Wednesday 26 October 2005

Buoyed By Iraq Success, White House Examining Writing New U.S. Constitution

Wholesale Changes Seen; Special Prosecutors and Grand Juries Certain To Be Left Out

Sources close to the White House have told The Garlic that there is a frantic project being undertaken in the West Wing, with top cabinet and staff members rushing to complete writing a new Constitution before the anticipated indictments come down from Special Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald.

"Lights are blazing and it's been a 24/7, full-scale effort," said one former Capital Hill operative.

Others have reported a stream of high profile conservatives, conservative judges and legal scholars coming and going from the White House. Reports also indicated that most of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales's staff have taken up temporary offices in the West Wing.

While a lid has been placed on the operation, said to be titled "Shock and Awe II", Secretary Donald Rumsfield, in a impromptu question-and-answer session with reporters at the Pentagon, hinted that something was taking place.

When asked if President Bush would cut off the Special Prosecutor, firing him and extending a Presidential pardon to the possible targets of indictment, Rumsfield sighed and responded;

'Goodness, what a question … I suppose you would have to look at the laws on the books … The Constitution … Heaven's, the fathers of our country never could have envisioned what is going on today … Stuff happens… Administrations can be messy … Running a country is untidy, doesn't always go smoothly … You work with the resources and people you have and you do the best job that you can …"

The Bush Administration has been said to be an a "celebratory" mood, over the voting and passing of a new Iraqi Constitution. And the U.S Transition Team, led first by L. Paul Bremer, "wrote a lot of that Iraqi document".

"I think they've taken the lead by what was done in Iraq and, almost stunningly, realized that they could probably do the same thing here," said one former House staffer. "The President really wants this done."

Sources say that most of the Bill of Rights and the Amendments are being carried into the new proposed Constitution but that there will be "wholesale changes".

"Almost certainly, they have already written into it complete immunity for the Executive Branch. We're talking carte blanche … President, VP, Cabinet members, staffers … The whole team."

It's not clear if the White House can get Congress to act on it in time, to ward of the indictments. With Tom DeLay out of his Majority Leadership role and a cloud hanging over Senate Leader Bill Frist, it could be a tough sell.

"With the Republicans still in control of the Congress, the White House is confident that can pull through the numbers." said the former operative. "They'll likely have to throw in pardons for DeLay and Frist, maybe a few others, to get the deal done."

With reports that the new Constitution is nearly complete, it's being said that it has come down to the language that will outlaw abortion and kill off Roe v. Wade.

"If they include that in the new Constitution, the Conservatives will roll out the red carpet and mobilize the base. It will be a slam dunk."















President Bush, sources say, is said to be so nervous over the possible indictments against members of his staff and cabinet, that he has taken to locking himself in the Oval Office and "cutting out paper figures".