Presidential Imperialism

Posted on | July 7, 2014 | 21 Comments

Jonathan Turley has a column by President Obama’s high-handed, irresponsible and unconstitutional exercise of unilateral power:

In our system, there is no license to go it alone. Rather, the Republic’s democratic architecture requires compromise. The process is designed to moderate legislation and create a broader consensus in support of these laws.
Nor is congressional refusal to act on a particular prescription of how to fix the economy or repair immigration laws an excuse. Sometimes the country (and by extension Congress) is divided.
When that happens, less gets done. The Framers understood such times. They lived in such a time.
While Obama did not create the uber-presidency, he has pushed it to a new level of autonomy and authority. It is a model that Democrats may soon regret. Just as Obama has unilaterally rewritten federal laws and ordered the nonenforcement of others, the next President could use the same authority to gut environmental or employment discrimination laws.

Read the whole thing.

Category: Barack Obama

Comments

21 Responses to “Presidential Imperialism”

Evi L. Bloggerlady
July 7th, 2014 @ 12:54 pm

Never let a crisis go to waste, especially when you have worked so hard to manufacture it in the first place.
Obama White House and Child Illegal Immigration: Never let a crisis go to waste… | Batshit Crazy News
July 7th, 2014 @ 12:55 pm

[…] TOM: Presidential Imperialism […]
The Daley Gator | Our Imperial President
July 7th, 2014 @ 2:01 pm

[…] Stacy McCain links a Johnathan Turley piece on Obama’s fascination with “acting when Congress will not” […]
Escher's House
July 7th, 2014 @ 4:25 pm

The arrogation of power in the presidency has been going on since Andrew Jackson, under both Democrats and Republicans. (Remember Nixon’s destruction of Bretton Woods and imposition of Wage and Price Controls.) Democrats have generally been worse than Republicans. Congress must fight back. But Obama is by far the worst. He is playing with the fire of constitutional crisis.
Federale
July 7th, 2014 @ 5:08 pm

Actually the President, or other branch of government can go it alone without compromise, but only within the confines of their constitutional authority. “Borrowing” authority from another branch is not part of the Constitutional framework. However going it alone is. It is the failure of John Boehner to “go it alone” and fight Obama on budget issues that shows a political failure. Compromise is a political act, not a Constitutional act.
Adjoran
July 7th, 2014 @ 5:13 pm

Turley, Toobin, and Tribe, the law professors who bent over backwards to defend Clinton from impeachment, all agree on the illegality and danger of Obama’s actions. It is at least fair to say that history will judge him harshly in time.

Some of the media are beginning to peel off their undying allegiance and support. Two networks beside Fox noted Obama had time for four fundraisers and a round of golf in Texas, but made no effort to see the border crisis he precipitated.

Sometimes the slippery slope is just a fun ride down.
Escher's House
July 7th, 2014 @ 5:15 pm

People are catching on that this border crisis was made in DC.
Escher's House
July 7th, 2014 @ 5:17 pm

Not sure how and where Dick Durbin found that Borrowing Clause in the Constitution. He has been quite tight-lipped about it.
Escher's House
July 7th, 2014 @ 5:18 pm

Give credit where it due. Both CBS and NBC wondered off the reservation and reported it.
Evi L. Bloggerlady
July 7th, 2014 @ 6:37 pm
Dana
July 7th, 2014 @ 7:41 pm

When Congress does not act, it means, inter alia, that there is no legislation which a majority of both Houses of Congress believe is superior to existing law.

The President is calling Congress’ — primarily the House of Representatives’ — refusal to kowtow to his programs doing nothing, but, in our system, not passing legislation is just as much of an action as passing it.
Bob Belvedere
July 7th, 2014 @ 8:29 pm

Well put.

One Quibble: The fire is now raging our of control.
Bob Belvedere
July 7th, 2014 @ 8:30 pm

Perhaps it is one of them there emanations leaking out of a penumbra?
Bob Belvedere
July 7th, 2014 @ 8:32 pm

Adj: …It is at least fair to say that history will judge him harshly in time.

Only if our kind survives, otherwise, a Ministry Of Truth will write the ‘History’…and rewrite it as needed.
Matt_SE
July 7th, 2014 @ 9:51 pm

Lefties are counting on Republicans to be the adults (as usual), and refuse to abuse the powers of their offices in the same way that Obama has.
Instead, I declare that there is a moral imperative to punish wrongdoing. Not only for its own sake, which is argument enough, but to discourage such behavior in the future.
K-Bob
July 8th, 2014 @ 4:05 am

Wait a minnit. “Our kind” are the survivors. We may not breed like cocroaches, but we shoot better than the leftists, and we have more ammo and fortified positions.

(Any inference drawn by the close proximity of the term “cocroaches” and the term “leftists” is purely intentional)
K-Bob
July 8th, 2014 @ 7:28 am

If Turley is the “shot” then the chaser is Andy McCarthy’s piece at NRO:

Andrew McCarthy: Boehner is Bringing a Whistle to a Gunfight

Bonus: Andy hammers George freaking Will for supporting the weak, pointless, gutless Boehner lawsuit.

It’s like “lawfare” as practiced within the designed contention between the branches of government. A contention that the founders assumed would be operated by men with balls, and not by failed lawyers.
Escher's House
July 8th, 2014 @ 10:14 am

You are correct. We are in the midst of a constitutional crisis. The Fire Rages. Either we douse it or it will consume us.
Escher's House
July 8th, 2014 @ 10:15 am

Spooky metaphysics has never been my bag. I’ll leave that to long dead jurists like William O. Douglas.
Sally Kohn and the ‘I’ Word | Regular Right Guy
July 8th, 2014 @ 2:24 pm

[…] Presidential Imperialism […]
cmdr358
July 8th, 2014 @ 6:39 pm

If not for your disclaimer, I was going to denounce you for disparaging cockroaches.