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Obama’s Pen: The Most Powerful Branch of Government?
Pajamas Media ^ | April 22, 2011 | Patrick Richardson

Posted on 04/22/2011 2:33:04 PM PDT by Kaslin

This week's leaked executive order draft is far from the first time this administration has looked to ignore congressional or legal defeat (i.e., the rule of law).

Earlier this week on PJM, Hans A. von Spakovsky revealed that President Barack Obama is prepared to use the power of the presidential pen to impose portions of the DISCLOSE Act — the Democratic attempt, spearheaded by Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Chris Van Hollen, to overturn the decision of the United States Supreme Court in Citizens United v. FEC:

The bill had onerous requirements that were duplicative of existing law and burdensome to political speech. It never passed Congress because of principled opposition to its unfair, one-side requirements that benefited labor unions at the expense of corporations. Democratic commissioners at the Federal Election Commission then tried to implement portions of the bill in new regulations. Fortunately, those regulations were not adopted because of the united opposition of the Republican commissioners.

According to a release by House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Chairman Rep. Darrell Issa (R-CA), the draft executive order would require companies doing business with the federal government to disclose contributions to some issue advocacy groups while exempting labor unions and special interest groups that support the president’s agenda:

This order is a purely political act offered under the benign label of disclosure. … The order would not impose the same requirements on the labor unions or other organizations who support the president. Furthermore, it unnecessarily politicizes the procurement process.

The administration is again attempting to achieve through regulation what they could not accomplish through legislation. This sleight of hand cannot continue as the president makes promises to work together while issuing highly political edicts that simultaneously circumvent the will of Congress and the Courts. Transparency and disclosure are serious issues that are essential to restoring Americans’ faith in their government. The president, here, is using them as a political hammer to strike at his opponents. They deserve more thoughtful consideration.

This is not the first time the president has tried such a move. The Huffington Post reported (if only to cheer him on):

Faced with a Congress hostile to even slight restrictions of Second Amendment rights, the Obama administration is exploring potential changes to gun laws that can be secured strictly through executive action, administration officials say.

As far back as February of last year, the New York Times took note as well:

With much of his legislative agenda stalled in Congress, President Obama and his team are preparing an array of actions using his executive power to advance energy, environmental, fiscal and other domestic policy priorities.

This March, the administration ignored a major federal court ruling:

U.S. District Judge Roger Vinson [...] chastised the government for not interpreting [his ruling against Obamacare] as an immediate injunction to stop implementing the new law.

Vinson criticized the Justice Department for not following normal procedure and requesting a stay.

“It was not expected that they would effectively ignore the order and declaratory judgment for two and one-half weeks, continue to implement the Act, and only then file a belated motion to ‘clarify,’” Vinson wrote.

The administration is fond of claiming it serves the interests of governmental openness, but it’s painfully clear that the latest executive order has nothing at all to do with transparency. (Witness my Kafkaesque adventures in FOIA-land with Richard Pollock this month.) So much for the most transparent administration in history.


TOPICS: Government
KEYWORDS: powergrab

1 posted on 04/22/2011 2:33:07 PM PDT by Kaslin
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To: Kaslin
I'd love to see this jerk’s grades in science classes..
2 posted on 04/22/2011 2:35:13 PM PDT by pieceofthepuzzle
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To: pieceofthepuzzle
Sorry. Meant to post this in the thread on Obama’s comments about ‘climate deniers’.
3 posted on 04/22/2011 2:36:20 PM PDT by pieceofthepuzzle
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To: Kaslin

Would love to see Holder hit with a contempt charge over ignoring Vinson’s order.


4 posted on 04/22/2011 2:38:13 PM PDT by Colonel_Flagg ("It's hard to take the president seriously." - Jim DeMint)
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To: Kaslin
Actually...the people are the most powerful branch of government...at least until obama takes the guns away.

TPMNUMBERS
5 posted on 04/22/2011 2:39:15 PM PDT by FrankR (Liberals Don't Have Scruples, Judgement or Morals...only MOTIVES.)
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To: Kaslin

Obama’s poll numbers are tanking and he is out there with the Alfred E. Neuman look on his face all the time. No wonder he has this attitude. His entire re-election will have absolutely NOTHING to do with whether the voters like his policies or not. The voters are being removed from the equation.

1) He is planning on legalizing 10 Million illegals by executive order. Oh, along with that blanket amnesty I am sure will come auto registration in the Democrat party.

2) He is planning on implementing the “no donating to Republicans Act” err, I mean the “Disclose Act” by Executive fiat.

3) He has dispatched his former ACORN friends under new names and organization with renewed plans for the good old fashion voter fraud.

Elections are for elected officials and not Kings.


6 posted on 04/22/2011 3:02:04 PM PDT by FlipWilson
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To: Kaslin

While previous lib presidents prior to Slick Willie sloooowly slid the rug out from under our feet.. Slick Willie actually jumped the gun.. and pissed off a few ‘journalists’.. He set their socialist plans back a decade or so (and because of that, .. we are not quite as bad as it could be now).

Obama, on the other hand, is waking up those followers.. and I think they are seeing something going on that is is wrong.. (I truly hope so for the future of the U.S.A)..

He is skipping the Constitution... Law (even laws HE signed for) and I honestly think he wants to start a revolution. A revolution to divide the people of the U.S.A. to be able to be in a position to reform the Republic into a failed state... then reform it into a Marxist/Communist government that Germany started to infiltrate (U.S.A) right before the Russians did..

Think is a LIGHT word, for me, now.. I KNOW that is what the b*st*rd is doing.. He was prepped for this from as young as 9 years of age.. (not going into details about that.. anyone who thinks I am crazy, do some research)...

7am here.. need some sleep.. been up almost 24 hours just catching up on the news :/

Take care all and stay safe.

Bikk


7 posted on 04/22/2011 3:03:59 PM PDT by Bikkuri
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To: Bikkuri
That Clintonista with the big forehead (Begala) used to crow over how Clinton could make law with executive orders: "stroke of the pen, law of the land."

Of course during the 8 years of George W. Bush, the Democrats constantly cliamed that he was trashing the Constitution.

8 posted on 04/22/2011 4:29:36 PM PDT by Verginius Rufus
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