The Progressives accused Bush of abusing the powers of the Presidency. They were projecting onto him, their intentions. Barack Hussein Obama has governed like a 3rd World Style Progressive. He has a State Capitalist economic policies, engages in demagogic rhetoric and abuses of power. Obama has even admitted he wishes he can act with dictatorial like powers. In fact, he has engaged in power grabs.
Candidates never keep their promises once in office. But even by the unlovely standards of his political peers, President Obama has pulled a rather impressive switcheroo from the anti-Bush to Bush-plus. He ran on a platform to undo President George W. Bush’s legacy and restore government accountability, even signing the pledge from the Reason Foundation (where I work) to “fully and robustly” work toward “open, transparent, and accountable government principles.”
[….]
1. War-making powers. During the campaign, Obama famously declared that when it came to bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities: “The president does not have the power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”
But not only did he not get prior congressional approval before bombing Libya, which poses no threat, he refused to get approval even 90 days after the fact as required by the War Powers Resolution Act. Why? Because he insists that unless troops are committed, we are not engaged in a war, only “kinetic military action.”
[….]
2. Civil liberties. During a 2005 speech, Obama rightly condemned the “false choice” between liberty and security posed by the Bush war on terror. So what does he do after getting elected? Not only does he not return the civil liberties that Bush took away, he confiscates more.
[….]
3. Legislating through bureaucrats. If this assault on civil liberties is chilling, so is the manner in which Obama and his congressional minions are colluding to hand over control of the economy to unelected bureaucrats.
Consider the Independent Payment Advisory Board that Obamacare created. Its 15-member board, appointed by the president, has virtual carte blanche to cut Medicare spending by mandating “evidence-based medicine” (code for rationing) or slashing physician payments. Its “recommendations” will have the force of law unless Congress passes—with a three-fifths supermajority in the Senate—alternative cuts of an equal amount. This, in essence, delegates away Congress’ legislative powers.
[….]
4. Killing the auto industry through regulatory fiat. At least the president worked with Congress before delivering the financial and health care industries to the clutches of bureaucrats. If only the auto industry had been so lucky. The administration’s newly proposed fuel economy standards are the regulatory equivalent of declaring war on carmakers, as I noted in my last column. However, as with Libya, the administration failed to involve Congress, in a clear departure from past precedent when Congress has set the standards and the EPA has implemented them. This time, the EPA is doing both.
Read it all: Obama’s Top Four Power Grabs
I don’t really agree that Bush took civil liberties, since I was able to criticize his policies without fear of retribution. The other 3 examples of Obama abusing his power are spot on. He is trying to emulate the 3rd World tyrants he grew up admiring.
