"A Matter of Comity"

Today's top story on Digg (but curiously, nowhere else) is President Bush's "National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive," announced May 9.

Being a word guy, I especially admire the wording of this (run-on) sentence:

(e)  "Enduring Constitutional Government," or "ECG," means a cooperative effort among the executive, legislative, and judicial branches of the Federal Government, coordinated by the President, as a matter of comity with respect to the legislative and judicial branches and with proper respect for the constitutional separation of powers among the branches, to preserve the constitutional framework under which the Nation is governed and the capability of all three branches of government to execute constitutional responsibilities and provide for orderly succession, appropriate transition of leadership, and interoperability and support of the National Essential Functions during a catastrophic emergency;

According to Dictionary.com, "comity" means "mutual courtesy" and refers to "the principle by which the courts of one jurisdiction may accede or give effect to the laws or decisions of another."

Let's hope so. The directive appears to give the President unprecedented Constitutional powers in the event of a "catastrophic emergency." We can't know for sure because the directive contains classified "annexes" that spell out exactly how our Government in Comity would function.

Don't assume the 2008 Presidential election will be held as scheduled.

UPDATE: This story is no longer listed in Digg's Top 10. Why?

Comments

[lurkerfan]

Considering what the Bush administration has done to our Constitution already, it would be INSANE to give them any more power based on mere courtesy, a big word they obviously do not understand.

[Sam Whitmore]

Nov. 2008 can't come soon enough.