Reliquishing power - or not

Will George Bush really vacate the White House in 2009? Here's a concern that's interestingly now gone mainstream. Check out this excerpt from an article entitled "Vice president hurts GOP's chance to retain White House" by former diplomat Dan Simpson:

There is also the late-at-night, eerie concern that Mr. Bush has in his head some sort of scenario where, for reasons of national security - real or drummed up - the 2008 elections will have to be postponed and he will get to stay on.

My suspicions have at their base the feeling I have that, given their operating style now, this bunch will not leave the White House easily in 2009.

Let us also remember what Bush did in May:

President Bush, without so much as issuing a press statement, on May 9 signed a directive that granted near dictatorial powers to the office of the president in the event of a national emergency declared by the president.

The “National Security and Homeland Security Presidential Directive,” NSPD-51, as a National Security Presidential Directive, and HSPD-20, as a Homeland Security Presidential Directive…

The directive loosely defines “catastrophic emergency” as “any incident, regardless of location, that results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the U.S. population, infrastructure, environment, economy, or government functions.”

When the President determines a catastrophic emergency has occurred, the President can take over all government functions and direct all private sector activities to ensure we will emerge from the emergency with an “enduring constitutional government.”

Right. So how do you ensure an "eduring constitutional government" by suspending the Constitution? The whole thing is both sickening and very worrying.