Your Weekly Rush: The President has the Power

I was listening to Rush as I was driving around at lunch. It's always very educational. Rush is of course upset that anybody would question the President's right to spy on whoever he wants. And he referred back to a Joint Resolution passed September 18, 2001.

That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.

According to Rush Limbaugh this act authorized the Iraq war (and he was one of many conservatives who opposed the President working with congress before invading Iraq. In the war on terror, in Rush's mind, Congress has already done their part, by authorizing the President to "use all necessary and appropriate force" against those who, in his determination, helped plan 9/11 or would support Terrorist actions against the United States.

Who determines who our enemies are? The President does. And who ensures that these powers are used appropriately? The President does. Who has a right to question how these powers are used? Nobody. Or at least that is Rush's interpretation. The President is not required to explain himself to anybody; he can simply do as he sees fit to protect America.

The President could arrest this author right now, and in the mind of Rush Limbaugh, he would not be required to ever explain his actions. Obviously I don't think Rush Limbaugh is the last word in how this act is to be interpreted; but he is a key voice in the Conservative movement right now, and so his opinion does matter.

And his opinion is, in my opinion, quite chilling.