|
The Constitution in Crisis: The High Crimes of the Bush Administration and a Blueprint for Impeachment | 
| Author: John C. Conyers
Creator: Elizabeth Holtzman
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Category: Book
List Price: $14.95
Buy New: $8.97
You Save: $5.98 (40%)
New (16) Used (7) from $7.00
Rating:  5 reviews
Media: Paperback
Pages: 320
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.9
Dimensions (in): 8.5 x 6 x 0.9
ISBN: 1602390096
Dewey Decimal Number: 973.931
EAN: 9781602390096
ASIN: 1602390096
Publication Date: April 2007
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
The Republican-led Congress has been notoriously slow to investigate the current Republican administration. For that reason, Representative Conyers of Michigan commissioned his staff to put together the report that became The Constitution in Crisis. It chronicles the deceptions, manipulations, and retributions of President George W. Bush and his administration. Did the President mislead the country in order to invade Iraq? Have suspected “evil-doers” been tortured in violation of U.S. and international laws? Has the National Security Agency eaves-dropped on American citizens in violation of wire tapping laws? This report is a must-read for anyone concerned about the direction of our nation!
|
| Customer Reviews:
 I loved this book December 19, 2007
Floyd Jackson (Oklahoma City, OK)
With the coming election, it is important to take a look at the last eight years of government, and how it is being lead, so that we not repeat the same mistakes. This book is a tough read, and definitely requires some time and patience, but should be read as our current president, like him or hate him, has made some questionable moves that more people should be aware of. This is truly an illuminating read.
 An Indictment of the Bush Administration September 19, 2007
John J. Browne (Brooklyn, New York United States)
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
At the outset I must state that I am a registered Republican and voted for George II twice. Be that as it may I am reviewing this book.
Rep: Conyers is a Michigan Democrat and the senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and his book sets forth in often mind numbing detail the various "crimes" of the Bush administration. This book is obviously well researched, there are 1,401 separate endnotes as well as a through listing of the specific Federal statutes violated, and clearly the book reflects his dedication to exposing the shortcomings and endless failures of the current administration.
Unfortunately the book is written like a Congressional report (only logical when you consider the author) and is not an easy read by any means. There is clearly a large audience for a book on this subject and Republican that I am I freely acknowledge the many faults, errors, misrepresentations and outright lies of this administration which should be debated by the public. This book is too detailed and dense to be accessible to the general reading public however. I will note that it will provide excellent source material for anyone who wishes to write a more reader friendly book on this subject.
Not merely an empty gesture June 12, 2007
Dennis Littrell (SoCal)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
This isn't the kind of book you read so much as refer to. It's a bit intimidating with 86 solid pages of notes, 1,401 endnotes in all. It was written by the House Democratic Judiciary Staff at the direction of Representative John C. Conyers, Jr. (D, Michigan), and is thick with indictment.
But is it an empty gesture? I don't think so. While it's true that there isn't much chance that the Democrats will be able to impeach President Bush, let alone find him guilty--after all they can't even get a no-confidence vote on Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez through Congress--this book does serve the purpose of documenting some of the more blatant criminal activities of the Bush Administration. Furthermore, the very fact of its existence may help to prevent such abuses of power in the future by Bush or any other president. If this book helps to prevent an invasion of Iran, for example, it has more than done good service.
Therefore the men and women who worked so hard on researching, writing and organizing the material are to be commended. I hope they learned a lot about the law and how our government actually operates because that is about all they are going to get out of this. Well, the satisfaction of knowing they did the right thing.
In addition to the high crimes referred to in the title, the book documents numerous low crimes and various dirty play by the administration in its pursuit of absolute power. From intimidating opponents to manipulating intelligence, to outright lies and misinformation, to outing a CIA agent, to domestic spying and illegal wiretapping, to retributions run wild, to the encouragement and condoning of torture, to the misuse of executive power, to the circumvention of the US Constitution--it's all here in black and white with endnotes and lots of words inside quotation marks.
Elizabeth Holtzman, former representative from New York, who wrote the Foreword, makes this telling observation: "The Constitution in Crisis documents in vivid and brilliant detail how the war was foisted on us through a carefully orchestrated scheme of lies and deceptions, half-truths, and misstatements by a President determined for his own reasons--still unknown--to remove Saddam Hussein from power." (p. ix) This really is the crux of the matter as far as I am concerned. George W. Bush's actions, mysteriously motivated, have led to the deaths of over 3,500 American soldiers with over twenty thousand wounded and upwards of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi killed (so far), not to mention the eventual monetary cost of the war, which Holtzman estimates at more than $1-trillion. And for what? So that Bush could have the advantage of running in 2004 as a wartime president?
The real crimes of George W. Bush are horrific moral crimes that he cannot be tried for. That is sad, but it is nothing unusual for a head of state. (So people please choose wisely next time.) Anyone in a position with the kind of power that the President of the United States has is going to make decisions regarding matters of life and death, and many of the President's decisions will lead, one way or another, to the loss of life. President Harry S Truman is a good example of a president who had merely a choice of evils and made his decision based on what he believed was right for the country. Every president does this. Unfortunately I think George W. Bush made the major decision of his presidency based not on what is best for his country, but on what would appear to be best for the political interests of George W. Bush--and he didn't worry about the consequences.
So, can you impeach a president for being immoral?
It is even sadder to realize, as I am sure those who put together this indictment know only too well, that it is not even possible to impeach a president who has violated the laws of the land, unless you have the kind of people in the Congress who are willing to stick their necks out for what is right.
There is an excellent table of contents but no index. I think somebody should have taken the trouble to put together an index; otherwise this is an outstanding book that may someday be of value to historians and hopefully to those who would prevent the next attempt at an imperial presidency.
A very important book by the Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee May 1, 2007
Future Watch Writer (Washington, D.C. Area)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
Whether you agree or disagree with the idea, you should read this book. As Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, John Conyers is the most important member of Congress when it comes to constitutional matters. Whether you like his views or not, you cannot ignore them. Elizabeth Holtzman is also a relevant person since she was a member of the House Committee that impeached President Nixon in 1974. With new questions rising since this book was written such as allegations about the political manipulation of the Justice Department, the impeachment issue is becoming more than an abstract idea. I have compiled a list of books on the issue in terms of both Bush and constitutional law that can reached via my profile page.
True crime exposed! April 4, 2007
Bob Fitzsimmons (New York City)
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
It's about time someone had the guts to publish this. Representative John Conyers' report lays out the unconstitutional acts committed by the Bush Administration that are egregious enough to call for impeachment. This book will educate you, anger you, and show you the facts - not the same conspiratorial run-around - about the White House's crimes.
|
|
|
| |
