Many people were convinced that Clinton would declare a national emergency and suspend elections etc when he was almost out of office. I don't think the new act(s) have anything to do with it.

He doesn't have the authority to do something that is against the constitution unless he would like to see an American Insurgency too.

He definitely can do that! Yes. Bush can do that. Bush has signed several "Executive Orders" to enact "laws" that did not come through Congress. Those "orders" greatly extend the President's power and are mostly uncontitutional. "In May 2007, Bush issued a major presidential National Security Directive (National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive NSPD 51/HSPD 20), which would suspend constitutional government and instate broad dictatorial powers under martial law in the case of a "Catastrophic Emergency" [note: the nature of a "catastrophic emergency is undefined and left to the president's discretion; clearly it could be either an outside attack or a natural disaster.] "On July 11, 2007, the CIA published its "National Intelligence Estimate" which pointed to an imminent Al Qaeda attack on America, a second 9/11 which, according to the terms of NSPD 51, would immediately be followed by the suspension of constitutional government and the instatement of martial law under the authority of the president and the vice-president. "NSPD 51 grants unprecedented powers to the Presidency and the Department of Homeland Security, overriding the foundations of Constitutional government. It allows the sitting president to declare a “national emergency” without Congressional approval. The implementation of NSPD 51 would lead to the de facto closing down of the Legislature and the militarization of justice and law enforcement. "The President shall lead the activities of the Federal Government for ensuring constitutional government. . . ." "Were NSPD 51 to be invoked, Vice President Dick Cheney, who constitutes the real power behind the Executive, would essentially assume de facto dictatorial powers, circumventing both the US Congress and the Judiciary, while continuing to use President George W. Bush as a proxy figurehead."

Not only can he do this, it would appear he has been planning for precisely this since he was sworn into office. By the time it happens you'll have already had your rights revoked so it won't be a huge transition for most of you. Just keep watching 'American Idol' and 'Do You Think I Look Good Naked'. And the folks here who think having a few weapons in their house means something, I suggest you form neighborhood cells with alternate means of communication. They will wish to disable your butts first. You and the people who they already have documented as being able to effectively organize resistance. Best of luck in the tiny little revolution peops....my guess is most here will lay down for it like they do everything else. Day's of being a John Wayne nation are OVER.

the powers that be, (whoever is in charge), will always do what they want and there is nothing short of a revolution that will stop it. I don't mean anarchy...just to have them realize that other peoples lives are worth just as much as theirs. They haven't had the best interest of the people, to whom they're supposed to be serving, at heart for quite a long time. Now I'll just wait for the secret service to knock on my door...thank you very much.

I would support President Bush without question if he did this. The problem with the USA is that liberal liars have undermined his efforts to make the USA a safe place to live. If we have to live under a dictatorship to ensure safety, I am for it. Before the 2000 electionm President Bush said "there ought to be limits to freedom." He is correct. USA stays a world power.

I would support President Bush without question if he did this. The problem with the USA is that liberal liars hev undermined his efforts to make the USA a safe place to live. If we have to live under a dictatorship to ensure safety, I am for it. Before the 2000 election, President Bush said "there ought to be limits to freedom." He is correct. If the USA is to keep itself free of Muslim terrorists, martial law must be imposed and civil liberties suspended. I have nothing to hide so I would no object to any scrutiny, just as long as we are safe.

it is impossible to protect againt terrorists in a FREE country. Liberty or Death

Probably but doubtful, remember FDR was in office for 12 years.

Gustav might give him just the opportunity he needs to implement his "directives" especially if the GOP decides to postpone their convention because of it. It literally takes months to plan events that big. If this one is cancelled, there is no way they can put another one together before November.

im not american, but i do have an opinion on this. for those of you who think that under a dictatorship you would have more liberty, pull out your dictionarys and look up the words liberty and freedom. if you allow a dictatorship to happen in america, you are spitting and wiping your arses on your constitution and your bill of rights. you are pissing on what it means to be an american. the same is happening in my country, unfortunatly for us we dont have a constitution in the sence that you do (one document). i wish we had. please do a bit of history research. spicificly in the area of hitler and the third reich and the reichstag building and the laws that followed. before you say "but the commies were a threat and somthing had to be done", the communists were patsies and it was goering that did it. the germans thought hitler was a bright light and a bright future. he tricked his way in. what makes you think another hitler couldnt rise elsewhere, including your own country. even if bush doesnt use these laws, they are in place for 'hitler' to take advantage of WHEN he gets to power in america. think about it.

yes he can, he has passed several laws with executive authority & without congress approval

Bill Noonan you are a freaking moron. You need to wake up and smell the coffee. Why don't you take the time and do some research on some of the past events that have taken place since 9/11. None of it points to us being safe in a Dictatorship. If you don't think the market crashing is happening for a reason then you need to get real. This doesn't just happen because CEO's of Major Banks made an error and lent out to much money. Oopsee. No it was planned. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up. People like you are going to get us all killed. Stay off the blogs if you don't have something intelligent to say.

No.

Bill Noonan may choose to passively live in the dictatorship he sees as so safe but before he and his ilk do so I wish they would visit their nearest VA cemetery. There are, from WW2 alone, 420,000 graves of men and women who died so we would NEVER have to fear living under a dictator. They died for this and for our right to speak when we think our leaders are lying to us or simply in error. Right now I don't think they are in error. Bush says there ought to be "limits to freedom" which you agree with. Bill, please, get a dictionary and look up 'oxymoron' - that is not an insult. The only limits to freedom should be those which common sense says we impose on ourselves to protect ourselves, such as, you may not yell "fire" in a crowded theater. When others do things to us we must fight them, not ourselves, and if some of us are injured or killed, that is the price of freedom. It has always been the price of freedom and most likely will always be the price of freedom. You may not want to agree Bill, you may not want to visit the cemetery Bill, you may not want to pay the price Bill but please, Bill, read these names - Hitler, Mussolini, Pol Pot, Stalin, Idi Amin, Tojo, Franco, etc, etc. Bill, think about this, the saying is "those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Help us not to repeat.

Question is, appropriately, Will he? We already know that Bush does what he chooses without regard to any rules. The Constitution bores him.