Here's a Scary Thing to Consider

[MineralMan]

The President can do just about anything he wants through Executive Orders, especially within the Executive Branch. There are serious limitations on the powers of the Presidency, but that does not prevent the President from trying to do things. For example, a nutcase, unbalanced President might decide to simply shut down an agency or department within the Executive branch. That doesn't require any congressional funding, so he could close the doors and send everybody home permanently with nothing more than his signature. Similarly, he could send every Navy ship to the Mediterranean with one order, and stand down the Air Force and Marine Corps. He is the Commander in Chief, after all.

Now, those orders can be found to be illegal, but that requires Federal courts to so decide. In the meantime...

Donald Trump has approximately zero knowledge of the limitations of the powers of the President. He may do things that will not stand up in the courts. But such judicial decisions take time to happen. During the interim, much damage can be done.

[JHan]

1. Yes it is scary..

And while I understood Obama faced some devious obstructionist BS from Repubs, he was too quick with his executive pen.

Trump will try to undo most of Obama's executive orders.

[lonestarnot]

3. Full of crap. Bullshitters are about to get a lesson in too quick with the executive pen.

Oh and by the way. The roof is on fire.

[JHan]

4. I'm just saying....

And yes we will get the full brunt of it.

[lonestarnot]

5. I know what you were "just saying."

[guillaumeb]

7. And that is the problem with executive orders.

No President can effectively govern by fiat.

[JHan]

11. This exactly

[Sunlei]

9. what EO scares you the most?

[JHan]

10. It's not the orders in so much as the precedent that is set...

I agreed with Obama's thinking behind most of his EO's, I just worried whether those EO's would survive.

[Sunlei]

13. They're all listed on WH website.many like make BP pay for gulf oil disaster have already completed.

full list here. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/executive-orders

just for remembrance, I went back to the very first EOs Obama put up way back in January, 2009. We've come a long way with a great President. Outside in the public sector Obama will be much more outspoken, we can count on this.

Executive Orders

Executive Order on January 30, 2009


Nondisplacement of Qualified Workers Under Service Contracts


Executive Order on January 22, 2009


Executive Order 13493 -- Review of Detention Policy Options


Executive Order on January 22, 2009


Executive Order 13491 -- Ensuring Lawful Interrogations


Executive Order on January 22, 2009


Executive Order 13493 -- Review of Detention Policy Options


Executive Order on January 22, 2009


Closure Of Guantanamo Detention Facilities


Executive Order on January 21, 2009


Executive Order 13490 -- Ethics Commitments By Executive Branch Personnel


Executive Order on January 21, 2009


Executive Order 13489 -- Presidential Records

[yallerdawg]

15. We've got to stop believing rightwing psycho-spin.

But I'll tell you what - whatever Obama said or did, it sure pissed the hell out of a wide assortment of white people! (McConnell, Boehner, Trump, Putin...)

[Sunlei]

16. Obama et alia, will continue to piss the hell out of all of them for years to come.

[lonestarnot]

2. I am not scared. Live one way or live another. Fuck it.

[MineralMan]

17. Lucky you!

Sadly, not everyone is in such an enviable position. Many are very vulnerable.

[lonestarnot]

19. How did you infer that I am not among the vulnerable?

[guillaumeb]

6. Is Mike Pence the price Trump paid for GOP support?

Is Pence the man behind the curtain who will direct the great and powerful OZ?

[Sunlei]

8. Not that easy to create an EO. Obama's constitutional law professor and each EO he crafted took

a lot of time & consults /w his trusted legal team. Those EOs have walls of policy changes around them, like ripples on water from a stone.

Besides I read Obama & trump spend a lot of time consulting on the transition. trumps not even close to finishing simple transition work Obama's Admin. completed the first transition day.

The unfit man won't be able to deliver to deplorables anything he 'promised' in his campaign.

[2naSalit]

12. Shock Doctrine 2.0 anyone?

[Buckeye_Democrat]

14. I'll consider us LUCKY if Trump doesn't cause a nuclear war.

I take the other expected hardships for granted. I even consider it necessary to wake up a bunch of morons who voted for him.

[DemocraticWing]

18. Under Bush and Obama the Presidency has gained some alarming powers

--The President can authorize drone bombings all over the world without Congressional approval
--The President can order surveillance and even wiretapping through limited or secretive approval processes
--The President can assassinate American citizens without a trial

There are quite a few other alarming powers being handed over to Trump. We should have never let it get this bad.

[nolabels]

20. But one must also remember we all didn't start riding in the rodeo yesterday

There is also quite a demographic at hand that is only keeping their cards in check. We have to deal with it and so we have to deal with it. It is only scary if worry that you won't know how to deal with it when it gets here.