Emergency powers

I hear that Condi Rice talked President Musharraf out of declaring emergency rule in Pakistan, which would have given him sweeping powers to restrict freedom of movement and assembly, to suspend Parliament, and to curtail the activities of the courts.

She wanted him to wait until Bush has done the same thing here so that Bush could say it was his idea from the beginning. [Note: I am, of course, being sarcastic here, but I have no doubt Bush would do it if he thought he could get away with it. In fact, he's already doing it in a somewhat slower and more subtle way. And, if there were another 9/11 between now and the next election, I suspect he would invoke martial law immediately.]