Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Executive

EXECUTIVE, n. An officer of the Government, whose duty it is to enforce the wishes of the legislative power until such time as the judicial department shall be pleased to pronounce them invalid and of no effect. Following is an extract from an old book entitled, The Lunarian Astonished — Pfeiffer & Co., Boston, 1803:
 LUNARIAN: Then when your Congress has passed a law it goes directly to the Supreme Court in order that it may at once be known whether it is constitutional?

TERRESTRIAN: O no; it does not require the approval of the Supreme Court until having perhaps been enforced for many years somebody objects to its operation against himself — I mean his client. The President, if he approves it, begins to execute it at once.

LUNARIAN: Ah, the executive power is a part of the legislative. Do your policemen also have to approve the local ordinances that they enforce?

TERRESTRIAN: Not yet — at least not in their character of constables. Generally speaking, though, all laws require the approval of those whom they are intended to restrain.

LUNARIAN: I see. The death warrant is not valid until signed by the murderer.

TERRESTRIAN: My friend, you put it too strongly; we are not so consistent.

LUNARIAN: But this system of maintaining an expensive judicial machinery to pass upon the validity of laws only after they have long been executed, and then only when brought before the court by some private person — does it not cause great confusion?

TERRESTRIAN: It does.

LUNARIAN: Why then should not your laws, previously to being executed, be validated, not by the signature of your President, but by that of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court?

TERRESTRIAN: There is no precedent for any such course.

LUNARIAN: Precedent. What is that?

TERRESTRIAN: It has been defined by five hundred lawyers in three volumes each. So how can any one know?
2009 Update: A functionary charged with fabricating the first draft of corporate illusions and believing them last.


Welcome to the presidency, Brother Obama. A pleasant retirement, Brer. Bush.

14 comments:

Tom & Icy said...

Minnie Strator is a lot like Bush in believing her own lies.

Anonymous said...

Pithy and wonderful update. Actonbell said it all really

My WV is very strange and uh maybe fitting
outtlie

Anonymous said...

EXECUTIVE, n. In the American political system, one who executes the laws. Which is why the death penalty is still legal in these United States.

Mr. Bush will enjoy the kind of retirement denied, on account of his executive actions, to millions of his fellow citizens.

On the other hand, conspiracy theories aside, Mr. Bush did not elect himself.

May We choose better, henceforth.

Ariel the Thief said...

The fun is over.

Indeterminacy said...

Doug, I hope you get a cabinet post.

TLP said...

I hope we never have another branch from the bush bunch in the White House.

I like your definition better than Ambrose's.

Hobbes said...

Your photo is not showing up on my blog. Did someone make an executive decision I don't know about?

G said...

Executive - that's when you get to have lots of balls...in your honor - Inauguration, that is!

Anonymous said...

aaahhh... we have a new executive who hopes to undo all those last minute executive orders put forth in haste by the departed executive.

gw is so disliked on this planet that he'll likely miss out on the largest of the retired exec perc: the golden honorarium. Not that I'm complainin'.

tsduff said...

Sorry, but you have posted two words this week to which I've not been able to respond. This includes Loss (just can't do it) and today's word. Today's word makes me cringe in a way that make ME CRINGE. Executives are all blown up, big headed creeps, and if they are too new or young to have achieved such status, they are still doomed. Bleah.

Jamie Dawn said...

Executive: the big cheese

I will judge President Obama the same way I did President Bush... by his actions, not his words.
God bless our new president with wisdom and our nation with prosperity and safety.
Amen.

Doug The Una said...

And to you, Actonbell. Enjoy.

Is she retired, too, Icy?

Pia, I am trying to translate WV and outtlie but thanks.

Amoeba, that's the easy part.

Let the bad times roll, Ariel?

Thanks, Indie. I'm hoping for Secretary of the Exterior.

TLP, like the poor, the Bush is with us always.

I don't know about either, Hobbes, but maybe.

It's kind of a trade off, I think, G.

Sauerkraut, I haven't heard about many last minute orders.

Terry, I'm trying real hard not to take that personally.

Amen, JD.

tsduff said...

You are no executive - dogs are exempt from such folly.

Minka said...

I actually love your definition for this one!
Not even going to attempt this one... Iceland's ruled by Jon´s cousin. We do not know how exactly it works!