Reading Justice Jackson's opinion further provides more lessons about such misuses of the Executive as we're seeing today. Quote:

"The appeal, however, that we declare the existence of inherent powers ex necessitate to meet an emergency asks us to do what many think would be wise, although [343 U.S. 579, 650] it is something the forefathers omitted. They knew what emergencies were, knew the pressures they engender for authoritative action, knew, too, how they afford a ready pretext for usurpation. We may also suspect that they suspected that emergency powers would tend to kindle emergencies...

"...emergency powers are consistent with free government only when their control is lodged elsewhere than in the Executive who exercises them. That is the safeguard that would be nullified by our adoption of the 'inherent powers' formula. Nothing in my experience convinces me that such risks are warranted by any real necessity, although such powers would, of course, be an executive convenience."

Yes, the forefathers knew what emergencies were. I think we should recognize that we are now facing one as well.

Nothing new. When I was best man to a pair of friends in 1982, I organized a coed party, at another friend's house. And when it was time for me to get hitched up in 1990, we had a coed billiards party in midtown Manhattan.

So, we started a trend?

"and they were all Americans, except for the foreign fighters"??????

Mr. Rumsfeld, WTF? Foreign fighters in the American Civil War? Were there contingents of al Quaeda I haven't heard about? Or do you lump in all of the immigrants to the US who fought and died as "foreign?"

What a strange thing to say, on so many levels.

Back in 1989, my wife and I attended a benefit screening of a restored version of "Lawrence of Arabia" at the Ziegfeld Theater in New York. Honored guests that night included Omar Sharif and Peter O'Toole.

After being introduced to the crowd by the MC before the showing, the hosts made ready to escort them both to reserved seats halfway back from the screen.

O'Toole didn't want to move back. He remained in the front, and parked himself in a seat front row center. My wife and I were one row back, off to the side. For the rest of the evening, I was riveted by the sight of O"Toole, slumped down in his seat, gazing up at the 20-foot high god-like version of himself from a quarter-century before.

I'd always wondered what he must of thought that night. After reading this article, I have a better idea.

The only benchmark for this plan is that it put off any measurement of success or failure until January 20, 2009.

At that point, it's the Next Guy's problem. W goes off to build his Library, Dick goes off to his Undisclosed Location, the rest go off to their corporate or thinktank sinecures.

And who knows how many additional GI's and Iraqis go to their graves.

Barbara Boxer will be one of the Right's favorite punching bags for the next few years. Arnold Schwarzenegger is term-limiting out as California Governor, and prepping a run for US Senate against... Barbara Boxer.

Since Arnold is one of the GOP's few remaining poster boys, they will do whatever it takes to go after Boxer wherever and whenever they can. Prepare to hear a lot of Boxer-baiting until then.

Heather nailed the Spielberg inspiration for the Cylon hybrid. But haven't you noticed that the art and music direction for the Cylon baseship (a/k/a the "pianostar" on the fan boards) seems to be the lobby bar of the Union Square W in New York, at around 4PM in the afternoon before the crowds arrive?

Or perhaps it's the Vancouver W, since the LA-based members of the crew have been away from home for too long now and are simply producing from what they know and see around them.

Could be worse, I suppose. I would have trouble with a Marriott Battlestar.

There's no need for either of them to testify, after all. At the end of this whole sorry process will be a nice shiny Presidential pardon. Why allow testimony and cross-examination?

The Alamo? When Texicans fought for independence from Mexico? Which they secured, allowing Texas to be governed as a sovereign republic for ten years BEFORE the US Congress even got involved?

And this is the sort of Representative who is deliberating the future of our Republic?

At the time of the Alamo, by the way, Davy Crockett was an ex-Member of Congress who picked up his rifle and went to fight and die for his cause in San Antonio. Will Mr. Akin, or Mr. Boehner, or Mr. Bush or Mr. Cheney have the courage of their convictions to join their surge, following Davy Crockett's example?

Didn't think so.

Interesting that none of the comments posted so far refer to this article.

The comments of the idle young at this nightclub are the strongest arguments in favor of a draft that I have heard in a long time! I agree with Rep. Rangel that if a military draft was in place, the war in Iraq (A Rack? as in Titties? Priceless!) would be over in a flash. Stupid aggressive wars would be a lot harder to start if a wider range of society had to answer their county's call.

As it is, I read stories like this and wonder sometimes if we are in our equivalent of 1788 France, in the last years of our own Ancien Regime, our own vapid aristocracy lounging our country into the abyss.