View from the Ridge: Pushing the Envelope (again)

The New York Daily News reports that the President has issued a signing statement asserting his right to open First Class mail in certain circumstances. Bush asserted this right while signing a law reforming the Postal Service. The bill Bush signed limits postal rate increases, authorizes certain financial reforms and asserts the privacy of First Class mail.

The President asserted his new authority when he signed a postal reform bill into law on Dec. 20. Bush then issued a "signing statement" that declared his right to open people's mail under emergency conditions.

That claim is contrary to existing law and contradicted the bill he had just signed, say experts who have reviewed it.

The act recalls the Presidents authorization of the monitoring of domestic phone calls and other invasions of privacy in the name of national security. It seems there is nothing the President can't do to stop terrorism, except win the war he started to stop terrorism.

The President clearly is not listening to the voters who rejected his big brother knows best policies in Nov.

Now we have another firestorm to distract us from the real task at hand, creating a stable environment in the Middle East so Iraqis, Israelis, and the entire region can live without fear. This does nothing to advance our interests but does advance the Presidents goals of creating a national government able to spy on its own people.

Write, resist and don't give up.