by Eyck Freymann
A quick note. Last thursday Judd Gregg, the Republican Senator that President Obama had tapped to be the next Commerce secretary, withdrew his nomination for the post. Gregg had, as I understand it, already vacated his senate seat. What would lead him to do such a thing? He cited the fact that Obama planned to remove the census from the jurisdiction of the Commerce department. (Remind me: how does the census have anything to do with Commerce?)
The Republicans have begun to march in unprecedented lockstep. It took two weeks of negotiations for Obama to pry off even three of them to support his stimulus plan. It would be more entertaining if the state of the world economy were not dependent on the success of this plan, but the Republicans are turning into exactly the model of a party they attacked the Democrats for being in 2004 - a group of minority naysayers trying to subvert the necessary plans of a President with a mandate.
After living through eight years of George Bush and Dick Cheney in power, you develop the feeling that Republicans are the ones who are champion the Imperial Presidency. Eight years of secret energy task forces, pushes for the line-item veto, refusals to respond to subpoena, and the Vice-Presidents proclaiming that he is "not really part of the Executive Branch," I think they've made their position abundantly clear.
Not so, apparently. According to Time Magazine, "That night on Fox News, Sean Hannity called Obama's plans for the census process 'the biggest White House power grab ever,' as his guest Karl Rove voiced agreement."
Look who's talking.
Monday, February 16, 2009
Executive Privilege
Labels: census, executive privilege, obama administration, rove
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4 comments:
Obama’s stealing the census from Congress has suddenly awakened and enraged the Republicans. Maybe this will arouse them as well to challenge Obama for stealing the Presidency itself. They surely know he is not an Article 2 “natural born citizen” (which is more than merely being a 14th Amendment “citizen”) by virtue of either Obama’s birth to a dad of Kenyan/British citizenship or birth in Kenya itself — as manifested by his unwillingness to supply his long form birth certificate now under seal.
Obama isn't "stealing" the census from anyone. The census has historically been conducted by the Executive Branch (recently through the Commerce Department) and has been only financed by congress.
Want to know who "stole" the census? Tom Delay stole the census. He and his cronies redistricted Texas and caused six Democratic representatives to lose their seats.
Maybe Obama will release his birth certificate when we can see Trig Palin's birth certificate.
Ted; Pleasure to meet you; I thought I was the only conservative on this site! Anyways, I couldn't but help follow in on that conversation, so my question to young sentinel: What does Trig's birth certificate have to do with Obama's elligibility to become president? Last time I checked, Trig was not running for president...
It's worth pointing out that a parent's citizenship has no bearing on whether a child born a US citizen (though it might affect citizenship for other countries, e.g. Switzerland).
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