Doug Thompson, publisher of Capitol Hill Blue, one of the oldest political websites,is a Reagan Republican. (The website itself has a strong Libertarian slant.) Thompson was a critic of Clinton and is now a critic of Bush. Like many on this board, he seems to believe politicians in general are corrupt. He has good connections in Washington and has often been the first out with a story which later crept into the mainstream media. One example is that he was the first one to break the story that Bush was abusing his staff and throwing temper tantrums. That story turned up in the MSM much later.
The story below cannot be credibly dismissed as liberal Bush bashing. Thompson is no liberal. The closest political label,IMO, would be Libertarian.
The Rant
Bush on the Constitution: 'It's just a goddamned piece of paper'
By DOUG THOMPSON
Dec 9, 2005, 07:53
Last month, Republican Congressional leaders filed into the Oval Office to meet with President George W. Bush and talk about renewing the controversial USA Patriot Act.
Several provisions of the act, passed in the shell shocked period immediately following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, caused enough anger that liberal groups like the American Civil Liberties Union had joined forces with prominent conservatives like Phyllis Schlafly and Bob Barr to oppose renewal.
GOP leaders told Bush that his hardcore push to renew the more onerous provisions of the act could further alienate conservatives still mad at the President from his botched attempt to nominate White House Counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court.
“I don’t give a goddamn,” Bush retorted. “I’m the President and the Commander-in-Chief. Do it my way.”
“Mr. President,” one aide in the meeting said. “There is a valid case that the provisions in this law undermine the Constitution.”
“Stop throwing the Constitution in my face,” Bush screamed back. “It’s just a goddamned piece of paper!”
I’ve talked to three people present for the meeting that day and they all confirm that the President of the United States called the Constitution “a goddamned piece of paper.”
Full story at:
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/publish/article_7779.shtml