Im surprised that...

[RSVX]

None of you have posted about this yet...

It seems a new law that President Bush signed on Oct. 17 will allow the President to impose martial law on any state or territory, using federal troops and/or the state's own, or other states', National Guard troops. From the article:

"In a stealth maneuver, President Bush has signed into law a provision which, according to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), will actually encourage the President to declare federal martial law. It does so by revising the Insurrection Act, a set of laws that limits the President's ability to deploy troops within the United States. The Insurrection Act (10 U.S.C.331 -335) has historically, along with the Posse Comitatus Act (18 U.S.C.1385), helped to enforce strict prohibitions on military involvement in domestic law enforcement. With one cloaked swipe of his pen, Bush is seeking to undo those prohibitions."

Here is a link to the bill in question. The relevant part is Sec. 1076 about 3/4 of the way down the page.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill+h109-5122

The link is dead for now... (slashdotted)... but should return soon enough.

Public Law 109-364

[lhopp77]

Originally Posted by RSVX

None of you have posted about this yet...

It seems a new law that President Bush signed on Oct. 17 will allow the President to impose martial law on any state or territory, using federal troops and/or the state's own, or other states', National Guard troops.

You are right---the ACLU and far lefters will consider it an "erosion of individual rights" or an extension of federal or presidential powers.

In reality all it did is to expand existing wording that considers terrorists and the border situation and makes it legal to use federal troops for some enforcement activities under some situations.

I remember Eisenhower's use of airborne troops to integrate Little Rock HS in the late 50s after the governor tried to use the state National Guard to keep it segregated despite a Supreme Court decision. (See how old I am?? )

Lee

[Electrophil]

Originally Posted by lhopp77

You are right---the ACLU and far lefters will consider it an "erosion of individual rights" or an extension of federal or presidential powers.

In reality all it did is to expand existing wording that considers terrorists and the border situation and makes it legal to use federal troops for some enforcement activities under some situations.

I remember Eisenhower's use of airborne troops to integrate Little Rock HS in the late 50s after the governor tried to use the state National Guard to keep it segregated despite a Supreme Court decision. (See how old I am?? )

Lee

Hitler would have loved you. Bush certainly loves you.