The Supreme Court has told President Obama he can't just appoint whomever he wants regardless of the Constitution's requirements. And he can't force companies to do things that violate their constitutional rights. Congress is now getting ready to sue him for a whole host of other executive actions that the Constitution says should have required congressional approval.
His remarks came a day after Obama declared that he would act on his own to address weaknesses in the nation’s immigration system after Boehner informed him that the House would not take up an immigration overhaul this year.
He has already taken a series of executive actions, including an order requiring federal contractors to pay a higher minimum wage and initiating steps to to lower carbon emissions in coal-fired power plants.
“So far this year, Republicans in Congress have blocked or voted down every serious idea to strengthen the middle class — not ideas that are unique to me,” he said. “But the Republicans have said no to raising the minimum wage, have said no to fair pay. They’ve said no to extending unemployment insurance for over 3 million Americans looking for a new job.”
Earlier Tuesday, Obama met with his Cabinet secretaries and urged them to “be creative about how we can make real progress” on issues where Congress won’t act.
Let me take issue with AP reporter Jim Kuhnhenn's language in that last sentence. It's not that Congress "won't act," as Kuhnhenn claims in a clear co-opting of Obama's preferred language. It's that Congress isn't willing to simply rubber-stamp Obama's proposals. This is the way it always works when the president has to deal with a Congress controlled by the other party. It's not that you can't get anything at all passed. It's that you can't just make demands and have them stand up and salute you. If you really want to get Congress on board with action, you need to compromise.
None of this would have happened if Boehner had really used the power of the purse he's had since 2011
Obama has no interest in that. He would rather make the demands, let Congress reject the demands, then go on tour denouncing them while telling his Cabinet secretaries to "be creative" in finding ways to force his will without congressional approval.
And by the way, you can cheer for Boehner's lawsuit if you want, but none of this would have happened if Boehner had really used the power of the purse he's had since 2011. Republican control of the House means the power of the purse. The federal government can't spend a dime without the House approving it, and that means Obama can't get funding for anything he wants to do without Republican support. Instead of running to the courts for help, Boehner should be using the very real power he has in controlling what the federal government can spend.
Why doesn't he do that? Because every time he tries to deny Obama funding for anything, Obama and Harry Reid threaten to shut down the government unless Boehner capitulates and gives them absolutely everything they want. They have no fear of political consequences for doing this because they know perfectly well that the media will jump all over Republicans and blame them for the shutdown. Boehner knows this too, and rather than develop effective strategies to make the voters understand what is really going on, he capitulates. When Republicans like Ted Cruz want to actually stand up to Obama and Reid and have the fight, they are browbeaten by establishment Republicans who don't even want to try to exercise the power of the purse, figuring the inevitable media criticism is simply too high a price to pay.
Obama doesn't fear this lawsuit any more than he fears Congress withholding his funding. Any legal ruling will likely take years, and even if one is handing down against him during his time in office, who's going to enforce it? It is the job of the executive branch to enforce the laws, and Obama has already made it clear he will not enforce any law he doesn't like. And John Boehner continues to pay for Obama's defiance, because the media will criticize him if he doesn't.
Meanwhile, the voting public, which professes dissatifaction with all this, keeps re-electing everyone involved.
This country is screwed.
