fascists" then yes, you're probably right.