Impatience drives Obama to expand his powers

[gcruse]

    http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/politics/45494107.html

Impatience drives Obama to expand his powers
By: Chris Stirewalt
Political Editor
05/20/09 10:05 PM EDT

Perhaps President Barack Obama spent so little time in the Senate because he has little tolerance for the glacial pace at which Congress was designed to move.

The nation might have profited if Obama had been patient enough to make it through his first term. Even if he had just moved some meaningful legislation or missed fewer than 308 votes before vaulting to the presidency, Obama would have been better equipped. Instead, Obama has wildly overestimated the ability of Congress to achieve his massive first-year agenda. As a result of his frustrations, Obama is embarking on a breathtaking expansion of executive power.

It's amazing the executive can expand its powers just by wanting to. You'd think there be something like, oh, I don't know, a Constitution or separation of powers or checks and balances, you know.  But that would make us a Republic and not an autocracy.  It's nice to imagine, though.  If you're old enough, someday you can tell your kids what America was like when govt restraint was common.

[Lord Undies]

Worry not.  Congress folk don't take being consider irrelevant for long, I don't care who is in the White House.

[Mr Mannn]

I wonder if Lord O will alienate his party and be forced to rule by executive order. 

[Lacarnut]

Worry not.  Congress folk don't take being consider irrelevant for long, I don't care who is in the White House.

Funding for closing Gitmo did not work out to well for the O. He only got 6 votes supporting his position. Even Reid had a hissy fit over the Prez wanting to bring the terrorists into the US.

[DumbAss Tanker]

Worry not.  Congress folk don't take being consider irrelevant for long, I don't care who is in the White House.

Yes, they have a couple of killer tools at their disposal once aroused, the two biggest being the power of the purse which enables them to strangle any activity they dislike, and the legislative power to actually outlaw an Executive's approach to a problem or otherwise add hamstringing impediments to it.   

[Lacarnut]

Obama might be getting the message that he was not elected King. 

[gcruse]

Obama might be getting the message that he was not elected King. 

Maybe this aphorism will surface in the days ahead:

"He doesn't govern, he reigns."

[Baruch Menachem]

Neither was Napoleon elected king,  But he took care of that issue later.  I am sure the 0ne is pricing crowns, figuring which would look better, red or blue velvet, checking out the best design for a scepter, a quick phone call to Gorden Brown to see if they would let go of the Koh-i-noor, as Betty doesn't use it much.

Some things can get fixed.

[NHSparky]

Maybe this aphorism will surface in the days ahead:

"He doesn't govern, he reigns."

Well, remember what Valerie Jarrett (Obama transition co-chair) said about his being, "Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one."

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7Nlq80DVpo[/youtube]