"The American public needs no explanation of such plans." - the White House

If the news hasn't been keeping you awake lately, here's a little something that seems to have slipped past our ever vigilant press.

George Bush has signed executive orders giving him sole authority to impose martial law, suspend habeas corpus and deploy private security forces like Blackwater into American streets.

This would make him King George I, with no checks and balances, a lot like the government we have right now with our Democratic congress. So the coup shouldn't distract you from the new season of America's Got Talent.

There is some cold comfort. These national security initiatives put FEMA in charge of administering the executive order and we know they'll be just as competent at suspending the Constitution and establishing internment camps as they were in rescuing New Orleans.

Update: Here are a few paragraphs from The Boston Globe about this story:

James Carafano, a homeland security specialist at Heritage [Foundation], criticized the administration for failing to inform the public that the new policy was coming, and why it was changing...

But White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said that because of the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the American public needs no explanation of such plans.

That's right. The president signs an executive order that gives him what one conservative commentator called dictatorial powers but we don't need an explanation of such plans. Nope. Move along.

That makes me feel so much better.

Sure, this isn't as big a story as Paris Hilton's three weeks in jail (which qualifies her to write a hard luck memoir ala A Million Little Pieces*) but we thought you'd like to know.

*Paris, you're going to need a ghost writer for this, someone with a track record, someone who can spell, so call me.