Nixon and Obama and Rule of Law
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We live in a constitutional republic, and respect for the rule of law is a principle that has united Americans since our founding. In response to the abuse of power that the colonies suffered under the British monarchy, our Founding Fathers created a system of government that divided power and instituted checks and balances so that no single branch of government could rule on its own.
During the Watergate years Democrats certainly understood that, as did the media. Republicans initially dismissed criticism of Nixon's "imperial presidency" as crass partisanship. But Nixon was eventually forced out of office because both Republican voters and officeholders concluded that unacceptable lines had been crossed.
We face a crisis today of presidential lawlessness that makes Nixon look like an amateur. That may seem like hyperbole, but the fact that two of America's premier commentators -- Charles Krauthammer and George Will -- felt compelled to address the topic this week speaks volumes about Obama's imperious actions.
Their columns outline the degree of the president's lawlessness in language that is uncharacteristic of either man, and both suggest that such behavior represents a threat to the republic. As Krauthammer concludes:
Unfortunately, given the division in Congress, there is not much we can do about these things now. There are legal remedies, but the courts take time. The legislative branch can sue the executive, and our side has won a few of these cases. But as Will and Krauthammer detail, there are too many things going unaddressed.
In fact, the situation is so bad that Senator Marco Rubio used Obama's lawlessness as an argument for the Senate's quasi-amnesty legislation.
During an interview this week, Sen. Rubio said, "I believe that this president will be tempted, if nothing happens in Congress, he will be tempted to issue an executive order like he did for the DREAM Act kids a year ago where he basically legalizes 11 million people by the sign of a pen." (Senator, you and I need to have a long talk. That is not a good argument for a bad bill.)
Political leaders on both sides of the aisle should be doing everything possible to elevate the issue and bring it to the public's attention at every opportunity. The late Robert Byrd (D-WV) was not afraid to criticize Obama for his abuse of power, and we need some national Democrats to do the same.
In the meantime, every Republican should be prepared to fold this issue into every answer whenever they are being interviewed or are speaking publicly. For example, when talking about immigration reform, simply say, "We're trying our best to reach a just solution. But let me add this -- no president has the authority or the right to institute amnesty by executive order."
This is not a mere policy dispute, but a fundamental principle about how America is governed. Democrats who refuse to resist Obama's power grabs should pay a price at the ballot box next year.
Whether you liked Nixon or not, whether you like Obama or not, America is a nation built on the rule of law. No president has a right to unilaterally make or ignore our laws.
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Gary Bauer is a conservative family values advocate and serves as president of American Values and chairman of the Campaign for Working Families
Tags: Presidents, Richard Nixon, Barack Obama, Marco Rubio, Gary Bauer, Campaign for Working Familie To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the ARRA News Service. Thanks!
3 Comments:
THE DIFFERENCE YOU ARE ALL MISSING IS THAT NIXON WAS EXPOSING THE GOODS ON THE DEMONCRAPS. HELLO THEY TURNED AROUND AND SCREWED HIM AND WHEN OH HORRORS WE WERE CAUGHT IT'S ALL NIXON'S FAULT HE MUST GO. SAME EXACT SHIT THEY ARE PULLING TODAY OH HORRORS OVAMIT'S AN ILLEGAL KENYAN MUSLEM IT'S ALL AMERICA'S FAULT SHE MOST GO DOWN. WTF?
Belinda Duras, Agree with your comments in general However, did you read the article or just the lead in?
The Constitution is front and foremost of importance!
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