Kiss 130 Years Of Law Goodbye

The U.S. military expects to have 20,000 uniformed troops inside the United States by 2011 trained to help state and local officials respond to a nuclear terrorist attack or other domestic catastrophe, according to Pentagon officials.

That sounds pretty cool, and all, but for one teensy little issue: what a Drudge lead describes as the Passé Comitatus Act....  The Posse Comitatus Act is a 130-year-old federal law restricting the military's role in domestic law enforcement.  It's law for good reason.  The maintenance of internal standing armies has long been recognized as a disaster waiting to happen, due to the potential for abuse.  The Bush administration is opening a door that needs to remain closed.

Comments

[ZZMike]

It's definitely a bad step in the wrong direction. The Army &c do what they do outside our borders (except, of course, our Southern border), and the National Guard does it inside.

The question is, though: what should we do to protect against something like a Mumbai-type attack?

Then again, maybe this is one of those Bush things that Obama will squelsh.

20000 troops isn't a lot - that's 400/state - but anyone who thinks that isn't a start is a bit naive. How many troops will we have coming back from Iraq when Obama declares victory due to the progressive thought of Obama?

If there are any demonstrations, the anarchists will be the first to hit the streets. The liberal left will no doubt be stunned and amazed to find that the extreme left's hatred isn't directed just at Bush, but at anyone in power.

[Patrick Joubert Conlon]

Unfortunately Bush opened quite a few doors that should have remained closed and Obama and his commies will inherit the precedents.

When will "conservatives" realize that big government is always dangerous even when it gives them what they want?