Presidential Overreach: Out of Control
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President Barack Obama has demonstrated, once again, that he is an amateur who has no problem battering and bruising the U.S. Constitution in order to win four more years for his “Dismantle America” tour. He is single-handedly making a mockery of our foundational document. Question is: Will he get away with it?
The latest episode of Obama’s “Believe It Or Not” presidency is a reckless, self-serving move to pander to yet another special interest group he polls well with: Hispanic Americans.
The president decreed that by executive order he would not deport certain children of illegal aliens. It was part of his proposed “Dream Act.” This same president explained a year ago he had no such power to make a unilateral move without Congress.
He was against the move before he was for it.
So what changed?
Political expediency changed — reckless political expediency to be sure.
And what triggered the John Kerry moment?
A freshman senator by the name of Marco Rubio.
A U.S. senator who is not only a leading Hispanic on the short list to be Mitt Romney’s pick for vice president, but a senator who was on the verge of announcing a counter proposal to Obama’s Dream Act.
The details of the much anticipated plan by Senator Rubio was in a holding pattern pending release of his just written memoir, An American Son. In it Rubio chronicles the journey of his parents and grandparents from communist Cuba and growing up in their world adjusting to life and work in America. Faith, family and hard work are woven through this extraordinary story of immigrants coming to America and making it. His parents’ dedication and support for young Rubio’s success lies at the heart of the senator’s perspective in dealing with the challenges of children of immigrants — be they legal or illegal.
The rising senator and the positive attention he’s been getting is one of Team Obama’s primary concerns. They have been watching, polling and discussing his influence among Hispanic voters for months.
So before Marco Rubio could fully launch his new book and use that momentum to discuss his plan for the children of illegals, the Obama camp made a preemptive strike — hoping to siphon off any significant momentum that Rubio could build with the Hispanic base.
With an important Hispanic gathering coming up this week in Orlando that both the president and Mitt Romney (and Marco Rubio) will be speaking at, the president’s handlers decided it was time to make their move.
With his support quickly eroding, the Obama camp knows it can ill afford to lose any more support from any individual voting bloc. Their fear wasn’t that they would lose the Hispanics vote to Romney, but that just enough of the more conservative leaning Latinos might jump ship to the GOP. Any defections in any area will be costly, especially in Florida, Texas, Arizona and California. Defections that are still possible when Marco Rubio steps up his upcoming meet and greet agenda.
But, should this be decided by our elected Congress members or an imperial president?
How long does winning at all costs, including trespassing on the responsibilities of our legislative branch, have to play out before the American public says, “Enough is enough”?
What controversial federal issue will Congress be blindsided with next? While we may not know the answer to that today, we know one thing for certain. Either the American public must demand a stop to this repetitive overreach or this president will bulldoze the structural foundation of this nation.
American voters did not elect Barack Obama to be the imperial president of the United States. It is not to up to him to impose and implement his views as if Congress was just some ceremonial branch of our government.
Unethical campaign tactics and dirty tricks have been around forever. Our senses have been dulled in recent years due to the bombardment we receive each election cycle from negative media campaigns.
But this must be seen for what it is: It is a step beyond the bounds of good governing that must not go forward without consequences. If presidential executive authority can be abused in this fashion without restraint, one can only imagine what awaits us in the future.
The current presidential overreach and abuse of the Constitution must be stopped and stopped now, for the sake of the nation.
Bill Bunkley is host of "Drive Time with Bill Bunkley," heard throughout West Central Florida weekday afternoons from 4-6 eastern on AM 570 & 910 WTBN Tampa Bay with live streaming at www.bayword.com. Bill is active in the state’s issues in Tallahassee and is President of the Florida Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Inc. Contact Bill at wbunkley@salemtampa.com.
Publication date: June 20, 2012
