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The Obama Watch
An Imperial Presidency Revealed
It involves unleashing the NLRB on a job-killing rampage.
President Barack Obama’s National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is on a job-killing rampage. It’s claiming unprecedented powers far beyond what federal law allows. Taken with Obama’s other agencies, these executive actions paint a picture of what has become an imperial presidency.
A federal appeal is certain once NLRB’s shocking attack on Boeing Co. goes through the administrative process. In a free-market society, government bureaucrats cannot dictate to a private company where they can and cannot open factories or create jobs. Boeing — whose general counsel was formerly one of the most brilliant federal judges in America, Michael Luttig — should win this court battle.
NLRB’s power grab is not limited to Boeing. It’s also claiming authority over St. Xavier University, saying that the school doesn’t qualify for the religious exemption to NLRB’s authority because St. Xavier is not Catholic enough. NLRB even cites to a 1979 Supreme Court case as giving it this authority, when that case instead makes clear that this government agency would be running afoul of the First Amendment by presuming to rate the religiosity of bone fide church organizations.
Just recently NLRB came down with three other far-left decisions. One was repealing an earlier NLRB ruling, stripping workers of the right to promptly contest the results of a vote to form a union. Another was ruling that employers everywhere must post signs on forming a union, giving the appearance that unionizing was encouraged both by the government and even the employer. Even more disturbing, NLRB took this action on its own initiative, not in response to a group filing a petition with NLRB, which is how such ruling are supposed to originate.
The third and most damaging was ruling that even where unions do not exist, employees can form micro-unions in part of a company. This would make a mess of labor laws by creating countless possible entities with which business owners and management must constantly negotiate, seriously complicating efforts to have company policies that are stable, predictable, and profitable.
Nor will the president’s handpicked appointees allow others to promote the free market. When Arizona and other states recently passed laws protecting workers’ right to a secret ballot to decide whether to form unions, NLRB filed a lawsuit to undo the results of the democratic process. That lawsuit is ongoing today.
And NLRB isn’t done. Even the Democrat-controlled Congress refused to pass President Obama’s federal card-check legislation to abolish the secret ballot. Afterward Obama’s appointees, such as hard-line labor activist Craig Becker, argued that NLRB could create this legislation through executive fiat without Congress. They may yet act on this shocking claim of lawmaking power.
Nor is this executive power grab confined to NLRB. The EPA is promulgating sweeping new regulations, imposing expensive mandates on everything from power plants to car mileage. The FCC has claimed power to control the Internet, in violation of a federal appeals court ruling. And Obamacare is proving a cornucopia of governmental controls, with HHS issuing reams of new regulations, further burdening employers and insurers.
And on immigration, President Obama has discovered a wondrous new power — just don’t enforce the law. If you don’t like the statutes on the books, ignore your oath to ensure those laws are faithfully executed. Who needs the people’s representatives in Congress to change the law, when you can just ignore it? Obama might even tout the efficiency of this lawless approach.
An imperial presidency is one in which the executive branch usurps Congress, which is the only branch with authority to make laws, and exercises power forbidden to it by the Constitution. President Obama is now claiming powers far beyond what any president has before, remaking America’s economy even when Congress refuses to go along with him.
For the sake of restoring our constitutional order, each of these issues must be taken to court as soon as possible. And next year the American people must replace the current occupant of the White House with one who understands and adheres to his constitutional role of enforcing the laws as written, and unleashing the power of the private sector to create jobs and restore prosperity to our nation.
Messrs. Blackwell and Klukowski are the authors of Resurgent: How Constitutional Conservatism Can Save America.
About the Author
Ken Blackwell, the former mayor of Cincinnati, Ohio is Vice Chairman of the Republican National Committee’s Platform Committee. He also serves on the boards of the Club For Growth and the National Taxpayers Union.
About the Author
Ken Klukowski is a fellow with the American Civil Rights Union and is on faculty at Liberty University School of Law.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (78) | Leave a comment
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Bill Hussein O'Stalin| 9.7.11 @ 6:37AM
This article only proves what few have realized.
The federal government has many powerful tentacles and if they can't come at you from the left, they will attack from the right, and failing that you better have a strong center.
Few American businesses have the resources to fight back and that's the problem and that's why jobs continue to disappear overseas.
Until the federal bureaucracies are threatened in the manner in which they regularly threaten the business class, there will be no change in America.
Changing the tax structure only handles one part of the problem. The bigger problem lies within the spider web and maze of regulations the business class must negotiate each and every hour of the day.
There are so many laws and regulations on the books it's like Mark Levin states, "You could be a criminal and not know it."
Teaghan| 9.7.11 @ 6:44AM
Can the next republican president abolish the NLRB?
pineapple| 9.7.11 @ 8:00AM
Yes, by executive fiat.
loulou| 9.7.11 @ 9:15AM
OK! Let's do it!
InLineFour| 9.7.11 @ 11:20PM
Your point begs a question that should be asked of every Republican candidate: If elected, will you clean house, firing every Obama appointee, and anyone appointed or hired by those Obama appointees? Nice Guy George W failed to do this, leaving many Clinton appointees in place, and that failure returned to haunt him, and the well being of this nation.
terryinlasvegas| 9.8.11 @ 6:22AM
In addition: If elected, will you (by Executive Order) eliminate Obamacare, neutralize the EPA, FCC, NLRB and any regulation that prevents us from using our own abundant energy supply?
Brian Mc| 9.7.11 @ 6:53AM
With the premise that we must watch what we wish for weighing heavily on my heart, why is it that there are no official efforts considering publicly, grounds for impeachment of the alien? His attainment of czars and disregard for existing laws, not to mention the Constitution, seem to be grounds enough...but, then what do I know? I'm just a simple man struggling along where health insurance is just wishfull thinking, but you don't see me whimpering at the throan of the Feds, begging them for a little security.
Maddox| 9.7.11 @ 7:02AM
Yes, why is Congress waiting for the next election to rid us of the traitor? The possibilities are endless as the regulations continue and debt grows, our economy is crumbling. Great damage is being done and all in power are as guilty as Obama and his fellow Marxists if they allow it.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 7:27AM
This is exactly correct. Let me say it a different way. Boehner and his ilk are world-class pussies. As such, they're a large part of the problem.
Trinacria| 9.7.11 @ 12:36PM
Folks,
I want to see this national disgrace gone, too, but impeachment isn't the prudent course. We've got 14 months left in the reign of his supreme majesty, the Emperor B. Hussein Obama. The process of impeachment will take time, and there will be considerable political collateral damage. And the end result? President Biden (sure, he doesn't have the same frank disdain for America/Americans that Obama does, but he's damn near as incompetent).
Patience, my brothers. It's almost over...
LiveFreeOrDie| 9.7.11 @ 1:38PM
I'm afraid impeachment proceedings would have the opposite effect as intended. The house votes to impeach, the senate promptly votes "not guilty." We've seen this before, i.e. Clinton. The cries of bigotry would rally the idiots and possibly get the man re-elected... (shudder!)
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 2:47PM
Trinacria:
I'm curious about the moniker. Are you Sicilian?
Trinacria| 9.7.11 @ 3:03PM
I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you (does that answer your question?).
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 3:38PM
Si, gratzi.
Timothy L. Pennell| 9.7.11 @ 6:57AM
This was all foretold. This was all predicted, and then, of course, LIED about.
It was said, by many, that he would use his EPA to do an end around Congress, to implement his Cap and Trade.
It was said that he would do an end around Congress, to grant Amnesty to Illegals.
It was said that he would do an end around Congress, using his NLRB, to Implement Card Check.
Am I the only one who read all of these things A YEAR AGO?
Apparently.
There's a problem in the Republican Party, and it can be summed up with a Conclusion from the 911 Commission: "They were at WAR with us. We were NOT at War with them."
We still have Republicans, who want to give this guy the benefit of the doubt. John McCain, comes to mind. McConnell. Lugar. Hatch. All the Octogenarians. (They gotta go)
These are the guys who believe, unlike their Democrat "Friends" on the other side of the aisle, that a President deserves to have the people that HE WANTS. No matter what. And, even with that, Obama had to make Recess Appointments for some of his picks. That's how FAR LEFT RADICAL these people are. He couldn't even get them past Dick Lugar and John McCain.
Look at the Supreme Court Nomination of that IDIOT BROAD. The latest one. Not the Puerto Rican Quota Queen, who threw out Firefighter Tests, in New Haven, because the minority Applicants were either too LAZY, or too STUPID, to get a passing grade. The little Pudgy Rat Faced one, who told the Senate Committee that she was of the mind, that, Congress could make us eat Broccoli, or do whatever else they wanted us to do. No Filibuster. No Problem.
I don't EVER recall the Democrats giving a Republican President's Nominees such an easy go of it. All the way back to BORK.
According to THEM, the fact that they are nominated by a Republican President, is proof enough, that they are "Out of the Mainstream".
Obama flouts the Laws of the Land, on a routine basis, with his ILLEGAL Drilling Moratoriums. (He was shot down, TWICE, by a Federal Judge. He did it anyway.) He went in to Libya, in direct violation of the Democrat's own Favorite Law: The War Powers Act. Congress said that he had to come to them for authorization. He said: "No I don't." And then, in keeping with Orwell, he made up some NEWSPEAK. "We are not at War. We are engaged in "Kinetic Activities" against "Overseas Human Catastrophes".
And, why shouldn't he.
Back in the 80's, the N.Y. Giants Head Coach - Bill Parcells - once said, when talking about his Team's ability to win:"It's no secret. Everybody knows what we're gonna do. It's up to them, to stop us".
Indeed.
Everybody KNEW this was gonna be the game plan. Like I said, it has been known for a long time. It's how things are done, on the LEFT. "By Any Means Necessary." "The Ends justify the Means."
I don't blame the MARXIST. I blame the Republicans, for LETTING him get away with it.
I think it was Andrew Jackson, who, after being ordered, by a Federal Judge, to Stop doing what he was doing at the time: "Yes. He's given his order. Now, let's see him ENFORCE it."
Indeed.
We are running out of time.
Chalkdust| 9.7.11 @ 9:02AM
Bravo Timothy!
loulou| 9.7.11 @ 9:17AM
Yes. The Republicans are missing in action. Obama the Alien grabs more and more power and the Eunuchs sit by twiddling their thumbs.
russel| 9.7.11 @ 10:25AM
Ditto's Tim . I read our sites and the conservatives think Boner has done so well , simply by pointing a finger at Zero . They're so intimidated it's disgusting . Why is the Tea Party so demonized now ? . Because we have the moxie to fight back . The socialist's are running scared . Well , all the RINO blue-blood elites better put on their running shoes too . Lugar for instance is in our cross-hairs . The weenie from Montana another . etc. Sorry to say , for now , all we can do is vote and build up an army capable of defeating this menace .
David| 9.7.11 @ 5:31PM
No one seems to really get it. It's not that the republicans are stupid, or don't care or wimps. They know exactly what they are doing and they're doing it with the democrats. They are all thieves. The democrats want the power and the republicans want the treasury. Well, they made a deal. Isn't it obvious? It is to me. "We the People" should be revolting in the streets and marching on Washington D.C.. No, we would rather just sit here and bithc and moan, because it we that are the pussies! Our forefathers would be embarrassed and ashamed of what we let the government shove up our rear ends. Our forefathers not only told us how to handle this kind of tyrranny, and thats exactly what this is tyrranny, they also gave us written permission to do away with our government anytime we saw fit and any way we saw fit. But we just sit here, the dumb asses that we are thinking soem savior is going to come from the republican party. Yeah right, if I'm Chinese then I can believe that since it's the republicans that have allowed their corporate friends to ship all the jobs to China.
It is past time for us as a people to wake up and understand that our own government has been at war with us for over 20 years and we still don't have the brains to know it, or the balls to do something about it.
Appleby| 9.7.11 @ 7:03AM
A lady in line with me waiting for the train said that her son had yelled at his father that if Dad didnt let him do something he wanted to do, he would call Child Welfare. Dad replied that the boy better think about what would happen before Child Welfare arrived.
I think Obama knows he is going to be turfed and is making the most of the time between now and then to get as much of his own way as possible. He should be stopped -- but how?
BackToBasics| 9.7.11 @ 10:15PM
If he is defeated on November 2012 he can still wreak havoc for 2.5 months. What kind of ececutive orders will he sign to maximize damage while he is sliding out the door? For one he may very well try an EO for full-citizenship amnesty for illegals? The Republicans would probably go about rescinding it legislatively instead of another EO. It would be messy even if they succeeded.
Shamus| 9.7.11 @ 7:14AM
Obama is winning the War on Prosperity.
Mike D.| 9.7.11 @ 7:30AM
And the leftist plantation herds are finding out they are going down the tubes with the rest of us.
I.e., unions, blacks, earth worshippers and the rest of the merry band of self worshipping get a life nutjobs that voted for this abortion in the White House.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 7:35AM
Shamus,
Great slogan - "War on Prosperity." As Steve Wynn said, it's wet blanket time until that evil bastard is outta' there.
Should Have Impeached| 9.7.11 @ 9:55PM
"Obama is winning the War on Prosperity."
Now THAT's the bumper sticker I want!!!
Carol| 9.7.11 @ 7:29AM
I was aware of these egregious attacks against American business.
But my question is: With an imperial presidency, can't an imperial president rule by fiat that there will be no more elections?
I've said it since the Commie took the election. Obama is already assured a second term - thanks to his boss George Soros who has already "fixed" it.
FastJohnny| 9.7.11 @ 8:43AM
No I don't think so, but what worries me is that they will cook up some kind of national crisis and find some way to pull off martial or similar type law which will be used to 'hold-off' on elections until things are brought 'under control'.
Chalkdust| 9.7.11 @ 9:13AM
That's egg-zactly why the founding father wrote the 2nd amendment. To guard against such usurping of democratic freedoms.
Aces and Eights| 9.7.11 @ 5:31PM
Just to buttress what chalkdust is saying, there are no Constitutional provisions for martial law. Period. Any such attempt by any President would be brazen usurpation. And yes, it is for just this reason that the Founders guaranteed that the People would not be disarmed by government.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 7:33AM
"...each of these issues must be taken to court as soon as possible."
What's the point? These cases take years and Obama simply ignores court rulings anyway. Resistance must be stronger and much more immediate that anything lawyers can do.
Effective campaigning by real conservatives comes to mind. Perry, Palin, or whoever needs to be hammering on this stuff every single day in the harshest language possible!
How about, oh, something like, "We have to get those sons of bitches out of the White House right now!" (Hat tip to Hoffa)
The Bishop| 9.7.11 @ 8:04AM
This illustrates the daunting task for any successor to Obozo (or any leftist Chief Executive). There is an entrenched leftist federal bureaucracy with a life all it's own who can undermine and subvert any conservative attempt to reform and reign in. The bureaucratic apparatus (with the government unions) has to be de-constructed to bring about any meaningful reform and restoration of sanity to federal governance. It may already be too late.
martin j smith| 9.7.11 @ 8:16AM
Do you recall when the Republicans had a majority in both houses and allowed the Socialists to run right over them under GWB ? This is one of the reasons we are in this situation. Republican leaders allow Socialists to run all over them. One must ask why ?
Mike D.| 9.7.11 @ 8:31AM
Because the marxists are idealogues and revolutionaries and play to win, whether by leaps and bounds or incrementally by inches. The Repubs-Rinos are statist career ruling class elites who exist by giving those Marxists the incremental inch victories in exchange for the political existence they live for. The threat of the mainstream Pravda media's scrutiny and scorn HAS ALWAYS driven most RINOS into diaper soiling events and cowardice.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 8:53AM
Mike D.,
Well said.
Mike D.| 9.7.11 @ 9:54AM
Compromise is merely a tool the left uses to achieve the final victory by incremental steps. The Rinos view compromise as some form of being noble and statemanlike thereby cementing their careers and future political power, and allowing for the self-patronizing mental masturbating they are so fond of.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 10:02AM
The Republican candidate who speaks bluntly and is willing to take a gun to a gun fight (responds insult for insult) gets my support. Who will that be? Will Perry be tough for the primaries then move to the center for the general election to finally reign as a RINO?
One thing you have to say about Ron Paul is the probability of his sticking to a campaign promise is very high. The others... who knows.
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 1:03PM
Which candidate can we get on record willing to eliminate the litany of unscrupulous, if not illegal, actions of this President including of course the now notorious Obamacare? Who will call for Cangress to repeal that and other regulations? All the talk but no commitment to action leaves us in the same place as we are today.
Mike 3/505| 9.7.11 @ 8:22AM
This may come as an off the wall suggestion, but we won't be able to fix anything until we get at least two consecutive, conservative presidents. These egregious regulations are just the symptoms. Job one for the next president is going to be to get rid of them. But, his ongoing job, is going to be emplacing long term guarantees of our freedom.
The next president needs to make sure that no federal court position goes unfilled by a conservative justice. The next president needs to legislatively curb or eliminate IRS power to freeze someone's assets absent a court conviction. The next president needs to create an alternate/parallel banking system that doesn't force banks to cooperate with the federal government on non banking issues...such as freezing my assets for non compliance with federal regulations.
Over time, by regulation and empowerment of entities such as the IRS, the federal government has restricted our power to " civilly disobey." for all of our protection, we need to reverse that course.
Regards,
Mike
Redstateboy| 9.7.11 @ 8:45AM
If you work for a company.. every company has a bulletin board which posts regulations, laws, etc.
these boards 40 years ago were modest and had one or two postings.. Now?? they're huge!! filled with gobs of placards, rulings, laws, etc., etc.,.. And Hussein and Liber-uls wonder Why! we're not creating jobs?!?
Shamus| 9.7.11 @ 11:29AM
Obama's chief of staff once compared liberals to retarded people, but subsequently wound up apologizing to retarded people.
RT| 9.7.11 @ 8:54AM
Look at the thumbnail picture next to the article and compare Obama's picture with those of Mussolini. Tellingly, both of them look down their nose at people - literally. Both jut their chins out into the air conveying an attitude of superiority, condescencion, and contempt. Go to google (or the like), type obama and mussolini, and hit images. The similarity is striking.
RT| 9.7.11 @ 8:56AM
...or condescension, rather...
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 8:58AM
The country needs a high-profile business leader to stand up right now and say business owners and managers will not hire a single new employee or make any investments until Obama is gone - period.
Obama is going to blame Congress for everything. We need high-profile Americans to blame Obama for his Marxist mess. They can start by citing the many points in this article. Where the hell are they?
Steve Wynn is a good example of this. He got a couple of days of national coverage for his "wet blanket" remark. We need a lot more just like him and we need them now!
LiveFreeOrDie| 9.7.11 @ 1:47PM
Double-edged sword. The pukes will find it too easy to point and say, "See! Big evil corporations support Republicans!"
Pecos Pete| 9.7.11 @ 9:09AM
A veto proof Conservative House, Senate and Presidency could fix the federal government by killing the alphabet agencies leaving only the constitutionally established departments of the government.
All of the buried Marxist bureacrats would then move, probably, to California.
Von Mises Jr.| 9.7.11 @ 9:13AM
There is a terrific opportunity for second tier Republican Presidential candidates to advance the debate and perhaps enhance their standing.
Bachmann, Paul or Cain could do well for the country and gain exposure by promising to cut the EPA, NLRB, Energy and Education Departments back by 50% through Executive Order on day one!
It is time to take them out just as Hoffa suggested.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 10:35AM
Absolutely!
David| 9.7.11 @ 5:39PM
The department of education should be totally done away with and leave education to the states and the local school board, just like it was when America was number one in math and science.
crookedwren| 9.7.11 @ 9:23AM
The Courts will rule -- but even the Courts have more than their fair share of Marxists and fellow travelers. But who is going to get these things on the docket? And when? And if they take too long to get there, how many will have become embedded?
We're finding a serious glitch in this Republic's Constitution -- how does a citizenry restrict an Executive Branch that is usurping the powers of the Legislative Branch? How do we ENFORCE the separation of powers?
The Judiciary has the power to rule, but look what has happened when they've made rulings unfavorable to the Executive -- when they ruled to reinstate the drilling, the Executive Branch merely responded with yet another order to keep it shut down. When there was a court ruling against the takeover of the internet, the FCC simply acted on its own -- in defiance of the court ruling -- claiming its right to regulate the internet.
We are living in a time where the Constitution is being shredded by those who took an oath to uphold and defend it. Dangerous precedents are being established by this Administration.
And we have a Congress that will not and cannot act in defense of its own authority and power to legislate.
If they won't and can't, how, then, can we?
How do WE THE PEOPLE take our case to the Court?
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 2:33PM
The States will have to sue the Federal government over laws, regulations and dictats that viol;ate the seperation of powers or the specific provisions of enumerated powers. Right now some 33 States are involved in suits over Obamacare. Other States like Ala and AZ are being sued over their attempts to enforce Federal Laws which the national government refuses to enforce. The question is, If the famously tainted courts rule against the States, what options do the States, or the people, retain. When does the "alter and abolish" concept come into play?
David| 9.7.11 @ 5:41PM
After the election of 2012 the republicans will control the house. We let it be known to those senators on the judicial committee that they had better start impeaching those judges that defy the people and the law or we will have those senators in recall elections so fast their heads will spend. It is ridiculous how few judges are impeached when we all know that far too many of them are either incompotent or have an agenda.
Mike D.| 9.7.11 @ 9:46AM
The first rule of the game in Washington is to never threaten the existence of the game. Protection of the Constitution by internal policing and removal of any of the ruling class on either side IS a threat the existence of the game. Doing that would imply that something is wrong with the game to outsiders(us) and that would threaten the games existence and its status quo. The government in Washington is a seperate, self-protecting, living and breathing parasitic entity that feeds off its host and it isn't about to allow that host to remove it or cure it and if sacrificing the constitution is a means to continue its existence, then so be it.
Gary B| 9.7.11 @ 10:43AM
Excellent point. The DC elite must feel threatened by a Tea Party revolt, else why are they behaving like a Chinese fire drill in an anthill and resort to inflammatory fighting words. They saw what happened in Wisconsin. Don't want that!
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 1:05PM
Good observations. Is there a candidate who is willing to commit to the overturn of this administration? If not then all the words translate into nothing concrete. Words are cheap without the willingness to "take that hill".
Kevin Dunn| 9.7.11 @ 9:47AM
From Wikipedia. Now what is everyone waiting for?
A writ of mandamus or mandamus (which means "we command" in Latin), or sometimes mandate, is the name of one of the prerogative writs in the common law, and is "issued by a superior court to compel a lower court or a government officer to perform mandatory or purely ministerial duties correctly".[1]
Mandamus is a judicial remedy which is in the form of an order from a superior court to any government subordinate court, corporation or public authority to do or forbear from doing some specific act which that body is obliged under law to do or refrain from doing, as the case may be, and which is in the nature of public duty and in certain cases of a statutory duty.[2] It cannot be issued to compel an authority to do something against statutory provision.
Mandamus may be a command to do an administrative action or not to take a particular action, and it is supplemented by legal rights. In the American legal system it must be a judicially enforceable and legally protected right before one suffering a grievance can ask for a mandamus. A person can be said to be aggrieved only when he is denied a legal right by someone who has a legal duty to do something and abstains from doing it.
saleboter| 9.7.11 @ 9:58AM
I can imagine the wailing and cursing if GWB had done one tenth of this. What the dems don't realize is they set a precident and they won't be in power forever (or even 2 more years) and the pubbie president can then rule by executive fiat.
Petronius| 9.7.11 @ 10:25AM
Can't think of anything to add save one. The next election will not put an end to this despotism from the left. Then what? Remember the Fatima prophecies. And get used to calling each other comrade and saluting the "dear leader" or they will take away your ration book and send you to Detroit.
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 1:07PM
Yes Petronius a distinct possibility albeit a dark vision of our future. There, simply put, is the question of our era. Are we willing to take the hit to preserve Liberty or are we simply voices crying out against a long slide into tyranny?
big bob| 9.7.11 @ 12:44PM
I'm not sure how it could or would be done, but if we could be bring criminal charges against these bureaucrats, we might be able to get their attention. It might have to come at the state level, from the states' attorneys general offices, or thereabouts. Arizona seems to have a bead on this. If these cronies were to be subjected to the similar criminal indictments as say, their private counterparts, we might be able to put this monster on pause. I think it's time that we start holding them to the same standard as the private sector, even if it's only in bits and pieces. I would love to hear depositions from Holder, or Sis in HHS, for example. That would be worth the price of admission.
cicero| 9.7.11 @ 12:48PM
As a young attorney in 1974, I was asked to speak to a group of young matrons. After a short desertaion on the effects of the law on the citizenry, I asked for questions. Most of the questions had to do with homeowners insurance and traffic tickets. Ultimately, one woman asked what I considered the greatest danger facing America. I responded, "Government by fiat." This was at the beginning of the legislative establishment of the regulatory agencies. My comments were met with silence.
Later that year, Pres. Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace, and the legislative branch of government accelerated its pace of accumulation of power through the agencies it had established.
We are now at that stage where we either retake the power of self government, or slide into the dark hole of the aristocracy of the beaurocracy.
So far, only Michelle Bachmann has come out and stated that she would abolish whole departments of regulators. She named Education, Energy, and a few others. I wish all of the other Repub candidates would adopt her positions on the matter. It would set up a very interesting campaign, and would send shock and fear throughout thee Federal beaurocracy.
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 1:13PM
Well said Cicero. Would that we had your namesake today. The establishment of the many regulatory agencies is Constitutionally suspect in any event. The Congess passes its legislative function to executive agencies who then pass regulations having the force of law. Clearly it is a likely violation of the seperation of powers which underlies our three branch government. This government is not designed for efficiency in controlling the oublic, but rather for the preservation of Liberty. Every time I hear the call for government to "do something" I shudder, for from that desire stems our incresing lack of individual freedom.
Lloyd Braun| 9.7.11 @ 2:15PM
Sure hope this all can be switched off once Obuckethead is sent packing and not take years of legislation and appeal to rectify!!!
Tim the Enchanter| 10.10.11 @ 11:10AM
Hey! I'm sure Buckethead would feel insulted by the insinuation. After all, he plays one mean guitar!
Oldefarte| 9.7.11 @ 3:55PM
This editorial simply defines the personal decision which each of you here must decide next November. Do you want this country to continue on its socialistic path to destruction as a former capitalistic nation? Therefore will you vote for Democrats or Republicans [its as simple as that]!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
k962| 9.7.11 @ 4:18PM
This is the typical leftist mode of operation, the end justifies the means, the law be dammed!
Mike D.| 9.7.11 @ 4:33PM
When your opponents use your own principals and standards as weapons against you, and they themselves have none and adhere to none, they you can be assured what you are fighting against is evil in intent and character. Destruction is the purpose and intent of anything evil and this man in the Whitehouse is a deceiver and is evil to the core.
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 4:56PM
Thankfully for you Mike, in libel cases Truth is a defense. Well said.
Pat| 9.7.11 @ 5:40PM
“Imperial presidency” – since Nixon’s time that’s one over used phrase, as trite and meaningless as “Have a Nice Day”. The media on both the Left and the Right glommed on to “Imperial Presidency” and have been humping each other’s legs with it ever since. In truth, Obama simply surfed in on a wave of adoring voters and promptly proceeded to divvy up the spoils of war among his supporters and those movers and shakers who put him there. And our Congress is portrayed as a band of junior high school girls confronted by a vicious gang of Hell’s Angels – they’re prevented from exerting their legally designated authority – as if these career pork merchants would actually discharge their Constitutional responsibilities.
Some of us Americans hope many other Americans will get the message and throw this sorry excuse for a Chief Executive out next election, but even that issue is in doubt. The Dems could run a different presidential candidate, giving Obama the traditional Ambassador to England consolation prize and we’ll be stuck with more of the same, only with the replacement band of clowns sporting new makeup. The phrase we’re vainly searching for here is “Stupid Electorate” – defined as a nation of citizens who tolerate a corrupt, moribund governmental system because they don’t know what else to do.
Our media doesn’t dare use this phrase for fear of insulting those remaining customers who still swallow their incessant chatter. Try to recall the actual events - Obama initially enjoyed complete control of Congress, he recognized his golden opportunity, robbed and raped his constituents with total impunity and must be highly amused so many voters naively expected a different outcome. With the right sort of “Stupid Electorate”, it takes a very moral American to resist donning the mantle of “Imperial President”.
Juan Jose Morales-Castillo| 9.7.11 @ 7:46PM
Those least capable of handling power responsibly are always the ones most ravenous for more power.
Aquellos menos capaces de manejar bien el poder son siempre aquellos mas deseosos de mucho mas poder.
Quote from the wisest man I ever knew, my grandfather whose name I bear and whose memory I treasure:
JUAN MORALES CARDONA,
Al Adab| 9.7.11 @ 7:58PM
Es verdad.
BackToBasics| 9.7.11 @ 10:23PM
I have not seen anyone comment on the damage Obam could do with EO's even if he is defeated. I posted part of this above but will add a little more here.
If he is defeated on November 2012 he can still wreak havoc for 2.5 months. What kind of ececutive orders will he sign to maximize damage while he is sliding out the door? For one he may very well try an EO for full-citizenship amnesty for illegals? The Republicans would probably go about rescinding it legislatively instead of another EO. It would be messy even if they succeeded.
If he granted this and Republicans failed to rescind it, he might even, God forbid, try to get into the primaries in 2019-2020. Black and Hispanic minorities are not primary voters by and large but I don't count anything out these days or in 2019 -2020 when the demographics will be even less favorable to Republicans.
POST American| 9.7.11 @ 10:35PM
---------------------BOTTOM LINE---------------------
Laying aside our current David Rockefeller
puppet show -----
surely, as for job killing, NOTHING approaches
the machinations of BOTH Bushes, and Clintons
in their deliberate and obedient betrayal of
virtually the entire American economy, at
US taxpayer expense, into the hands of the
most awesomely genocidal, and
wholly unrepentant, regime mankind has EVER seen
---across the Pacific.
--You know the place, just beyond the
site of that curiously on cue, agenda advancing,
HAARP-esque Fukishima world DEPOP OP.
Controse| 9.7.11 @ 11:35PM
What the hell are you talking about?
POST American| 9.7.11 @ 11:12PM
-----------------BOTTOMLESS LINE-------------------
--And this just in, Bloomberg News featuring
a whole string of figures, in lockstep stating
that circumstances demand European nations
surrender sovereignty and hand it over to
the private (USURY) banking cartel.
Even the 'conservative' RIIA front David Cameron
making the same call.
---------------------NO MORE JOKES.
--------------------DO YOU UNDERSTAND?
-----------------------THIS IS TREASON.
Controse| 9.7.11 @ 11:33PM
How come no call for impeachment Ken?
Arimathean | 9.8.11 @ 2:02PM
The American people would not stand for this if they knew what was going on. But they do not know, because the media are covering for Obama instead of holding him accountable.
Arimathean | 9.8.11 @ 4:28PM
I wonder if a state attorney general could sue the NLRB under RICO statutes . . .