GOP in Congress, reduced to passing laws to protect the Admin's

right to defy the Constitution (and leave the point of Congress's existence rather questionable.)

Let's see - when the NSA fisaless search story broke last winter, after initial noises of outrage, Senate (GOP) proposals were to try to after-the-fact make the program okay (set superficial limits while in essence allow the program to go on - but now with the legitimacy of Congress, leaving the question of defying the 1978 law dangling as if it were unimportant.)

Just prior to that - Congress geared toward passing an anti-torture law, Cheney "lobbies vigorously" against it, and then for a loophole to allow the CIA to torture. Congress "defies" the president and passes the law. Bush signs it into law. Smiles all around, until it is disclosed that Bush later filed a signing statement reserving the right to allow such torture (in his role as Commander in Chief) as he see's fit, regardless of the law passed by Congress. After a day or two of shock and anger expressed on the Hill - nothing happens; essentially Congress by lack of action, says that the President's de facto, but extra-constitutional 'override' via signing statement, is a-okay with them.

More recently - when revelations about the NSA spying, the practice of the CIA renditions for torture, and others were revealed, rather than expressing the need to reign in the executive branch, the House passes a bill to make such "leaks" illegal. In essence stating that the public has no right to know if/when the government is acting extra-legally.

Time and time again, the GOP congress either rolls over, or actively abets the administration's power grabs over legislative power, and over the Constitutional role of Congressional oversight.

Simply put, the GOP congress is assisting Bushco to make Congress a needless institution.

Simply put, the GOP in congress is assisting Bushco to reform the government so that there is no representative voice of the people (that is directly elected representatives (House and Senate) ) in the 'new form of government' being pushed by Bushco.

Worse, by allowing the whole signing statement issue to go unchallenged (not picking one or seven hundred and fifty examples of signing statements, determining whether the federal gov (exec branch) is following the law as passed by Congress and signed by Bush, or is following the signing statement directives of bush) - the GOP in Congress is also acting in a way that gives the President, not the Courts, the final say on "interpreting the Constitution."

How to explain this roll-over phenomena? Only explanation is: Greed for power, greed for money, and allegiance to what those members think will keep them in power and keep them in some sort of station of "prestige". Because clearly there is no allegiance to the Constitution, and no allegiance to the voters who they once purported to represent.

Why would I go so far as to assert such craven motives for the GOP in Congress, rather than to assert that they just have the same (inept? corrupt?) world view as the President?

Consider evidence of *how* key fundraisers are trying to get money - particularly Sen. Libby Dole - Chair of the Republican Senate Campaign Committee - who in a recent fund raising pitch makes the strongest push on the fact that Repubs MUST maintain control of the Senate to Protect Bush (and Bushco's emasculation of the Legislative Branch of government) from "investigations" that would happen (once known as Congressional Oversight) - if the Democrats took control, "investigations" that could even lead to... *gasp* "Impeachment hearings." In short, to try to shill for more campaign money, Dole is forced to take an argument that the Admin. must be protected, and buschco's actions at leaving Congress as a powerless branch of government must be allowed to proceed.

Explain that kind of logic any other way - than an allegiance not to the Constitution, not to the Institutions set forth by the Constitution, not to the ideal of one branch of government including direct representation - but instead to maintaining power, maintaining positions of prestige, maintaining the ability to raise money - all forms of craven greed.

Please add any other examples of Congress passing enabling laws that protect the Admin's rights to run roughshod over our previously understood form of a Constitutional Government, or of Congress failing to take ANY substantive action when it has been proved that the Administration has acted in ways outside of the Constitution.

Frankly, I no longer see how our historical form/system of government can remain as it has been, in the wake of this administration. These are historic, and very sad/worrisome times.