Posted on 01/18/2016 7:12:48 PM PST by Isara
Some conservatives are concerned over Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump's vow to take the same path of bypassing Congress as President Barack Obama - even though the billionaire said his actions would be "much better" than Obama's and done for "the right things."
"Does Mr. Trump enjoy power? Is he more likely to prefer limited and constitutional or unlimited and unconstitutional power? Where is he likely to fall on that scale? I tend to think it's with the maximum possible exercise of power," Colin Hanna, president of the conservative public policy group Let Freedom Ring USA, told TheBlaze.
Trump, as president, might well use the executive powers to advance conservative causes, Hanna added, but he said there is more at stake.
"Every conservative at heart is a constitutionalist. The values are intertwined and inseparable for separation of powers and a limited federal government," Hanna said. "He might use executive power on issues we agree with. The point is, it isn't about the individual issues. It's a deeper and fundamental question."
President Barack Obama has used executive action most recently to restrict gun sales. Before that, he shielded about 5 million illegal immigrants from deportation and to delayed implementation of some of the most unpopular aspects of his own health care law. After last week's State of the Union address, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough promised "audacious executive action" in the president's final 11 months.
During an interview with NBC News, Trump was asked if he would use executive actions in a similar fashion to the way President Barack Obama has.
"I won't refuse it. I'm going to do a lot of things. He led the way," Trump said. He added, "But I'm going to use them much better and they're going to serve a much better purpose than he's done."
In a separate interview with CBS News, Trump said of executive action, "Well, I will say this: There's a lot of precedent based on what he's doing."
"Conservatives have been angered at the Obama pen-and-phone approach to bypassing Congress; they should be equally disturbed at Trump for viewing Obama's unconstitutional power grabs as a model that he would follow," David McIntosh, the president of Club for Growth McIntosh, told TheBlaze.
Trump has soared in GOP primary polls despite his previous support for funding Planned Parenthood and abortion rights, favoring a single-payer health care system and for expanding the powers of government to seize private property among other liberal positions. This has come at the angst of many in the conservative movement.
"Donald Trump has already made it clear that he's like Obama in supporting single-payer health care, bailouts, and higher taxes," McIntosh said. "So, it's no surprise that Trump also wants to trash the Constitution by abusing executive power."
As a candidate for president, Trump has taken a conservative stance on illegal immigration and advocated cutting taxes, while he has considerably softened on his other liberal positions.
"He's aggressive not necessarily progressive," Hanna said. "His political philosophy is an appreciation of his own brilliance and that he can solve problems better than anyone else. He is not guided by a set of principles or a philosophy."
The Trump campaign did not respond to inquiries for this story last week or on Monday.
Former Bush administration Justice Department attorney John Yoo, now a law professor at University of California at Berkeley, warned in a Washington Post commentary that executive actions were intended for foreign policy, national security and emergencies - not domestic policy making.
He wrote that Obama's actions would encourage his success to move similarly. At least, Yoo wrote, that makes more of Obama's agenda reversible.
"Obama's upending of the Constitution's structure and limits may prove its own undoing," Yoo wrote. "The next chief executive can suspend, and then repeal, all of the executive orders and regulations of the past seven years. He or she could terminate the Iran nuclear deal and the climate change pact; reinstate enforcement of the immigration laws; and fully reveal Obamacare's distortions of health care. The further Obama stretches his powers to reach for a legacy, the more powerfully his successor can snap the Constitution back into its proper shape."
“Trumpbots”???
How dare you?
I prefer “Trumplodytes”
Strong delusions.
2 Thessalonians 2: 1-12 “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 2 that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 that they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
Remember it was Apostle through the Holy Spirit who told you these things.
North Korea has secure borders. You are clearly unhinged.
DITTO on everything you said!!!
The lefts willfull abuse of the executive is what convinced me that the uni-party was fact.
sure i’m ok with a dictator to undo the last 150 years of dictators
common core dept of education eliminated - next dictator has to deal with educated people. i’m ok with that. if i got elected i might do the line up here boom with congress and most on the government payroll. then call for elections and you all figure it out.
Trump:
My concern is that the negligence of a few will adversely affect the majority. I’ve long been a believer in the “look at the solution, not the problem” theory. In this case, the solution is clear. We will have to leave borders behind and go for global unity when it comes to financial stability.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/22/business/opinion-donald-trump-europe/
Obama may have done irreversible damage to this country.
Crypto Commie Left?
Trump:
The good news, in one respect, is that what is done affects us all. There won’t be any winners or losers as this is not a competition. It’s a time for working together for the best of all involved. Never before has the phrase “we’re all in this together” had more resonance or relevance....
The future of Europe, as well as the United States, depends on a cohesive global economy. All of us must work toward together toward that very significant common goal.
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/22/business/opinion-donald-trump-europe/
I am actually a Cruz supporter.
I just think the situation is beyond repair through normal means. I think that the only way to make liberals see the damage they’ve done is to use the same tactics on them that they’ve used on us. It does not matter who the next President is it will have to be governed by circumventing the House and Senate until many demodogs are in jail.
If that means shooting liberal OWS or BLM types in the street then so be it.
The Founding Fathers started rolling with the election of Clinton in 1992.
Obama was emoted to a heretical Presidency of the United States of America.
OBama has been the Emperor, elected by idiots.
So, you are comparing this election process to the socialist fascist europia enterprises of 1930’s?
Right?
Harley — you have done such great work here. I want you to know that Donald is here. He watches us with his folks . He gets short briefings. I assure you that he knows of your leadership. I want to keep you fired up. You are a responsible person. I am very much on the edge. I care so much for Jim’s site. I give money but I will fight this fight .
And the next time I post that Trumpbots want a dictator, one of the other Trumpbots will say I’m “off my meds” or one of their other mindless invectives.
This seems to be a common thread: as long as he's "your" dictator, it's all good. So much that was inexplicable in history has become so much clearer in the past six months.
Jeb, is that you ?
Growing up and still residing in the People’s Republic of Kalifornia, I certainly understand everyone’s anger, but my God is no one bothered by this? As quickly as he turns on political adversaries, how could anyone possibly be excited about this? I have believed that if the wall was ever built it would be used to keep us in. This is a dangerous.
God save the Republic!>>>> well someone in the united states might know what the means but most will recognize it as a militia call to take over and kill all blacks, hispanics jews, purples, yellows, browns, and transparent’s. none except the 5 of us here knows what a republic is it is gone, gone.
The Blaze: home of the photoshopped fraudulent Tweet knowingly and intentionally disseminated despite having been debunked.
Apparently the idea is that we have to destroy the republic in order to save it.
Maybe you need some time to reflect on your TDS. Like I said, you and GeronL would make a great team dumping on Trump while the other is sitting out for this type of behavior.
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