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(116,464 posts) Tue Feb 18, 2014, 09:32 AM Feb 2014

Darrell Issa Rallies The GOP To Fight Obama's 'Imperial Presidency'

Darrell Issa Rallies The GOP To Fight Obama's 'Imperial Presidency'

STEVE PEOPLES

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) — His party divided, Rep. Darrell Issa, the chief Republican attack dog, is calling on the GOP to abandon government-backed solutions and instead unite against President Barack Obama's "imperial presidency."

The California congressman said during a rare New Hampshire tour that he's not interested in running for the White House, but wants to play a key role as voters here and in other early voting states begin to vet 2016 presidential contenders.

"I came here to hopefully shape the debate for 2016 — not join it, but shape it," he said in a Monday night speech, the first of three scheduled public appearances over two days in the state that traditionally hosts the nation's first presidential primary election.

As chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Issa is probing some of the Obama administration's most provocative controversies: the troubled rollout of the health care website, the Internal Revenue Service's scrutiny of politically active groups, the National Security Agency's mass collection of Americans' phone records and the 2012 attack on the U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, that killed three Americans.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/news/darrell-issa-obama-imperial-presidency

Where the parallels end

By Steve Benen

When the Affordable Care Act’s open-enrollment period got off to a rough start last October, it was easy to note the similarities between its difficulties and those associated with the Bush/Cheney Medicare Part D policy. On Friday, Sam Stein had a terrific report noting just how deep the parallels go....Stein’s report is quite comprehensive, and serves as a powerful reminder that major policy overhauls often take a little time to find their footing...there was one angle in particular that Stein flagged that I’d forgotten about: when Plan D implementation struggled, the Bush/Cheney administration unilaterally extended deadlines and waived penalties – relying on nothing but executive discretion and regulatory authority.

Why is this important? In general, it’s not, except now that the Obama administration is taking similar steps, Republicans are characterizing it as the end of our constitutional system of government.

President Obama is creating a “government of one” by ignoring the Constitution and further delaying ObamaCare’s employer mandate, according to Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah).

The Republican senator said on “Fox News Sunday” that the president seemed to be flouting the law in order to improve Democrats’ chances in the 2014 midterm elections. “The president knows this is wrong and it’s not defensible,” Lee said.

The far-right senator added, as if he were entirely serious, that the president is “violating the Constitution,” is “exercising power that doesn’t belong to him,” and is engaged in “a shameless power grab.”

<...>

There’s nothing wrong with holding leaders to a high standard – as a rule, I’d encourage it. But there is something wrong with holding one leader to a new standard – an “Obama standard” – that doesn’t apply to anyone else.

When other presidents issue executive orders, it’s fine. When Obama does it, Republicans insist it’s scandalous.

When other presidents rely on “czars,” it’s fine. When Obama does it, Republicans insist it’s scandalous.

When other presidents make recess appointments, it’s fine. When Obama does it, Republicans insist it’s scandalous.

When other presidents decide not to defend certain federal laws against court challenges, it’s fine. When Obama does it, Republicans insist it’s scandalous.

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http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/where-the-parallels-end

All I have to say is "Benghazi!"