Obama’s super-czar is on the loose
Photoshop credit: VVM
Obama’s Super-Czar Is on the Loose
by Michelle Malkin
Creators Syndicate
Copyright 2012
Here is the operating motto of the Obama White House: “So let it be written, so let it be done!” Like Yul Brynner’s Pharaoh Ramses character in Cecil B. DeMille’s “The Ten Commandments,” the demander in chief stands with arms akimbo issuing daily edicts to his constitution-subverting minions with an imperious wave of his hand. His entourage of insatiable usurpers never rests.
Can’t delude legislators into adopting a $1.5 billion Kabuki summer-jobs makework boondoggle? Create an unfunded program through executive fiat.
Can’t muster up a filibuster-proof majority for radical nominees? Czar-ify ‘em.
Can’t get Congress to approve vast wild lands designations? Grab them under cover of a holiday lame-duck session.
Can’t get the illegal alien bailout DREAM Act passed on Capitol Hill? Executive-order it.
“So let it be written, so let it be done!”
In keeping with the dark and defiant habits of this administration, the new head of the half-billion-dollar Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was sworn in behind closed doors on Wednesday night. The nomination of former Democratic Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray to serve as Dodd-Frank regulatory enforcer had been soundly defeated in the Senate before Christmas. But as I reported last month, progressive zealots funded by billionaire George Soros goaded Obama to ignore the Senate’s constitutionally grounded advice and consent role.
At his left flank’s urging, Obama vowed to follow in President Theodore Roosevelt’s footsteps (TR recess-appointed 160 officials during a recess of less than one day) and install Cordray even though the Senate technically remained in pro forma session. Fresh from his Hawaii vacation, Obama returned to Washington and for once delivered on a promise.
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney told reporters Thursday that the administration expects no retaliation for the end-run around the deliberative process. Playing the pharaoh’s helper, Carney airily dismissed widespread bipartisan questions about the legality of the power grab as “esoteric discussion.”
The GOP knew the installation of Obama’s latest super-czar was coming a month ago, but is now scrambling to respond. Republicans will get clobbered with the class warfare card again unless they forcefully counter the Democrats’ narrative of the president’s “bold” actions for “middle-class Americans.”
Obama’s liberal media supporters have rationalized the tyrannical maneuver as a response to GOP “nullification.” But it’s those who oppose common-sense reforms of the gravely flawed Dodd-Frank law — a 2,600-page monstrosity that no lawmaker read before passing it — who are obstructing good government.
As Senate Republicans have been pointing out for months, Dodd-Frank threw out judicial review, removed CFPB from the congressional appropriations process, provided five-year tenure protection for the director and transferred the agency from the Treasury Department to the opaque and unaccountable Federal Reserve.
Obama and Democratic leaders themselves recognize the recklessness of vesting so much unfettered power in a single individual. In 2009, Obama floated a bipartisan board to oversee enforcement. Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin of Illinois, Charles Schumer of New York and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island all co-sponsored legislation backing a commission. Massachusetts Democratic Rep. Barney Frank was also an original sponsor of a bill creating the very kind of five-member panel Republicans have proposed.
The House passed these and other structural reforms last year, but the Senate has failed to act, and the White House insists on demagoguing reformers. Moreover, taxpayers remain in the dark about how and how much the CFPB is spending, because Dodd-Frank allows the agency to draw funds from the Federal Reserve’s operating expenses. Out of sight, out of mind.
This is not “bold.” It’s jackboot. It won’t benefit “middle-class Americans.” It’ll line lobbyist pockets, soak taxpayer dollars and fuel a Beltway rule-making bonanza. It’s not about reining in Wall Street abuses. It’s about consolidating bureaucratic authority and granting unprecedented immunity to a single super-cop from congressional and public oversight.
Where, ahem, are those Occupiers when you need them?
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Related – John Yoo on Cordray and the use and abuse of executive power.
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That was clarified/debunked months ago. It was not the same thing and the Mexican government was directly involved. Obama and Holder’s scam also killed not only Americans but hundreds of Mexicans. Smith is a true dolt if he does not know this. Another Lib dim talking head.
From The Hill…
“With Cordray at the helm, after months of delay, the agency will help Americans better digest mortgages, student loans and credit card fees before they become entangled in debt, Obama said before a packed room of more than 100 CFPB employees.”
Coupla points. We’re already waaaay deep in debt and getting more piled on every day.
http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/202773-obama-takes-victory-lap
Hasn’t g’ment already taken control of mortgages and student loans? So we need a g’ment agency to oversee the g’ment? ObamaCare is going to be awesome.
If Republicans fought the way Marines do, this would be considered a “target-rich environment”. The Democrats would be rightly slaughtered like fish in a barrel. But since the GOP elites are invested in maintaining the status quo, no gains are likely to be made, and the Left will continue in its quest to drive America under.
Hilarious!
RedDog…
You can hold a press conference everyday, but if the LSM doesn’t broadcast it, no one will hear you.
Loved it!
Speaking of sending messages, did anyone else see this?
Like I’ve always said, Marxists know full well the power of the Media and the need to control it, public education too. They have been good students of Marx and Lenin. Things are going according to plan.
George Romney ran for president, but never got the party nomination. At the time, there were questions of his eligibility raised, but they became moot when he failed in his bid.
However, he was born to 2 US citizen parents, and so was himself a citizen when Mitt was born in 1947 in Detroit. So, Mitt is a natural born citizen.
It’s interesting to see the history of revisions of the “Natural Born Citizen” entry at Wikipedia. A lot of partisan edits/undos/revisions going on.
There should be a pledge that no GOP candidate should release any information about themselves that Obama has not released.
In keeping with the dark and defiant habits of this administration, the new head of the half-billion-dollar Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was sworn in behind closed doors on Wednesday night. WHY WOULD HE NEED TO BE SWORN IN? DOES THE OATH INCLUDE THE USUAL PROTECTION OF THE CONSTITUTION PRHASES? AN OATH WOULD APPEAR TO BE BLATANTLY CONTEMPTUOUS.
That is brilliant! If only they would actually pledge that and stick to it! I bet the media would cover that!
I agree 100% with that! But, with all those r’s running, who would have the guts to go through bhopress 24/7 slamming them for not doing their part? Not going after bho, oh no we don’t do that do we?
L
Led by the Usurper-in-Chief.
I keep thinking that if we had Columbia’s Military, we would be rid of this fool and he would be spending time with Hugo.
Hans Obowmao Gruber: When they touch down, we’ll blow the roof, they’ll spend a month sifting through rubble, and by the time they figure out what went wrong, we’ll be sitting on a beach, earning twenty percent.
Best damn idea I’ve seen in a long time.
LIAR-IN-CHIEF!!! Hey, as professor of the Constitution, Jackass-In-Chief knows just exactly how to BREAK the law!?!
I *know* it sounds naive to ask, buuuuut….
Though there are more important issues to keep an eye on until November, and not to fall into an Obama-”Do-Nothing-Congress”-trap,
….wouldn’t it give the Republican House (and colleagues in the Senate) a *tad* bit of credibility in the eyes of most Americans, for them to take initial actions on impeachment of this jacka§§?!?
One of my favorite Christmas movies…
Yes, it is a good Christmas movie isn’t it? Of course the wife insists on watching Rudolph. (sigh)
No, it doesn’t sound naive, it sounds foolish. Are you old enough to remember Clinton’s impeachment? Fat lot of good that did; all it accomplished was to give his followers and his media something to rally around.
Plus, this time around there would be even less chance of the “trial” in the Senate actually upholding the impeachment. The only thing that an attempt at impeachment would achieve would be to virtually guarantee an eminently beatable politician with a second term.
There is a difference between “doing something” and committing political suicide. Impeaching Obama now would be a clear-cut example of the latter.
No. I haven’t seen any polls on the subject (an indication in itself of how it would likely be received), but donk control of the Senate aside — making the whole effort pointless from the outset — I really doubt that a majority or even a significant minority of the public would see such an attempt as anything other than how it would be portrayed in the media: “Mean-spirited, bitter Republicans who are too consumed by their [racist] blind hatred of the president to join with him in doing what’s right for the country, blah, blah, blah.”
Just beat the man at the ballot box in November. That’s what’s most important, and unlike impeachment actually has a chance of success.
Why, I’ll drink to that!
Impeachment is for pantywaists…just ask Clinton. We need some serious action here.
Looks like the Obama Admin just expanded the definition of rape to include men – how many of you have a problem with this?
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/06/10007698-us-broadens-definition-of-rape-includes-male-victims
it’s a bot. I never actually read any of it’s posts.
Getting back to the MM story ….
MM has missed a key component of the CFPB. Their reach is BEYOND banking. In fact, the goal is for this organization to get involved in EVERY financial transaction. This can include an individual purchasing a pencil at Walmart! No limit as to what constitutes a financial transaction appears in the law that created the CFPB! As part of their charter, they are also allowed the leeway of creating new ‘financial’ fees.
Here is where this CFPB is planning on running completely off of the rails. IF the CFPB becomes a profit making organization, those profits are handed to the Federal Reserve system. Since the Federal Reserve is chartered to turn over ALL profits to the US Treasury, this can now become a new taxing method for the federal government!
We have created a system of TAXATION without ANY representation. And in the case of the CFPB, there is NO CONGRESSIONAL or EXECUTIVE oversite!
I suspect this entire law will eventually, after billions of dollars are spent in legal fees, be found UNCONSTITUTIONAL!
Off topic, but you guys. Have you read about this whole mess with NYU having students study OWS, and this insane chain of emails? The whole story is pretty fascinating.
http://gawker.com/5873148/
Whoopi Goldberg says, it’s not rape rape.
Funny how Ms. Malkin didn’t mind GWB’s and Reagan’s record number of recess appointments. Ok, wait, IOKIYAR.
Funny how ModerateSuccessfulDem really isn’t moderate. OK, wait, HALPOS.
Funny how the leftist love more government control of our lives. One more law, one more rule, Lord, my do the trick.
Leftist, do you really think the government is here to protect you?
Do you think Obama gives a flying f— about you?
The socialist mantra is, what’s mine is mine and what’s yours is mine.
Sounds more like the mantra of Republicans and their love of corporate power and Wall Street.
Sounds more like you’re an #Occupy idiot, a moderately successful one at that. This goes along with the useful type as well.
OK_Loyalist,
MSD is like ILMC. Their goal in life is to become a slave.
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HI MODERATE_SUCCESSFUL_DEM–#127. Let me explain the recess appointment to you. Or you can break new ground and actually read the Constitution to learn how it works. The Patrona is complaining because Comrade Obama didn’t follow the Constitution. And didn’t follow the correct actions of Presidents Reagan and Bush 43 when making these temporary 1 year or less appointments.
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The Senate has to be out of session–in recess–for the President to have the power to make these appointments. They must have adjourned. If they come back every 3 (or 10?) days they are still in a legitimate session.
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Dingy Harry Reid didn’t like President Bush 43′s legitimate recess appointment of John Bolton to be the U.S. Representative to the United Nations. So he didn’t allow the Senate to adjourn and kept it open with a few people to prevent any more recess appointments. President Bush observed the law and did not make any more recess appointments–they would have been invalid.
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Comrade Obama ignored the fact that the Senate was still technically still in session and made 4 illegitimate recess appointments. They may be thrown out by upcoming lawsuits in federal courts–with SCOTUS ruling on the constitutionality of His illegal Hitler, Stalin, or Mussolini power grab.
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You could upgrade your screen handle to REALLY_SUCCESSFUL_DEM by doing a little research and Constitution reading. Constitutions, precedents, and laws don’t mean anything to socialists, marxists, and communists. The end always justifies the means to these corrupt dictators. Just ask the millions of dead people that result from their actions.
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John Bibb
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I understand you have a limited intelligence, but since you have a computer you can always use a search engine to find the Republicans controlled neither House nor Senate for the first two years of Obama’s term.
As has been pointed out, beautifully, above by rocketman, the strategy was devised by your own Harry Reid (D-Vegas Mob) to prevent Bush from making recess appointments. Bush didn’t try to violate the Constitution to get around it, though.
So apparently you are as hypocritical as you are ignorant. No wonder you support Obama!
***
“Congress has five options to respond to this power grab by the executive branch of the federal government:
“1. Filibuster all nominations and deny unanimous consent to the waiver of any rule with regard to nominations until these four unconstitutional appointments are rescinded
“2. Condition passage of all must-pass legislation on the rescission of these unconstitutional appointments
“3. Conduct vigorous oversight to demand the production of witnesses and documents supporting the president’s legal theory justifying this unprecedented power grab
“4. Make major cuts in funding of the NLRB and the Department of the Treasury where the CFPB was placed by its authorizing statute
“5. Pursue legal remedies to get those unconstitutionally appointed officials out of office.”
I’d go with ALL of the above.
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HI GREEN_EYED_LADY–#134. As you point out in the 1–5 list–there actions that the House can take to shut down Comrade Obama’s power grab.
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Too bad that “Boo-Hoo” Boehner and the gutless “reach across the aisle” CongressCritters are in charge. Until they go–it’s just a continuing “bend over and grab your ankles” and “thank you Sir–may I please have another swat” C**P.
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Maybe someone with real C****ES can take over as Speaker of the House. Someone who will engage the socialist / marxist / communist Comrade Obama and His Ilk at every opportunity.
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I think his name is Colonel Adam West of Florida. The leader who said that he “would walk through Hell carrying an open can of gasoline” if it would save one of his soldiers. And did so–at the cost of his fine Army career. He’s one of the few “representatives” who will do the job we elected him to do. Instead of rolling over and folding like a cheap tent every time our Constitution is violated.
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Let’s pray for and work for another “Teapartying” in the Nov. 6, 2012 election. It’s the only way it will happen. Boo–Hoo must go.
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John Bibb
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Col. Allen West=Florida Congressman.
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Adam West=1960′s Batman actor.
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Both hit hard.
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John Bibb
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Well, There you go again, rocketman!:):)
I was pretty sure Tammy Faye, cocktail party doll, would be a big disappointment as speaker…
Michele B. would have been my choice.