Bush commits a crime!!

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denfoote

New member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought is was illegal for the President to keep things like this!! Not just because it's a gun, but anything! That gun belongs to the American People and should be on display in the NRA museum, not in Bush's private firearms collection!! That's profiteering!!
Another thing.
Is GB above the law?? It's illegal for him to possess such a weapon in DC!!!





Bush Keeps Saddam Gun at White House

1 hour, 42 minutes ago



WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A handgun that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) was clutching when U.S. forces captured him in a hole in Iraq (news - web sites) last December is now kept by President Bush (news - web sites) at the White House, a spokesman confirmed on Sunday.

Time magazine, which first disclosed the gun's location, said military officials had it mounted after it was seized from Saddam near his hometown of Tikrit last year, and soldiers involved in the capture gave it to Bush.


The magazine quoted a visitor who had been shown the gun, which is kept in a small study off the Oval Office where Bush displays memorabilia. It is the same room where former President Bill Clinton (news - web sites) had some of his encounters with former intern Monica Lewinsky.


Bush shows Saddam's gun to select visitors, telling them it is unloaded, both now and when Saddam was captured, Time reported.


"He really liked showing it off," Time quoted a visitor as saying. "He was really proud of it."


White House spokesman Jim Morrell said, "The president was proud of the performance and bravery of our armed forces and was honored to receive it on behalf of the troops involved in the operation."
Click to expand...


http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040530/pl_nm/bush_saddam_gun_dc
 
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nemesis

New member
A tragic abuse of power which could result in his impeachment. Definitely something that should be pursued as this country has nothing else to concern itself with at this time.

How about John Kerry's claim to be a war hero? Isn't that perjury?
 
O

OBIWAN

New member
I never...had a gun...from that man....Saddam Hussein!

I am a little more fightened to imagine what President Clinton might have done with it??? :eek:
 
T

Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
nemsesis,

Can't speak for anyone else, but I'm joking...

...mostly.


(Although it'd be high irony if some OEF or Iraqi war vet is being stabbed to death in a mugging on the streets of DC tonight because he couldn't bring any war trophy pistols home. :( )
 
T

tyme

Administrator
The gun does not belong to the people. I'm not sure where you get the idea that the President's possession of it is illegal. He is, after all, the CIC, and within reason he can order allocation of stuff picked up on the battlefield.

If he were to keep it after leaving office, that would be a serious issue. I don't think he will, and if he tried I bet the courts would stop him.

I'm not sure about the issue of firearms in the District. I suspect the Whitehouse compound is immune from D.C. laws.
 
G

GregR

New member
Many gifts to the president are kept and displayed in the White House. From a legal perspective, displaying it in the NRA museum would be far more worrisome than in the White House, which does belong to the people. Regardless, I find the title of your post far more disturbing than the President displaying a war souvenir at the White House.
 
Z

Zundfolge

New member
He hasn't left office yet and the pistol is still on government property ... what "crime" has he committed?

Now if he takes the gun when he leaves office without paying for it then that would be a crime.


As for the "guns in DC" crime ... he's the president ... I imagine he doesn't fall under the "not guns in DC" law (much like military and police don't)
 
A

at2000

New member
Nice try. I'm sure the White House counsel, or one of his minions, reviews all gifts to the President and the handling thereof.
 
T

Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
No response on the hypothetical Iraq vet being hypothetically knifed in DC as we speak?

Maybe someone could craft a dummy press release for Bush to offer at the hypothetical funeral...

"My fellow Americans... Although Pvt. Jablonski lifted a pistol from the hands of Saddam Hussein as he evicted this murdering coward from his spider hole, US laws, which I have vociferously supported the enforcement of, have conspired to keep him from bringing this pistol back into the CONUS as his personal property. Instead, it was laying as a war trophy in the office through that doorway, while Pvt. Jablonski was being viciously stabbed to death three blocks from here, denied the ability to protect himself by the government which I am the nominal head of..."

Would that be a good start? ;)
 
J

joab

New member
The gun is not Dub's personal property it is the property of the Federal goverment. When he leaves office it will be archived just like all the other official gifts that have been given to all the other presidents in the past.
I agree that this is the property of the citizens of the U.S. so how would putting it in the museum of a private enterprise like the NRA museum even be remotely proper.Maybe the Smithsonian
 
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AKurat

New member
Who cares?

If he wants to keep a trophy let him. He deserves it. He did the right thing over there and will always have my respect for it.

If you want to split hairs though, I'm sure you could write a letter to the White House, and get a response as to how and why it is legal. Its funny how far some will go... :rolleyes: Keep reaching..
 
T

Tamara

Moderator Emeritus
Dear me!

I have attempted to draw a picture throwing a little bit of irony on the gun laws we all (that would mean me, AKurat, nemesis, et al) live under, and something that our Beloved Maximum Leader (in all innocence, truthfully) is doing in The Nation's Most Disarmed City.

I'll log off before the irony police catch up with me and charge me with third degree felony satire. ;) :p

(You'll forgive me for being raised in a far-off foreign land called "America" where I was taught that I was as good as anybody and better than most... :eek: )
 
D

denfoote

New member
I hope I detected a note of sarcasm (mock liberal-speak) in the original post.
Click to expand...

Not in the least!!

However, as President, he is charged with obeying the same laws that the people do.
The penalty for him is removal from office by impeachment in the House and conviction in the Senate. This is provided in the Constitution for "high crimes and misdemeanors". In modern legal mambo jumbo, a "high crime" is now called a felony.
Now, the WH is part and parcel of DC and is subject to the laws of the district.
It IS a felony to possess a handgun in DC.
Therefore, the President has committed a high crime and should be impeached!!
Let the Senate either acquit or convict!!!

Q.E.D.

Not Liberal...Constitutionalist!!
 
V

Vibe

New member
As for the "guns in DC" crime ... he's the president ... I imagine he doesn't fall under the "not guns in DC" law (much like military and police don't)
Click to expand...

And all this time I was under the impression that it was Constitutional FORBIDDEN for there to be created a "royal" class of people that were "above the law".

I don't think that a piece of memorabilia locked away on display constitutes "possession" in terms that DC law would recognise. But there are several other actions that do indicate that this clause in the Constitution is regularly ignored. Lying to Congress for on and continuing to see the light of day - I don't think Clinton was the only one to get away with that "just because" he was president. He just did it more publicly than most. But he STILL got away with it.
 
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Ironbarr

New member
Ho hum...

The White House is the Peoples' house. Further, it is on Federal property (not all of DC is "federal").

Methinks you are pulling at straws. :(

Be happy that it isn't being used to pot-shot our guys and gals from some Bagdaddy balcony. It is not a trophy; it is proof of the pudding.

-IB
.
 
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seeker_two

New member
The White House is the Peoples' house. Further, it is on Federal property (not all of DC is "federal").
Click to expand...

You beat me to it, Ironbarr... ;)

The White House is Federal Property...like the Smithsonian Museum. He's well within the law to display it there just like in any federally-funded museum or building.

When he leaves office, he can't take it with him as personal property. However (& I hope he does this), he can have the White House donate it to his Presidential Library (partially funded by the feds) for display.

If Bush 43's PL goes in Austin (where rumors say it will), I'd visit it just for THAT... :D

(...and, if you're ever in the College Station, TX area, the Bush 41 PL is a great place to visit. I go 3-4 times a year. :) )
 
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