Senator Arlen Specter (R-Penn.) introduced legislation on Wednesday to challenge President Bush's insistence that he can bypass sections of bills that he signs into law.  The American Bar Association claims President Bush has violated the Constitutional oath by issuing hundreds of "signing statements" to disregard selected provisions of the laws that Congress passed and he signed.  Judiciary Committee Chairman Specter's bill would empower Congress to bring federal court lawsuits to test the constitutionality of Bush's signing statements.  The ABA asserts that signing statements cannot be a substitute for a presidential veto and that such an assertion of presidential power amounts to a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court already has ruled unconstitutional.

In America, the Constitution is the supreme law of the land meaning that nothing can be higher than the document of law written by our founding fathers.  It looks to me like President Bush is trying to undermind our constitution.  No person in America is above the law, not even the President.  If proven without a reason of doudt that he performed these line item vetos or signing statements, he needs to be treated like any other person who broke the law in America.  These legislations need to be reformulated so they can be resigned or vetoed to go back to the senate for a 2/3rds vote.  I'm not trying to bash the President here but he of all people should know the laws he must abide by.  This isn't even a democrat versuses republican issue.  This is an issue of legality only.  It simply is unconstitutional for a president to do this kind of thing.  Supreme Court ruled in 1998 that the president cannot pick and chose what parts of a bill he likes and veto the rest.  He needs to face some sort of penality for his actions if proven guilty.