[Once-Ler]

That still doesn't excuse the elected representatives from the respective states or does it excuse the national representative of all the states, namely the President. He ran on a smaller government, not expansive federal entitlements

Nice try but Dubya ran on a Prescription Drug plan - "We will make prescription drugs available and affordable for every senior who needs them." [Bush campaign ad] during the 2000 campaign. He was elected and is now fulfilling his promises.

[billbears]

That's interesting. I didn't realize the President had the power to pass bills such as that. Do you have the 2003 Constitution? Because mine says it still resided in Congress. That being said the President shouldn't push the representatives on down the road to socialism by making statements he knows very well he had no power to fulfill