Is the list long or short?
by Mike Kapic
When I first heard the young Senator, Obama speak, I was impressed by his oratory, rhetoric, and reasoned that this was not a politician cut from the same cloth. I was intrigued. Many people were taken by him and excited by the potential for our country. The exuberance by the elites and media continued into the early days of his administration predicated on the man’s untested ability and character.
Fast forward to the end of his second term and I’m coming to terms with the question: what has he done to make America a better place to live. Let’s review.
He walked into an already collapsed economy and immediately revealed he was a fish out of water, not sure what to do except spend one trillion dollars that resulted in zero gain for the country. (Except of course, the crony capitalists and special interest groups who received the lion’s share)
The more Obama espoused his “hope and change” rhetoric, the more I came to realize that he was a fox in sheep’s clothing, espousing the same old leftist rhetoric. It became apparent quickly that the country was going to see much of the same when he denied GM and Chrysler the advantage of bankruptcy in lieu of a taxpayer bailout for his crony unions and Democrat donors. It then continued with “shovel ready jobs” that never were, but the spending continued anyway.
It then became apparent that his short experience as a Senator in DC had not taught him about relationship building and the art of negotiation. He had to fall back on his “community organizer” skills of division, divisive rhetoric, and a refusal to work with anyone who wouldn’t bend to his way. “My way or the highway,” seemed to be the mantra from the Obama Administration. And the Left embraced it.
Obama and the Democrats had a majority in Congress that passed Obamacare without a single Republican vote and he considered this a success. He never considered whether or not he should build an allegiance with the opposing party. In the event that he would need both parties to pass his agenda. And this is where things began to turn bad. His emphasis was on fixing the economy, but since he nor his cabinet or his advisors understood economics or appreciated the power of freedom to create wealth and prosperity, the country entered a period of malaise and no to weak growth. It compared with the Great Depression that never recovered until the 1950’s.
The falling unemployment rate claimed by the government was a fraud foisted by smoke and mirrors: The actual number was at least twice the stated one as the number of people not participating (or giving up) increased to rates equivalent to the late ‘70’s. Meanwhile, his executive branch piled on regulations sure to hold economic growth to a crawl.
But, probably the worst transgression of our republic was the Administrations abuse of the Constitution, aided and abetted by a culpable Supreme Court. Obama showed his disdain for the separation of powers by boasting he would accomplish his agenda with his “phone and pen.” He said he could do “wherever and whenever I can” to implement my agenda. Not the countries, his agenda. And of course, the weak and inept Congress abdicated its responsibility under the Constitution by not stopping the other two branches.
Examples abound of this President fracturing the structure of our Constitution and the rule of law for political gain. All unconstitutional. He exempted 4-5 million illegal immigrants from deportation even though Congress had deemed them deportable. He delayed statutory deadlines on Obamacare, extended tax credits to favored groups not included in the law, and exempted special interest groups such as unions and “preferred employers.”
Obamacare further spent billions for “cost sharing subsidies” to insurance companies for subsidizing deductibles and copays. That was money never authorized by Congress and unconstitutional.
Obama waived the work requirement in the law governing the 1996 welfare reform act. He changed the Title IX law redefining gender, forcing schools to accept anyone into either restroom. And he threatened higher education with reductions in their subsidies if they didn’t conform to due process for sexual assault. It’s unconstitutional to rewrite law.
He thumbed his nose at the Senate by making an appointment to the NLRB while the Chamber was still in session. The Supreme Court overruled it. He bypassed the Congress in negotiating the Iran treaty, resulting in it being unconstitutional.
He allowed the EPA to rewrite The Clean Water Act of 1972 to include any water in the US, including ditches, puddles claiming they are “navigable waters.” He allowed the agency to rewrite the 1970 Clean Air Act to force states to pay to revamp their electrical distribution infrastructure. Unconstitutional.
President Obama’s Administration has abused we the people and the Constitution for his own political agenda. I am afraid that the only notable legacy for Obama will be the color of his skin. What a shame.
It’s hard to tell which president, Obama or FDR, did more damage to the Constitution. It’s difficult to surmise which president, Obama or Carter, left us in worse shape upon leaving office. It’s also troublesome trying to determine which president was the worst overall, Obama or Buchanan.
Senator Obama, five days before the election, stated he would “fundamentally change America”. He’s done that, but there’s hope we can change it back. Back further than the last string of presidents have taken us. It’s time for the American people to call for amending the Constitution to limit the power of Congress, the Supreme Court, and to limit future Presidents. Our founders expected us to hold our federal republic accountable. We have not done a good job, but the Constitution’s Article V gives hope.
