Amnesty as Impeachment Bait: Obama's breathtakingly cynical plan to ward off a midterm shellacking

National Review ^ | 08/08/2014 | Charles Krauthammer

[SeekAndFind]

President Obama is impatient. Congress won’t act on immigration, he says, and therefore he will. The White House is coy as to exactly what the president will do. But the leaks point to an executive order essentially legalizing an enormous new class of illegal immigrants, perhaps up to 5 million people.

One doesn’t usually respond to rumors. But this is an idea so bad and so persistently peddled by the White House that it has already been preemptively criticized by such unusual suspects as (liberal) constitutional law professor Jonathan Turley, concerned about yet another usurpation of legislative power by the “uber presidency,” and the Washington Post editorial page, which warned that such a move would “tear up the Constitution.”

If this is just a trial balloon, the time to shoot it down is now. The administration claims such an executive order would simply be a corrective to GOP inaction on the current immigration crisis — 57,000 unaccompanied minors, plus tens of thousands of families, crashing through and overwhelming the southern border.

This rationale is a fraud.

First, the charge that Republicans have done nothing is plainly false. Last week, the House of Representatives passed legislation that deals reasonably with this immigrant wave. It changes a 2008 sex-trafficking law never intended for (and inadvertently inviting) mass migration — a change the president himself endorsed before caving to his left and flip-flopping. It also provides funds for emergency processing and assistance to the kids who are here.

[Sacajaweau]

Obama doesn’t have to do anything except talk about amnesty...with a wink and a nod. It’s been 6 years....still talking....

[Travis McGee]

[Buckeye McFrog]

Not really enough time before now and Election Day to even organize an impeachment. This must be the best bad idea they have.

[ASA Vet]

Impeachment and conviction the day after the new congress swears in. Arrest and trail for treason soon after the usurper is removed.
Give Joe the opportunity to resign, or face the same.

[wiggen]

after these elections they better just tear the purse strings out of his hands. emasculate him. its not as if he’s not alreaady emasculated in other ways already.

[apillar]

Actually I take this as a positive sign. This is the ultimate "hail Mary pass" and shows just how desperate they are and how bad their internal polling really is that this is all they are left with three months before the election.

In fact the entire "impeachment helps the democrats" theory itself is on rather dubious grounds. The political experts are looking to the 1998 midterms when the Republicans impeached Clinton over the Lewinsky scandal and then lost a few seats in the midterms even though most analysts thought they would gain seats. What the experts fail to consider is that in 1998 impeachment wasn't some vague, distant possibility, impeachment hearings where actually taking place during the campaign. Also the country was in the middle of the dot.com boom and at relative peace, and most felt the country was headed in the right direction. Last, Clinton for all his personal flaws held near 60% job approval ratings. Advantages, Obama and the democrats could only wistfully dream about today...

[kabar]

Obama doesn’t have to do anything except talk about amnesty...with a wink and a nod. It’s been 6 years....still talking....

He has done far more than talk. His backdoor Dreamer amnesty in 2012 (DACA) has so far legalized the presence of 560,000 illegal aliens providing them with work permits, SSNs, and the ability to travel in and out of the country. An estimated 1.8 million are eligible to apply. The approval rate is 99.5%.

[kabar]

Because he’s facing a disastrous midterm election. An executive order so sweeping and egregiously lawless would be impeachment bait. It would undoubtedly provoke a constitutional crisis and stir impeachment talk — and perhaps even the beginning of proceedings — thus scrambling the electoral deck. As in 1998, it would likely backfire against the GOP and save Democrats from an otherwise certain sixth-year midterm shellacking.

I am not so sure that this will backfire on the GOP if impeachment proceedings are initiated. The American people don't want 6 million illegal aliens given work permits, SSNs, and the ability to travel freely in and out of the country. This is not about a "sex scandal" but the failure to enforce our laws.

[Last Dakotan]

This “do nothing” congress has passed over 300 bills that sit on Harry Reid’s desk.

[caligatrux]

So, how is Obama gonna get his “third term”? Through the illegal invasion issue or Iraq? Or maybe an ebola outbreak?

[DJ MacWoW]

5% Carry 100% of Free Republic Expense

Click The Pic To Donate

Support FR Or Lose It

[odawg]

“But talking it up is a political bonanza for Democrats”

I agree with your points, that it is not a political bonanza for democrats. I think that the democrats are talking up impeachment in order to demonize the concept of impeachment, to spin it as a moral evil in itself, right alongside the three-fifths census count. Of course, if it hurts Republicans, so much the better, if they so choose to embrace the new moral evil.

[RIghtwardHo]

He may hold off (though I doubt it but wouldn’t be surprised). Impeach or not impeach doesn’t matter that much now as the GOP has already blundered into that windmill and ensured great fundraising and GOTV for the Dims.

[DownInFlames]

Ebola outbreak will give him reason for martial law.

[pfflier]

OK this is simple strategy.

Attempts at impeachment, including talking about it, before the midterms are pointless when reid is in control of the senate.

After the midterms when the senate is potentially in Republican hands, maybe with an unbeatable majority THEN you do the deed and get this commie a$$hat out of office..