Senators renew call for hearings on signing statements |Globe's Savage

WASHINGTON -- Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter yesterday renewed his vow to hold an oversight hearing on the Bush administration's use of signing statements, saying he ``totally opposed" the president's practice of pronouncing himself exempt from obeying statutes even as he signs them into law.

``I think there is a very strong sense in the Congress in opposition to signing statements," Specter told reporters yesterday. ``We're going to go into the background and get some specifics from the administration on why they think they're appropriate, and consider what we can do. . . . We want to get a fuller statement from the president about what he thinks his authority is here."

Specter, a Pennsylvania Republican, said on May 2 that he planned to hold a hearing in June. At the time, he denounced Bush's use of signing statements as ``a very blatant encroachment" on Congress's constitutional power to write the law. But with June half over, Specter has yet to schedule the hearing.

Senate aides said the delay is due in part to the Judiciary Committee's busy schedule, which has included hearings on judicial nominations, immigration, voting rights, the administration's domestic spying programs, and proposed constitutional amendments to ban gay marriage and give Congress the power to outlaw flag burning.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2006/06/16/senators_renew_call_for_hearings_on_signing_statements/

This is a MOST important battle.

He often talks the talk, but rarely walks the walk.

Specter has a long history of tough talk on Monday, silence on Tuesday, and craven acceptance of whatever the administration wants on Wednesday. He's called for hearings before, in fact just last month, but take a look at the "important" business that got in the way of holding hearings: gay marriage and flag burning. Perhaps Arlen will get a hangnail, and those hearings will have to be put off again. Or maybe the latest issue of Archie comics will come in and distract him for another couple of months.

Another round of tough talk is just another round of tough talk until the hearings are actually scheduled, the subpoenas are issued, and most importantly, the witnesses are sworn in under oath.

to the Dimson.

The Unitary President believes itself to be omnipotent.

The Congress should view every signing statement by this mal-administration as a veto and know that their bills and laws mean absolutely nothing, nada, dooda to the monster.

show and very little accomplished for the most part.

and in the end it means shit.

Ergo: Specter=shit

close enough to November yet, or it's good cop/bad cop. I am ready to believe it's ANYTHING but the real deal.

I wish this would have legs and walk but I don't see it happening. Cynic, cynic, cynic!