Signing Statements Strike a Nerve

"That's unacceptable."

The Huntsville (Ala.) Times : "There's nothing in the Constitution -- and there shouldn't be -- that says the president gets to pick and choose which laws to obey. When he took his oath, Bush swore to enforce all of them.

"If, during a time of national peril, Bush wants extraordinary powers to meet threats, the Constitution says he must go to Congress to try to get them."

Melbourne-based Florida Today : "Suing a president is a grave recourse, but the option has been made necessary by one who believes he's impervious to the law."

The Loveland (Colo.) Reporter-Herald : "The push and pull of the powers of the presidency versus the powers of Congress has gone on through much of our history and will continue in the future. Still, it appears that Specter's proposed legislation is worthy of significant debate. Among other things, it will give students of American government a lot to think about. And if Specter's bill passes, the signing statement from the president that goes along with it could be a doozy."

The Reading (Pa.) Eagle : "Under the pretext of protecting the country against terrorism, Bush has tried to set himself above Congress and the courts.

"Yes, the threat of terrorism is real, but the country is not even remotely in a state of panic that would warrant placing that kind of power in the president.

"Whether Bush wants to admit it or not, this is still a representative democracy, and the policy of the separation of powers is still intact."

The Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader : "Congress has allowed Bush to get out of hand. After the 9/11 tragedies, lawmakers from both parties gave the executive branch too much authority and too little scrutiny. . . .

"Specter's bill is one step in restoring the balance of powers that is the foundation of our democracy."

The Buffalo News : "President Bush has some peculiar ideas about what it means to be the chief executive of a democracy built upon the concept of checks and balances. . . .

"There is no practical way other than political pressure to force Bush to abide fully by the laws he is signing. Americans can apply that pressure as mid-term elections approach. So can an increasingly frustrated Congress. Here's hoping they do."