Web Opinion by Todd Beezley

The Termite-Riddled Republic

Last week, clean-up crews staged a repeat performance at the Senate office building trying to eradicate "biological bugs" left over from the October Anthrax attacks in Washington D.C. At last report, the second sanitation effort was no more successful than the first.

If you look past the superficial import of the story, you’ll see a truly disturbing spiritual parallel that reflects dry rot in the home of the people. Not even the Orkin man could eliminate this infestation in our termite-riddled republic.

I’m referring to the slow, steady nibbling away at legislative powers now underway by the executive branch of our government. Many of us threw up our hands in disgust when Bill Clinton signed countless executive orders which effectively bypassed Congress on the road to establishing his demi-dictatorship.

Perhaps we were naïve in hoping a Republican presidency would reverse that trend and restore the balance of powers so carefully set in motion by our founding fathers.

Unfortunately, it appears George Bush has picked up right where Bill Clinton left off.

The most recent example is a decision by a Department of Agriculture undersecretary to bypass the standard process and sign a waiver allowing for the immediate harvesting of distressed timber damaged by last summer’s forest fires.

It’s not that we side with the environmental groups on this issue. If they had their ways, possession of furniture would be a capital offense and homes would all be made of mud.

The action by the Bush Administration to allow loggers to salvage the 46 thousand acres of Ponderosa pines was probably both wise and moral. But the decision to evade the customary EPA procedures and required open hearings that accompany such an action shows once again that all Americans are not equal before the law. Those with cash and friends still control our government behind the scenes.

Another step backward for those of us desiring accountability in government was the unilateral decision of George W. Bush to invoke a "national security" clause to prevent the unveiling of documents dating back to the days of Ronald Reagan and George Bush the 1st. Bush claimed that releasing the 20-year-old secret papers could produce a backlash against certain friends of America still in positions of power. Of course, maintaining state secrecy also lets "W" keep under wraps his father’s potential participation in activities that could be equally embarrassing to the current President.

We’ve heard the call for military tribunals for foreign nationals and the imposition of sweeping new police powers in the wake of the 9-11 tragedies. Few, indeed, have been the voices calling for moderation in our response and thoughtful debate over the loss of our cherished freedoms. Congress has abandoned its responsibilities and given President Bush a blank check.

Then, there’s the Bush mandate to, at least temporarily, abandon his campaign promise pledging enforcement of a bill authorizing the transfer of our U.S. embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. Whether you agree with this decision or not, it shows the very real power play still underway between the President and Congress. Once again, the legally enacted will of the House and Senate has been thwarted by our president.

About a year ago, when it finally appeared George W. Bush would take office, there were those of us who wondered whether the incoming executive would do the right thing. Would he overturn those sweeping Clinton Administration presidential directives, giving the American president virtual control over everything and everyone during times of national emergency?

Power, it appears, is quite sweet and seductive, after all…and one year later, we apparently have our answer.

Democrat or Republican…nothing has really changed. The powers remain out of balance. And those termites are hungrier than ever.

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