The Hightower Report

STAND UP, CONGRESS

James Madison, renown as "the Father of the Constitution," would be appalled by the fecklessness of our current Congress – specifically by its cowering in the face of an imperial executive who asserts he is the war president and Congress must stay out of his way.

Far from being powerless to counter an arrogant, reckless, runaway White House, Congress was deliberately endowed with real muscle by the founders, so it could stand up to the likes of Bush and Cheney, especially in times of war. Madison, noting history shows that the executive branch of any government is the "most prone" to war, stated our Consti­tution "has accordingly with studied care, vested the question of war in the Legislature."

Only Congress, for example, is authorized to "declare war" – a phrase that means much more than saying, "OK, start shooting." Much more powerfully, this declaration clause of the Constitution authorizes Congress to limit the scope and duration of any war and even to set the terms of military engagement – something earlier Congresses have done and the Supreme Court has ruled to be proper.

Congress has the absolute power of the purse – the ability to cut off financing for a war or any part of any war – a power that Congress exercised as recently as the 1970s to stop expansion of the Vietnam War. Lawmakers also have the enormous power of investigation and subpoena to hold the executive branch accountable, as well as the ultimate power to initiate impeachment hearings to rein in presidents, vice presidents, and cabinet officers who try to rise above the law.

So, when your hear today's lawmakers whine that they can't stop the Bush/Cheney war regime, don't buy it. The founders clearly gave them the power to do the job – not as a political option but as a constitutional obligation. Having the power, they have the responsibility.

MONEY GOES IN, MONEY GOES OUT

Surely you don't think campaign donations from wealthy interests are intended to buy favors from our lawmakers – do you?

Me either. For example, the fact that a New York billionaire and his family have donated thousands of dollars to the campaigns of Sens. Hillary Clinton and Chuck Schumer has absolutely nothing to do with the coincidental fact that the two senators have siphoned a million of our tax dollars into his rock & roll tourist development being built near Wood­stock, N.Y. How do I know this was not a quid pro quo? Because Sen. Clinton's spokesman told us so: "One thing had nothing to do with the other," he said.

Alan Gerry, a former cable-television mogul, is the developer of the Woodstock project. He, too, has come forward to assure us that his donations to Clinton and Schumer are unrelated – totally unrelated – to the million dollars in federal tax funds he received. Making political contributions, explains Gerry, is not about gaining favors but merely is "something we think a good citizen should do."

I'm sure you agree with that, don't you?

Yet, some busybodies will try to make a fuss about the timing of this money exchange. Yes, it's true the senators funneled our tax dollars into Gerry's project on June 21. And, yes, it's true the Gerry family donated $20,000 to Schumer only five days later, then donated $9,200 to Clinton four more days later. But, picky-picky! It's not like Gerry sent a note with his donations saying, "Thanks a million – here's my bribe money." How can people be so cynical when it's obvious Gerry was simply feeling civic-minded after learning his two senators had behaved in such a statesmanlike manner? He was just expressing his love for America – and nothing says "love" like cash.

Really, people, you just have to learn to trust our system of government.