Posted on 11/18/2010 10:10:08 AM PST by My Favorite Headache
The liberal Center for American Progress doesn’t believe significant GOP gains in the House and Senate should stop the President from implementing more of his polices. The group released a report Tuesday suggesting ways Obama can bypass Congress to accomplish a progressive agenda, and it cites the president’s power as commander-in-chief to make its point.
“I think most of the conversation since the election has been about how President Obama adjusts to the new situation on Capitol Hill,” Center for American Progress head and former Bill Clinton Chief of Staff John Podesta told the Daily Caller. “While that’s an important conversation, it simply ignores the president’s ability to use all levels of his power and authority to move the country forward.”
How does one “move the country forward”? In the center’s report, Podesta explains that Obama can use executive orders, rulemaking, and even the armed forces “to accomplish important change” and that such means “should not be underestimated.”
What exactly does Podesta think the president should use such powers to “accomplish”? Among others, the report suggests “job creation,“ ”quality affordable health care,“ ”sustainable security,“ and ”a clean energy future.”
The report cites specific goals such as mitigating the effects of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, supporting a Palestinian state, and reducing greenhouse gasses by 17 percent by 2020.
“The U.S. Constitution and the laws of our nation grant the president significant authority to make and implement policy,” Podesta writes. ”Congressional gridlock does not mean the federal government stands still.”
Statement from John D. Podesta November 15, 2010
In the aftermath of this month’s midterm congressional elections, pundits and politicians across the ideological spectrum are focusing on how difficult it will be for President Barack Obama to advance his policy priorities through Congress. Predictions of stalemate abound. And some debate whether the administration should tack to the left or to the center and compromise with or confront the new House leadership.
As a former White House chief of staff, I believe those to be the wrong preoccupations. President Obama’s ability to govern the country as chief executive presents an opportunity to demonstrate strength, resolve, and a capacity to get things done on a host of pressing challenges of importance to the public and our economy. Progress, not positioning, is what the public wants and deserves.
The U.S. Constitution and the laws of our nation grant the president significant authority to make and implement policy. These authorities can be used to ensure positive progress on many of the key issues facing the country through:
* Executive orders * Rulemaking * Agency management * Convening and creating public-private partnerships * Commanding the armed forces * Diplomacy
The ability of President Obama to accomplish important change through these powers should not be underestimated. President Bush, for example, faced a divided Congress throughout most of his term in office, yet few can doubt his ability to craft a unique and deeply conservative agenda using every aspect of the policymaking apparatus at his disposal. And, after his party lost control of Congress in 1994, President Clinton used executive authority and convening power to make significant progressive change. For instance, he protected more great spaces in the lower 48 states than any president since Theodore Roosevelt, established for the first time significant protections for Americans’ medical privacy, and urged the creation of the Welfare-to-Work Partnership that enlisted the help of 20,000 businesses in moving more than 1 million welfare recipients into the workforce.
The upshot: Congressional gridlock does not mean the federal government stands still. This administration has a similar opportunity to use available executive authorities while also working with Congress where possible. At the Center for American Progress, we look forward to our nation continuing to make progress.
Read the full report (pdf)
Download the executive summary (pdf)
Download the report to e-readers and mobile devices from Scribd
To speak with our experts on this topic, please contact:
Print: Megan Smith (health care, education, economic policy) 202.741.6346 or msmith@americanprogress.org
Print: Anna Soellner (foreign policy and security, energy) asoellner@americanprogress.org
Print: Raúl Arce-Contreras (ethnic media, immigration) 202.478.5318 or rarcecontreras@americanprogress.org
Radio: Laura Pereyra 202.741.6258 or lpereyra@americanprogress.org
TV: Andrea Purse 202.741.6250 or apurse@americanprogress.org
Web: Erin Lindsay 202.741.6397 or elindsay@americanprogress.org http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2010/11/executive_orders.html/#statement
Who’s got the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy?
“Bingo! Allowing homosexuals to serve openly will lead to militant gay cliques in the military, will drive out heterosexuals and will turn the military into a politically correct political instrument.”
Now it makes sense. Looking back you can see how all this political correctness is a means to an end - the end of a great America.
Ordering soldiers into combat doesn’t violate the Bill of Rights. I don’t understand your point.
There are also serious ramifications to morale, order and discipline involved with a "Commander in Chief" who refuses to establish his eligibility for the office he holds.
Going house to house in Londonderry sure worked well for the brits.
Navy, for like the past trillion years. We’re tired of dusting it so we might let you guys have it this year.
Especially when they define FORWARD as over the BRINK, and into the ABYSS.
17-12-6
Fortunately, there’s just one nut who thinks the Constitution gives him the rationale to refuse deployment.
Great post HG. Indeed Navy has had it so long we’ll have to get a lift just to get it out of the depression in the floor it’s created.
It’ll head out west for a year soon and then we’ll see what happens next year. Army is starting to make the turn so we may have a REAL 3-way competition for a change. Course a tie means it stays where it’s at.
That’s the one - I kept thinking High Noon, but that’s a western. Also a great flick on leadership. Thanks I can stop dwelling on that now.
Thanks for an awesome return post - it’s a keeper. This actually describes well some of the things that I went through in the service and have gone through since in civilian life.
The islamic issue was just starting and communism was “in full collapse” when I got out, but the PC build up was in full swing. We didn’t talk ‘politics’, but we did talk about freedom, protecting home/what we believed in, and what to watch for - there were a lot of ‘spy’ issues early in my time that were still fresh. Your nephew is definitely in for a rude awakening. I agree someone really messed up with Hasan on every level the warning signs were apparently present.
As to picket ships - when out on ops with a battle group one of the ships is typically stationed either way out away - sort of a point man. Usually completely at the mercy of whatever the BG commander wants done and normally not as involved in the more involved activities of the group. We also often referred to this when placed in a safety roll behind refueling ships or carriers conducting recovery ops. Again at the mercy of following along without the ability to do anything else while in that role. I think this ties in exactly with what you were saying about black and red. I was red most of my time in the service, until I went black and had to get out. I’d have loved to stay, but you can’t be a career Lieutenant in the Navy and I didn’t have the political bent for much more than that. Looking back I likely would have been CM’d myself for insubordination if I’d stayed in because for me there were only 2 things that mattered: the Mission and my sailors/marines.
Times change - but I’ve found I’m still in the red/black with my civilian job - must be the scott/irish/german mix in the ol’gene pool. Now the only thing that ‘matters’ to me are my wife & girls and family back home. Sadly I have felt the need to be prepared in certain matters with the way things are going and should the need arise I’ll stand up. Things took a step in the right direction earlier this month - but we still have a way to go.
Stay safe, fair winds/following seas, and keep up the good fight.
lol. You guys remind me of my nephew and brother-in-law. The dad was Navy and the son is Marines so whenever we have our whole family together and have some kind of game, like basketball, horseshoes, etc, they battle it out.
I found an old music book in my grandma’s stuff and read the words to the Marines’ Hymn (the part we never sang in grade school, lol), particularly “If the army and the navy ever look on Heaven’s scenes, they will find the streets are guarded by United States Marines!”
My kids and I laughed our fool heads off on that one. I sent the words to my nephew and asked if they still use that. He said yeah, they still sing it loud and proud.
I suppose it would make more sense to my kids now if we watch “The Absent-Minded Professor”, when the military leaders pretend that they are unified and cooperating but they each have their own intelligence and try to beat the other to find out about flubber. lol.
Exactly.
If the video store has it I’m going to watch “Caine’s Mutiny” while I work tonight. A friend also recommended “Taken” but said I shouldn’t let my husband watch it because then he’d make me stop the research I’m working on. lol
Picket ships sound a little like what my dad described as the only time he ever disobeyed a direct order. He fought in Korea - was drafted and after excelling at it was supposed to teach mountain climbing in Austria but the orders got mixed up and he ended up on the front lines in Korea. (I hate it when that happens!)
He doesn’t talk much about Korea but did tell me about a time when his unit was supposed to be a decoy, sacrificed so that some other unit could advance. He said no, he couldn’t do that to his guys. He didn’t get into trouble for it so they must have come up with an alternate move or something, but his conscience wouldn’t allow him to throw away the lives of his men.
My dad is probably the person I am most like in temperament. A bit of the Irish and German like you say, so I suppose it’s probably good I’ve never been in the military. lol. My dad has Parkinson’s and went into a coma for a while a year ago when they goofed up his meds. He’s doing better now and is actually at home for the time being anyway. He told me before the 2008 election that he was scared for the country, scared of what would happen if Obama was elected. He’s always been a fighter; it’s killing him to watch what’s going on.
I think a lot of what Obama is doing is intended to break us. He’s pushing things so fast and furious, and breaking all the things we’ve relied on for confidence and security - just like he would call “torture” if we did it to terrorists. It’s a mind game. I really think it is. It’s geared toward getting us to give up, push us into the black zone.
The beginning of this month showed he’s going to get some push-back. I think the biggest question at this point is whether our economy is in a precarious enough position that Soros can throw the country into chaos when it becomes evident that the people will resist any further descent into tyranny. If he can collapse the world economy we may end up with the apocalyptic scenario GW kept saying would happen if TARP wasn’t passed. The choice for us might be 1) submit and be further and systematically enslaved, or 2) resist and usher in economic collapse and the accompanying martial law when Soros retaliates for the resistance.
I keep hoping I’m just crazy, and that’s not really where we’re at right now at all. I would be the most ecstatic person alive if it turns out I’m way out in left field on this.
Appreciate you post, it made me think of this from the last chapter of the Vampire Economny, Obama is in the position to destroy us all:
The position of the fascist dictators might be compared
to that of Schweik, the “good soldier” in a tale
by Hajek, the Czech writer.
Looking for a place where he could defy his superiors,
Schweik entered a gunpowder magazine. Seating himself
on a keg of gunpowder, he pulled out his pipe and
contentedly began to smoke. But he did not remain undisturbed for long.
The sergeant appeared. Excitedly he
began to berate Schweik and threaten to punish him,
but the sight of a few sparks from Schweik’s pipe halted
Ms tirade. Schweik smiled innocently at the sergeant
and puffed again on the pipe. The sergeant trembled
and changed his tone. In the friendliest manner he tried
to hint that Schweik would really feel much better in
the fresh air. Wouldn’t Schweik take a walk with him?
But Schweik declared that he was quite contented to sit
on the keg of gunpowder smoking his pipe. Schweik
could continue to defy his sergeant not because he was
inherently strong, but because of his position on the
keg of gunpowder. The sergeant represented a gigantic
military machine which Schweik could never have
lioped to overpower. But Schweik could destroy the
whole barracks, the sergeant and all superior officers
with a single spark from hL pipe.
The fascist dictator is in the same position as Schweik.
The preponderant weight of force, both internally and
externally, is against him, but he, like Schweik, with
lighted pipe in hand, is seated on a keg of gunpowder.
The conservative forces which helped the fascist dictator
to power thought they would be able to control
him, but now they do not dare to make use of their
power against him. They know that nothing of the old
system would remain if the structure he has built were
to fall.
Wow. That is so clear and accurate.
The communists have shown us that this is their game plan - to use Cloward-Piven to get America to such a vulnerable place. All the usual suspects have been involved in getting us here. And now that the economy is on the precipice where even the slightest breeze could tip it over, Soros had all the leverage he needed to place his “Schweik” on the gunpowder.
We’ve all wondered why the standard checks and balances, the rule of law, the Constitution, etc have seemed to be suspended. We’ve been angry at the people who we think have let us down. But ultimately it was our own unwillingness to stop this economic coup in its infancy which led us down this road.
The question is, “What do we do now?” Schweik is not going to put out his cigar and he’s not gonna get off the keg of gunpowder. He is flicking more and more ashes onto the gunpowder all the time. What do we do?
I think people are becoming aware of just how dangerous a situation this is. The things we’ve taken for granted are no longer givens. I just hope we haven’t woken up too late.
Hi, Butterdezillion! I have been reading this thread all day, at times sad, at times feeling disbelief, at times solemn...your posts have come closest to my heart. I know where you stand in the “red”. I was in the red back in 2004 when Bush was re-elected. My husband thought I had gone round the bend due to my fear and obsession with worry over the outcome. I explained to him, “if Bush wins, this is our last chance. I hope America wakes up before it is too late.”
2010...
I’m not red now. I’m not black, either. I am white—not surrender white, but walk in The Light white. Obama can throw anything and the kitchen sink at me, and I’m good. My resolve is set, my focus sure...my citizenship does not belong to him (obama) it belongs to God. I will stand tall and strong until the end, whatever it may be.
Christians are the only hope for this country, and until we realize the power in that statement, we might as well give up. I realize the power, and I will stand — and serve my master — The Great I AM. I just keep praying for all Elisha’s servants to have opened eyes. II Kings 6: 16-17
White (light) trumps black (darkness) eternally.
Sleep well, Butterdezillion. Tomorrow is already taken care of.
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