Liberal Lawyers even 'get it'.
I've been following Turley quite awhile now and he's actually a lot less Liberal than he thinks he is.
All hail King Obama! Long live the King! The King is a law unto himself.
Law professor Jonathan Turley
Law professors rarely make news. But Jonathan Turley is an exception. Someone has to stand up to tyrants and today it’s his turn.
He’s long been critical of presidential power grabs. Today, he got the chance to express his criticism before Congress.
This story looks at Dr. Turley’s analysis of how Obama has created through his evil arrogance one of the greatest Constitutional crises in the history of the United States.
The transcript of the testimony is long. I’ve excerpted a few of the more powerful indictments of King Obama’s abuse of power below. I’ve bolded especially relevant statements.
jonathanturley
Reflecting these views, the Framers stated that the President “shall take care that the laws
of the United States be duly and faithfully executed.” It was a direct mandatory statement that
stood in contrast to the fluid notion of executive prerogative. I have previously testified on the
history and meaning of that clause, which I will not repeat here. However, some of President
Obama’s statements come strikingly close to assertions by King James I that he could apply
“natural reason” to the alteration, and even the suspension, of federal laws.
—
There is no license in the Madisonian system to “go it alone.” Our country is sharply
divided politically and that division is manifested (as it should be) in Congress. During times of
division, less may get done. Both sides must either compromise or seek to change the balance of
power in the next election. The assertion of executive prerogative to implement changes without
Congress is tantamount to a pledge to govern alone.14 Such a dominant executive certainly
promises to “get things done” but at a prohibitive cost. Those who remain silent today should
consider that, in less than three years, a different president will sit in the Oval Office. That
person could use the very same claims to suspend environmental or anti-discrimination laws. The
short-term benefits of achieving such changes will pale in comparison to the long-term damage
to our system from fueling the rise of an American über-presidency. The safeguard for our
system remains our federal judiciary, but as discussed below, the courts have increasingly
detached constitutional rights from judicial remedies.
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The “power of the purse” is the classic example of congressional power within the
separation of powers.20 However, with modern appropriation rules, it has become something of a
constitutional mythology in many cases. Due to modern budget rules, it is practically difficult for
Congress to immediately alter government programs with appropriation changes. There are
billions sloshing around in federal budgets that can be moved around to fill gaps in funding. The
Libyan War is a good example. President Obama announced that he would not ask Congress for
authority to attack another country, including attacks on its capital and military units in support
of rebel forces. Instead, he merely shifted billions to fund a war without the need to ask for
immediate funding. President Obama supplied an even more relevant example under the ACA.
As reported by the Washington Post, “[t]he Obama administration plans to use $454 million in Prevention Fund dollars to help pay for the federal health insurance exchange. That’s 45 percent
of the $1 billion in Prevention Fund spending available [in 2013].”21 The unilateral action to
move hundreds of millions from an appropriated to a non-appropriated purpose led even leading
Democratic Members to denounce the act as “a violation of both the letter and spirit of this
landmark law.”22 However, that open disregard of the power of the purse resulted in nothing of
consequence for the Administration. Congress was simply circumvented and the President
effectively self-appropriated federal funds for his own priorities.
You can read the entire 20 page transcript of the testimony at the link to Dr. Turley’s website above.
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