The Obama three-step

Jewish World Review ^ | March 13, 2009 | Rich Lowry

[reaganaut1]

Barack Obama has perfected a three-step maneuver that could never even be attempted by a politician lacking his rhetorical skill or cool cynicism.

First: Denounce your presidential predecessor for a given policy, energizing your party's base and capitalizing on his abiding unpopularity. Second: Pretend to have reversed that policy upon taking office with a symbolic act or high-profile statement. Third: Adopt a version of that same policy, knowing that it's the only way to govern responsibly or believing doing otherwise is too difficult. Repeat as necessary.

The latest instance of the three-step in action is the matter of presidential signing statements. The left yowled about President George W. Bush's signing statements, arguing they demonstrated his essential lawlessness. There was nothing new about the statements, which have been issued by presidents since the 19th century. They use them to indicate that a particular provision in a law might be unconstitutional, or to set out how the executive will interpret a provision to avoid any conflict with the Constitution.

Bush issued more signing statements than any other president, but — with a hostile Congress attempting to limit his war powers — he also was confronted with more legislation involving constitutionally contested ground. Obama promised change from Bush's "abuse," and the other day issued a headline- grabbing memorandum promising to limit the statements. Oh, blessed day!

Former Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer, casting a justifiably jaundiced eye on the memo, noted of signing statements: "This has been a standard practice going back decades. They're going to do the same thing, whenever they feel like it."

[reaganaut1]

Actually I prefer it when Obama adopts Bush's policies while pretending he is not, compared to Obama moving forward with his own socialist ideas.

[Graybeard58]

Except Bush wasn’t above making some socialist policies of his own.

[Star Traveler]

I’ve always thought, before Obama getting here, that a candidate says one thing and then, when he is President, finds out that what he said won’t work. Many times a candidate is “corrected” by the realities of the Office of President of the United States...

[freeangel]

saving

[bgill]

Ooh I love to dance a little sidestep,
now they see me now they don’t-
I’ve come and gone and,
ooh I love to sweep around the wide step,
cut a little swathe and lead the people on.