I never thought it could get this bad in our fair land, that the man elected to be the chief law enforcement officer would so flagrantly, and so often, subvert, abrogate, or ignore not only the laws of the land, but even the laws of his own making.
And the press, the institution that often reminds us of their sacred rights and indispensability to our democracy, has rolled over — except for a few exceptions — and decided that these abuses do not merit their withering gaze and are instead focused on demonizing the Tea Party and anyone who does take umbrage at our president’s tyrannical actions.
So what is new about Obama, what makes his administration’s actions strike existential fear into the hearts of lovers of liberty and republicanism?
He —and this is a royal “he” that includes his administration and his lackeys in Congress — simply doesn’t enforce laws he doesn’t like.
Federal laws regarding marijuana have been completely unenforced in states that have legalized medicinal or recreational pot. The Defense of Marriage Act, signed by President Clinton, has not only been ignored, but undermined at every turn by the administration.
He has abused or violated parliamentary tradition to pass laws, like Obamacare, or pack the DC circuit court of appeals by dismissing the venerable practice of the filibuster so that they can in turn quash a challenge to Obamacare without a proper hearing.
Or how about making “recess appointments” when there isn’t a recess to the National Labor Relations Board and then ignoring a judge’s injunction and continuing to operate in an extralegal manner?
Then there’s his abrogation of his own signature law, changes and delays to the meaning and clear intent of the law for pure political expediency. The executive branch is supposed to implement law, not re-write it on the go.
His own statements about how he will go around Congress if they don’t do what he wants have been breathtaking in their boldness and dispiriting in how complacent the press and the people are in the face of such abuse of power.
Then there’s the coup de grace, the IRS scandal. First he told the IRS to go after conservative groups, and then expressed shock when they did, and then dismissed it and lied about it as the work of a few rogue agents in Cincinnati.
And the pattern of bald-faced lies continued with Benghazi, when it was blamed on a video in order to cover up their own negligence and incompetence in failing to anticipate or deal with the attacks.
It’s one thing to disagree on policy, but another entirely to condone breaking, ignoring, manipulating the law to get what you want, and to have that process led with gusto by the president and silently acquiesced to by the press, who laud themselves as watchdogs of our democracy.
When those watchdogs lay down and sleep, then the democracy they are supposed to be protecting melts into dictatorship.
Trey Hoffman
Peachtree City, Ga.
