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How Do You Spell “Impeachment?”

I am no lawyer, but some recent developments seem to beg some kind of answer from the gaggle of lawyers and so-called constitutionalists in residence on Capitol Hill: Does any president have the legal authority to tell the Justice Department not to enforce the law relating to people who are in the country illegally?  I can’t find […]

I am no lawyer, but some recent developments seem to beg some kind of answer from the gaggle of lawyers and so-called constitutionalists in residence on Capitol Hill:

Does any president have the legal authority to tell the Justice Department not to enforce the law relating to people who are in the country illegally?  I can’t find the section in the Constitution of the United States that makes the chief executive the supreme judicial authority, nor the expression “it’s the right thing to do.”

Does any president have the authority to begin a war (cyber in this case) against another nation that is not imminently threatening the United States?  There’s something in Article 1 about Congress having the sole authority to declare war and in Article 2 that the president would be commander in chief of the armed forces in an actual war, but I can’t find the bit about starting a war in secret by executive fiat.

Does any president have the authority to assassinate American citizens living overseas or to draw up kill lists of foreigners which are then turned over to the intelligence agencies and armed services for execution?  Can’t find that in the Constitution either except in Amendments 4, 5, and 6, all of which appear to argue quite the opposite point of view.

If Bill Clinton could be threatened with impeachment for screwing an obviously consenting intern, why is Barack Obama still in office?

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