Democrats urge Obama to be ready to bypass Congress on debt cap

Originally Posted by Lair

Yes he is. I like that.

And this is the problem. You would support him if he abolished Congress and the Supreme Court.. it's called the cult of personality and you sir, are the sucker.

Originally Posted by 2000_328CI

And this is the problem. You would support him if he abolished Congress and the Supreme Court.. it's called the cult of personality and you sir, are the sucker.

I don't think he understands that whatever big O gets away with will be used by the next guy as well, presumably someone he doesn't like.

Originally Posted by Act of God

I don't think he understands that whatever big O gets away with will be used by the next guy as well, presumably someone he doesn't like.

This is 100% correct.

Whines about Bush
Defends Obama

Originally Posted by 2000_328CI

Campaigned on a public five day review of all legislation proposed to congress.

Prefers executive order.

Why not just resort to the Bush/Cheney method of using signing statements, per their autocratic "Unified Executive" theory of governance where they interpreted legislation pretty much any way they saw fit. This is not to speak of their aggressive use of executive orders and privilege back in the day.

Bush/Cheney essentially viewed both Congress and the Judiciary with disdain and asserted the Executive Branch could do pretty much what it damn well pleased, immune from executive or judicial review or interference.

I'm sure all those now wailing in high dudgeon over Obama also similarly decried Bush/Cheney's autocratic antics, which hardly squared with any strict interpretation of the Constitution, with an equal vehemence back during his/their reign ... right?

Of course. They disagreed with BushCo's tactics, but kept it quiet because they didn't want to appear unpatriotic.

I'm not worried. Obama's got this one.

Originally Posted by Rhumb

Why not just resort to the Bush/Cheney method of using signing statements, per their autocratic "Unified Executive" theory of governance where they interpreted legislation pretty much any way they saw fit. This is not to speak of their aggressive use of executive orders and privilege back in the day.

Bush/Cheney essentially viewed both Congress and the Judiciary with disdain and asserted the Executive Branch could do pretty much what it damn well pleased, immune from executive or judicial review or interference.

I'm sure all those now wailing in high dudgeon over Obama also similarly decried Bush/Cheney's autocratic antics, which hardly squared with any strict interpretation of the Constitution, with an equal vehemence back during his/their reign ... right?

Bush. Always about Bush.

Bush has somewhere in the neighborhood of high 200s total signed orderers.

Obama has something like 150 signed and he has 4 more years.

Originally Posted by Green_Shine

Bush. Always about Bush.

Bush has somewhere in the neighborhood of high 200s total signed orderers.

Obama has something like 150 signed and he has 4 more years.

Somehow I don't believe this.

Originally Posted by Green_Shine

Bush. Always about Bush.

Bush has somewhere in the neighborhood of high 200s total signed orderers.

Obama has something like 150 signed and he has 4 more years.

Dubya had 290 in 8 years. Obama has 145 through 4 years. As an interesting note, Reagan had nearly 400 in 8 years......draconian task master!

This is a classic example of "don't hate the playa'; hate the game." If people are so upset about the President using the full extent of his options to advance his agenda, then they should demand that those powers be curtailed.

*crickets*

President Obama is going to instigate or, at the very least, lay down the foundation of a Constitutional crisis if he unilaterally raises the debt ceiling on his own. It's right there in Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. The authority to borrow is Congress', not the President's.

We have representative government. And if Congress can't get its act together and get its fiscal house in order, then there will be consequences in the next round of elections. Until then, I don't think it's prudent in the long term for people to clamor for the President to grab even more power from Congress. If we go over the debt ceiling and it's as bad as everybody fears, then the issue will get resolved posthaste. If not, then we all worried over nothing.