to follow the Constitution. It's too old and too slow. Posted on 01/22/2015 12:24:26 PM PST by DanMiller
During His State of the Union address, Obama clearly stated His view of the purpose of His presidency.
to follow the Constitution. It's too old and too slow.
Here it is: "to do what I believe is best for America.” He presumably means an America as she would be after His radical transformation has been completed. He constantly tries to transform her in His own image.
Following the Constitution -- not trying to evade Article II limitations on the Executive Branch and not trying to diminish the Article I role of Congress -- is best for America. A dictator would feel otherwise. The Constitution was designed to prevent the rise of dictatorships in America. Obama's efforts to diminish the constitutional framework of governance are indicative of His dictatorial aspirations.
Power Line's Steven Hayward, in an article titled The tyrant and the statesman, made the point quite well:
Remember when Obama remarked that “it turns out our Founders designed a system that makes it more difficult to bring about change than I would like sometimes.” It turns out? He just figured that out when he got to the White House? What closet did Valerie Jarrett stuff the hapless fellow who broke the news? [Emphasis added.]Another substantial, albeit diminishing, difference between the U.S. Constitution and those of many other nations -- Venezuela, for example -- is that while their constitutions have fine phrases about multiple freedoms and constitutional governance, they ignore them in practice. How far will we follow their paths to dictatorship?Obama’s impatience with the Constitution—a document that went unmentioned in last night’s State of the Union address—was on full display. Ken Masugi notes over at the LibertyLawSite:
Evidently no one heard Obama declare, “My only agenda for the next two years is the same as the one I’ve had since the day I swore an oath on the steps of this Capitol — to do what I believe is best for America.” No, he swore an oath to “faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.” What he feels “is best for America” may well differ from faithful execution of his office and guardianship of the Constitution. So Obama admits he is a law unto himself. [Emphasis added.]
. . . .
By contrast, take in these two paragraphs from the 1987 SOTU of Ronaldus Magnus:
Over the years—I won’t count if you don’t—nothing has been so heartwarming to me as speaking to America’s young, and the little ones especially, so fresh-faced and so eager to know. Well, from time to time I’ve been with them—they will ask about our Constitution. And I hope you Members of Congress will not deem this a breach of protocol if you’ll permit me to share these thoughts again with the young people who might be listening or watching this evening. I’ve read the constitutions of a number of countries, including the Soviet Union’s. Now, some people are surprised to hear that they have a constitution, and it even supposedly grants a number of freedoms to its people. Many countries have written into their constitution provisions for freedom of speech and freedom of assembly. Well, if this is true, why is the Constitution of the United States so exceptional? [Emphasis added.]
Well, the difference is so small that it almost escapes you, but it’s so great it tells you the whole story in just three words: We the people. In those other constitutions, the Government tells the people of those countries what they’re allowed to do. In our Constitution, we the people tell the Government what it can do, and it can do only those things listed in that document and no others. Virtually every other revolution in history has just exchanged one set of rulers for another set of rulers. Our revolution is the first to say the people are the masters and government is their servant. And you young people out there, don’t ever forget that. Someday you could be in this room, but wherever you are, America is depending on you to reach your highest and be your best—because here in America, we the people are in charge. [Emphasis added.]
Notice several striking wholesale differences from Obama, starting with the polite deference to Congress before he offers his instruction on the Constitution. But above all there is the reminder that the “We” in constitutional government should always be followed by “the people,” whereas when Obama says “we” (or “I”), he means our betters in Washington, who are our masters rather than our servants as Reagan made them out. [Emphasis added.]
Some of the blame lies with the Congress, and Obama has gone well beyond taking full advantage. Legislation such as ObamaScare tends to be lengthy, with numerous opportunities granted to multiple Federal agencies, commissions and departments to expand upon it, without regard to congressional intent, or even clear statutory language, when following it would foil their own inconsistent objectives. Phrases such as "and such other *** as the Administrator shall decide" are common. The judiciary then compounds the problem by giving undue deference to agency interpretations, findings of fact and alleged expertise.
Congress could do much to avoid future executive branch interference by writing clearer legislation with fewer opportunities for executive branch revisions. It is doubtful that it will, because that would require substantially more work, thereby interfering with what many Congress critters appear to consider their most important functions, fund raising and getting reelected to continue to suck on golden teats.
Ted Cruz got many points right in the following video of a recent extemporaneous speech to a bunch of "tea party terrorists." We need a constitutional conservative as President, not a "Progressive" in Republican clothing.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7a7cDcB56o]
Can we do it? Will we do it?
KRLA’s Morning crew was laughing about “Mortuary Science” curriculum offered by a local Community College... “I see dead people” is thoroughly invoked. Besides one of the Forest Lawn franchises is about 2 miles from the college. Field trips are in order...
Mortuary Science is offered at our CC too. Somebody has to prep you for your viewing, this is where they learn. Cadavers and all.
Whereas the current President's focus is on "progressive" coercive partisan political power moves imposed on citizens by government, the world looks for Jeffersonian clarity and leadership on the ideas essential to liberty and the role of the Executive under the Constitution.
In this moment, France, and the world, needs such clarity in order to understand the battle between the ideas of tyranny and those of liberty.
As the 2016 Election approaches, Republicans might consider what The Author of our Declaration of Independence and President of the U. S., Thomas Jefferson, in his 1801 Inaugural Address--considered to be ". . . the essential principles of our Government, and consequently those which ought to shape its Administration." Clear articulation of these principles to citizens might, once again, trigger a "new burst of freedom."
(Excerpt, "Our Ageless Constitution," p. xiv, reformatted)
"Let us, then, with courage and confidence pursue our own Federal and Republican principles, our attachment to union and representative government. Kindly separated by nature and a wide ocean from the exterminating havoc of one quarter of the globe; too high-minded to endure the degradations of the others; possessing a chosen country, with room enough for our descendants to the thousandth and thousandth generation;- entertaining a due sense of our equal right to the use of our own faculties, to the acquisitions of our own industry, to honor and confidence from our fellow-citizens, resulting not from birth, but from our actions and their sense of them;
- enlightened by a benign religion, professed, indeed, and practiced in various forms, yet all of them inculcating honesty, truth, temperance, gratitude, and the love of man;
- acknowledging and adoring an overruling Providence, which by all its dispensations proves that it delights in the happiness of man here and his greater happiness hereafter
—with all these blessings, what more is necessary to make us a happy and a prosperous people?
- Still one thing more, fellow-citizens—a wise and frugal Government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned.
- This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicities.
"About to enter, fellow-citizens, on the exercise of duties which comprehend everything dear and valuable to you,
- it is proper you should understand what I deem the essential principles of our Government, and consequently those which ought to shape its Administration. I will compress them within the narrowest compass they will bear, stating the general principle, but not all its limitations.
- Equal and exact justice to all men, of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political;
- peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none;
- the support of the State governments in all their rights, as the most competent administrations for our domestic concerns and the surest bulwarks against antirepublican tendencies;
- the preservation of the General Government in its whole constitutional vigor, as the sheet anchor of our peace at home and safety abroad;
- a jealous care of the right of election by the people—a mild and safe corrective of abuses which are lopped by the sword of revolution where peaceable remedies are unprovided;
- absolute acquiescence in the decisions of the majority, the vital principle of republics, from which is no appeal but to force, the vital principle and immediate parent of despotism;
- a well disciplined militia, our best reliance in peace and for the first moments of war, till regulars may relieve them;
- the supremacy of the civil over the military authority;
- economy in the public expense, that labor may be lightly burthened;
- the honest payment of our debts and sacred preservation of the public faith;
- encouragement of agriculture, and of commerce as its handmaid;
- the diffusion of information and arraignment of all abuses at the bar of the public reason;
- freedom of religion; freedom of the press, and freedom of person under the protection of the habeas corpus, and trial by juries impartially selected.
These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civic instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or of alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety."
The Constitution only works when it is followed. Under Obama and dems, it isn’t.
[ Mortuary Science is offered at our CC too. Somebody has to prep you for your viewing, this is where they learn. Cadavers and all. ]
It is a growth industry!
Mr. Jefferson would, very unfortunately, now be considered a “right wing fanatic” by many, if not most, in and out of government.
He also restated another of his corruptions of Scripture:
.
“We are our brothers keeper...”
Cain was being sarcastic and irreverent when he said that and did not want to answer God’s question about where his brother was.
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