Knowing Is Half The Battle

No matter how bad things get, it's usually a pretty good idea to imagine how things could be worse. I learned this from my son, who uses this technique to help him cope with the stresses he feels about sleepovers. He calls it "catastrophizing."
As a nation, we got a healthy dose of catastrophizing when it was reported that, in 2002, the Pinhead administration considered sending U.S. troops into a Buffalo, New York suburb to arrest a group of terror suspects. Vice President Dick "Dick" Cheney and several other top advisers at the time strongly urged that the military be used to apprehend men who were suspected of plotting with al Qaida, who later became known as the Lackawanna Six. Pinhead ultimately nixed the proposal and told the FBI to make the arrests. They were subsequently arrested and pleaded guilty to terrorism-related charges.
That's just as well, since there's this little thing called "Posse Comitatus Act" that dates back to 1878 that prohibits military personnel under federal authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity. Congress can authorize exceptions to this act, not the President. It's one of those fancy-schmancy Constitutional thingies. Just the kind of thing that has to be read and understood. Hence my surprise at the restraint shown, especially way back in 2002.
And now, in the true spirit of catastrophization, I wonder what other actions and challenges to the Constitution were "mulled" and subsequently carried out while Pinhead was in office. I'm not sure if this will make it easier for my son to spend the night at his friends' house, but it's bound to keep me awake waiting for the call.