On this blog under Rogue Executive I detailed various acts, improprieties and quasi-illegalities of this president and asked “how much license do we want a president to have, or should he have, under the constitution?”.
Let’s be clear. The congress, meaning House-Senate combined, is the highest authority in the land, besides the Supreme Court.
If the congress passes a bill it becomes law in the 50 states. No person/authority can contest its legality or challenge its constitutionality except through the federal courts, the final appeal being the Supreme Court. Witness the very unpopular Obamacare as an example. We don’t like it, but after Chief Justice Robert’s illogical opinion/ruling, there’s very little we can do about it.
Congress itself, with debate/reconsideration, can correct a bad law by amending/appending or flat out rescinding it in favor of a new, better law. But when drenched in politics/philosophy this is impossible with the majority that made the law still in power. Notice, this majority doesn’t reflect the populist will of the people, who want this law overturned! But no matter. It will be law until 1) It is appealed/taken up by a future Supreme Court, ruled unconstitutional 2) 2014 congress convenes with a republican majority, moves to pass a new bill to replace/overturn this one.
That’s a lot to digest, but I want to make the point the congress is a very powerful body to be reckoned with and not ignored. How is it, then, that a president can scoff at its mandates, ignore and dally with its requests, and flat out reject its authority? This president and others have done exactly this.
What do we expect from a president? As leader, shouldn’t he/she honor and obey the constitution, abide by the law, and reflect a sense of propriety in conduct/demeanor, especially regarding the protocols/conventions governing the relationships & balance of powers between the three branches of government?
Richard Nixon complained, how could he be negotiating with China one minute, then worry about some trivial political matter the next? Spying/eavesdropping on political adversaries somehow didn’t amount to high crimes and misdemeanors, at least not in his mind. As president he felt his judgment about things took precedence over letter of the law. All one had to do was weigh the consequences of the two activities to see his point.
We know now there were not enough of those who agreed with him or took his point, to save his presidency. The indignation, especially among political enemies, was huge and actionable, spearheaded by the likes of Hillary Clinton.
So the system, driven by a concerted effort of political enemies whose constitutional sensitivities they claimed were efronted by his callous disregard of local law, worked. An arrogant, out of control executive was made to answer for his misdemeanors, however trivial.
There are lots more examples but I’ll focus on two: Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. Clinton took office with a well-established propensity for dalliance and sexual predation. Numerous allegations had been made by various women in Arkansas, but none stuck. The Democrat Party hierarchy at the time evidently knew of these alleged transgressions and went ahead anyway to select him as their candidate. The rest is history. He wasted enormous amounts of taxpayer dollars as he was investigated by the congress. His effectiveness as president was certainly diminished, as he was constantly distracted away from the people’s business either by ongoing legal battles or potential new conquests.
The point is, he was ultimately made answerable for his acts the same as Nixon. Maybe not driven from office, but besmirched in character, impeached in presidency and impaired in legacy. He was made to understand that, even as president, he could not be fast and loose in his authority, could not wield his high office to shield his disparagements. I suppose history will ultimately decide, painting the luster/sheen of his legacy.
Now we have Obama riding roughshod over congress and bullying the Supreme Court with his beseachings, implorings and threats. We have him lying to the people, over and over again, about Benghazi, Fast & Furious, White House leaks, NSA spying and a host of what he knew and when he knew its. He enters the public discourse at will as it suits him, defending Trayvon Martin and other blacks, cavalierly impugning whatever truths may be.
He cloaks himself in the trappings of civil rights and human decency while extolling his nascent, innate reverse racism against whites/white institutions, openly and candidly. Time and again he has sided with blacks before having all the facts or knowing the circumstances, helping to feed the hateful rhetorical flames of people like Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Geraldo Rivera and so many more, but space doesn’t permit.
He misled the people on Benghazi for political benefit, and caused others to support the coverup. He ordered top staff and cabinet officers to conspire/collude in this purpose, impugning themselves and the integrity of their offices. He possibly is responsible for the deaths of four Americans in that 1) he may have ordered potential rescuers to stand down 2) he may have been behind a covert effort to run guns to Syrian rebels through Libya, over the objections of local diplomats/persons-on-scene, thus acting illegally and perhaps precipitating a false-flag attack to silence his detractors.
These are serious allegations, but in the absence of full and honest disclosure of the timeline of events and actions happening before, during and after the Benghazi attack, I feel we have no choice but to assume the worst.
Why does he give himself such license? How can he? Why do we allow it? Has the system become so politicized it effectively insulates a tyrant and his lackeys from probings, questionings and the constitutional inquirings of his own government?
These are the actions of a tyrant, dictator or king; not a democratically elected president. The time has come for us to decide if we willingly delegate all concern and responsibility for the safety/sovereignty of our land to such president, to administer as he sees fit, or, if we shall continue to expect/demand that such president not act unilaterally in such matters but remain in the throes of advise/consent constraints of congress as envisioned and required by the founding fathers and set out by them in the constitution.
There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind this president is/appears to be acting with unbridled authority beyond the powers of his office. Only a regent or king acts this way, knowing he is answerable to no higher authority.
Nixonian? Clintonian? Nixon called to question the workings of law regarding a simple break-in & coverup, whether it exempted a president? Clinton’s actions/assaults/wrong-doings called to question the integrity of his office, his personal character and his ability to side-step societal rules/laws governing conduct and behavior between the sexes.
Obama takes us to a higher level. We no longer have the comfort of knowing government is in place working it’s will, safeguarding the constitution and protecting the nation. We no longer have peace of mind knowing laws are at work, protecting the people and insuring justice will prevail. We have only a president who seems aloof, arrogant, unanswerable, given to whim and impulse.
Benign dictator? Potential tyrant? Prince of peasantry? King & lord over all? I’ll take constitution, democratic republic and government of the people, by the people and for the people.
I place my faith and trust in these. How about you?
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I’m Al Shanea
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