Negative Positive
Title: Rewriting the Constitution
Review: Law prof David Cole eviscerated this book in the NY Review of Books, 11/17/05 issue. Yoo's twisted "originalist" arguments for a super-executive in wartime are in direct contrast to the Founders' desire to prevent just such usurpation. They'd just escaped George III; they didn't want to repeat the experience.Cole goes on to point out that "arguments against [Yoo's] theory are academic. Modern practice is closer to Yoo's view than to the framers' vision." Congress has increasingly abdicated its powers to the presidency.So if you want to read a defense of the "imperial presidency" by someone who's demonstrated, in the Torture Memos, that he has no respect for America's ideals, this is the book for you.
Is the review positive or negative? 