Oh, I’ll just postpone the employer mandate: how typically Obama
Let’s see: Congress passes the health insurance law that comes to be known as “Obamacare.” Obama seems to have taken the name to heart: it’s his law and he can do what he wants with it.
So by executive fiat, he changes it. Don’t like the part where businesses employing over 50 people people have to sign up or pay tax penalties? Okay, he’ll delay it a year, despite the fact that the law as passed by Congress never said the timing would be left up to Obama; it was specified that it would begin on January 1, 2014.
It doesn’t take a great deal of insight to see why Obama might want to do this: the law is highly unpopular in general, and that particular portion of it is especially complex and will create trouble for businesses. An election is coming up in 2014, one in which Obama would like to get more power to do whatever he wants, because right now only the pesky House stands in his way.
I don’t think this sort of changing of an act of Congress by fiat is something previous presidents have done, because they lacked the imagination and sheer audacity of this president. He figures why not do whatever he wants? Who’s to stop him? Congress? It’s to laugh.
In general, for most of our history, our elected officials have agreed there are certain lines you do not cross. The Founders tried to build in safeguards against tyranny and to protect the rule of law, but they could only go so far to protect us. For example, impeachment is in the end a political process, and if Congress lacks the political will, it won’t impeach no matter what a president does.
Perhaps I’m wrong. Perhaps I just don’t know enough American history. But I can’t think of a parallel to Obama’s action here. The moment that does come to mind is FDR’s court-packing scheme, but even many members of Roosevelt’s own party refused to back him up for that one. I guess there was just a bit more integrity back then, because now I predict that you will see nothing of the sort from Congressional Democrats about this little action of Obama’s.
The move is indeed “deviously brilliant”, as former Congressional Budget Office director Douglas Holtz-Eakin has called it. Just as the original Omamacare bill delayed the pain until after the 2012 election, and timed the cost so that the CBO was forced to score it favorably and misleadingly, this newest ploy is supposed to fool the American people in 2014 in order to keep that election from being a debacle for the Democrats.
The American people proved themselves stupid enough not to get (or care about) what was happening in 2012. Will they be any smarter in 2014?
And at the risk of repeating myself (which I suppose I’ve already done many many times), all of this should come as no surprise. It’s the Obama way (which is the Chicago way plus an extra special little something that might be called the Venezuela way).
[ADDENDUM: I give some kudos to a guy I’ve criticized mightily in the past, Ezra Klein. He doesn’t think Obama is going about this the right way. Of course, Klein is a mere pundit, not a Democrat politician.]
“I predict that you will see nothing of the sort from Congressional Democrats about this little action of Obama’s.”
This deceitful move was on the behest of congressional democrats; they wanted the death of the albatross postponed until they could win re-election. And, its not a “little action”. Its another rung in the ladder of the dictatorship.
parker:
I think it should be clear from my post that the phrase “little action” is deeply sarcastic.
And of course the Congressional Democrats would be highly pleased by the move—although I’m not sure how much Obama consults with anyone (other than Valerie Jarrett and his wife), even members of his own party.
Confirming yet again that the Democratic Party in general and Obama in particular are lawless and irresponsible. The President, as chief executive of the USA, is sworn to uphold the law. He has no choice in the matter. Either enforce the law or get Congress to repeal it. All this does is pave the way for tyranny. As the rabbis taught us when I was a small boy, if gold rusts, what williron do?
But . . . but . . .
Ya’d think there’d be peasants-with-pitchforks rioting in the friggin’ streets. “How DARE you?” “No justice, no peace!” “What do we want? Obamacare! When do we want it? NOW!!!
Ya’d think.
[ crickets ]
/sarc off
Should be, what will iron do?
I can’t think of another instance like this either. The non-enforcement of the first amnesty was accomplished in slow motion.
A question for the Compassion through Coercion crowd — if President Obama can just say “I’m not going to enforce this law,” why can’t the next President do the same thing?
Obama may not, probably does not, consult with Congressional democrats but it seems certain that members of his administration do and those democrats almost certainly are the instigation for this move. Obama is done as far as elections go and while he’s working toward regaining the House, it’s Congressional democrats who are most at risk.
Regaining the House for Obama is actually just gravy, he doesn’t really need it, as his various executive orders are proving…
Any honest future historian is going to have to credit Congress, key SCOTUS majorities, the MSM and the American public for enabling Obama, he couldn’t have done it without them. It’s a collaborative effort.
“if President Obama can just say “I’m not going to enforce this law,” why can’t the next President do the same thing?”
Well, they can but…if it’s not a democrat, Congressional democrats, democrat party operatives, the MSM, moveon.org, the Huffington Post, et al will crucify that President.
Same ‘crime’ completely opposite reactions.
Just like the Trayvon Martin/Zimmerman trial. Reverse the racial identities and the media acts exactly the opposite. Integrity, hypocrisy, intellectual honesty… are objective terms, in the left’s world of situational ethics, all that counts is support for the ideology.
“A question for the Compassion through Coercion crowd — if President Obama can just say “I’m not going to enforce this law,” why can’t the next President do the same thing?”
Look at a bigger picture – why can’t ANY executive branch actor, from governor down to sheriff, say the same thing? The precedent has been set.
Wouldn’t that be interesting, in the chinese-curse sense?
He already did this with DOMA and there were no consequences. He also made recess appointments to the NLRB when Congress wasn’t in recess, and on and on. I just don’t understand why none of the Republicans confront him about this.
neo,
I knew you were being sarcastic…. EOs give too much power to the executive branch. Modern presidents have abused EOs, but none so egregiously and blatantly as the messiah. He has nothing but contempt for congress and the courts.
“I just don’t understand why none of the Republicans confront him about this.”
NSA?
“I don’t think this sort of changing of an act of Congress by fiat is something previous presidents have done, because they lacked the imagination and sheer audacity of this president.”
This is why I call him King Barack. He is the monarch, the emperor, The One whose will is sovereign. At least that’s how he behaves and he’s got the imperious demeanor befitting a king. All hail King Barack!
“I just don’t understand why none of the Republicans confront him about this.”
Clearly, it’s not an issue for them. Draw your own conclusions.
As far as I”m concerned, they’ve had more than enough rope to hang themselves with and I will no longer vote for Republican candidates. I’ll vote for Tea Party candidates when possible but I won’t pretend that voting for a Republican makes a bit of difference. Better to let the democrats reveal and undeniably expose their Marxist loyalties than allow Republicans to continue to provide ‘bi-partisan’ political cover.
Until liberals awaken to what they’ve wrought, nothing fundamental is going to change and without fundamental rejection of leftist progressivism, America will still be lost while providing the cover for leftists to continue to proclaim that “it just wasn’t done right the last time”.
I would actually like to see him be confronted very strongly by a member of the MSM in a live TV interview. Given that Obama is unused to critiques, he would probably freak out, and the world would see it. OK, I know this is a fantasy. I wouldn’t mind seeing Bob Woodward as the interviewer.
BHO signed the legislation known as obamacare into law. It was, by law, set for implementation on 1/1/14. Now, to the delight of the chattering class and big business it is delayed. What will the hard left do in response. Something, nothing?
“I will no longer vote for Republican candidates.”
I often vote libertarian unless the election looks close and in such circumstances I have always voted republican. I also take the no more pledge. Let it all crumble and then we shall see who picks up the crumbs.
Back to a recent thread (“History and immunity” http://neoneocon.com/2013/06/29/history-and-immunity/):
I will grant you that one needs to know the historical background to appreciate how unprecedented and outrageous King Barack’s “executive fiats” are. But on the other hand:
Therefore he wants to delay the sh**-storm until after the 2014 elections to give him even more power.
So anyone with some common sense who is paying attention should realize this is the cynical maneuver of a power-hungry demagogue. And ditto vis-a-vis the initial passing of this obviously unpopular law: the fact that implementation of most of the Obamacare monstrosity was delayed until after the next election was an obvious tip-off of the mendacious demagoguery behind it. That is, for anyone with a bit of common sense who wasn’t asleep.
So, why aren’t the Republicans in Congress suing for a writ of mandamus in order to force enforcement?
Momo, I assume your question is rhetorical, as the answer is that the GOP is once again going along to get along.
I am with Momo. I am not a Lawyer, thank goodness, but I would think that any Congressman, a Senator Cruz for instance, would have standing to go directly to the Supreme Court and challenge the EO which tries to circumvent federal law. If the court upholds the challenge, and Obama does not comply it becomes a clear impeachable defense.
Of course it takes a Patriot with courage to do these things. Still, it needs to be done; this unprecedented rule by Presidential fiat cannot be allowed to become habitual.
Or we could contemplate whether the Egyptians have any lessons to teach us.
offense, not defensible. Damn.
Cruz is one of a handful of current federal office holders that I trust (so far). Unless there is serious push back against the current regime America is headed for a very ugly, vicious day of reckoning.
I will point out that Moonbeam Jerry Brown and the CA attorney-general, the elected servants of Californians, declined to defend Prop. 8, as passed by the voters, some two years ago.
As you know, that went to SCOTUS, which in its Constitutional brilliance determined that the People of California had “No standing” and thus were not entitled to sue to defend legislation passed by the People.
“Justice” Roberts is doing as much damage to the USA as Earl Warren did. More, actually. Both were appointed as alleged Republican consevatives.
Brown maybe showed Baraq the way. They are not done with us, either.
Similar might be FDR’s EOs banning gold and interning Japanese.
Don Carlos:
Actually, I think Chavez showed Obama the way. I’ve thought that now for many, many years.
And I’m not sure whether Brown’s failure to defend Prop 8 in the courts predated Obama’s failure to defend DOMA, or whether DOMA came first, or whether it happened simultaneously. But a failure to defend something in the courts is not quite as much of a usurpation of power as the changing of the date of this mandate was–although they’re both pretty bad.
And no, they’re certainly not done with us. This is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.
Don Carlos, the Supreme Court’s action with regard to Prop 8 is why I think any suit would have to be brought by a member of Congress. It would be interesting to see if Cruz were ruled not to have legal standing since he was not a sitting member when the law was enacted.
I see Cruz is applauding the delay and wants to make it permanent. That is nice rhetoric, but I think they need to stop this attempt at governance by fiat by holding Obama’s feet to the fire on this.
Either repeal it now, or make them implement it prior to the 2014 election.
He is not a president. He is a king.
Kings have subjects who do what they are told. Kings issue edicts and rule by fiat. Obama’s subjects adore him. They should, he pays them for their adoration in government benefits and political/economic largesse: welfare, food stamps, phones, health care and condoms, large government contracts. eliminating competition in business and politics.
The State? It’s Him!
Congress is feckless and feeble; either afraid of their own shadow or in collusion with “The State Apparatus” since they make their living there too.
The people are asleep or afraid.
It’s the 4th of July. Never has the fate of America been more dire.
The Left better show me something interesting. I have high expectations of their evil.
It’ll be really sad and boring, if they all combust internally like so many Middle East civil war factions.
Happy Fourth of July!
I’ve scarcely thought about Obama today.