My heart reaaly goes out to this President. I listened to NPR tonight on the way home. After a day

[kelliekat44]

of blistering lying-criticism from the right tonight was too much from the left. The commentators all but wanted to impeach the President for not dismissing the Constitution and using Executive Orders to raise taxes, raise the minimum wage acroatss the nation, and stop the cuts for this and that and implement immigration reform and on and on...like Obama a lone can pass laws, raise taxes, and cut spending. It's just sickening the racism that exists in this nation.

[yeoman6987]

1. Yes it is sick!

This President cannot win at all.

[1000words]

2. Huh?

Criticism from the left is rooted in racism?

[kelliekat44]

4. Why does that surprise you? If the criticism were merited that would be different. But this

criticism was about things that the President absolutely has no power over except the bully pulpit. Never once was there any talk about the Congress especially of the obstructionist GOP.

[1000words]

7. And you believe it's because they are racists?

That doesn't strike you as presumptuous, at all?

[sabrina 1]

29. So what was it when the Left tore Bush/Cheney apart? Would you like to see some of the

'art work' on those two created by the Left? Every single day, it was relentless and rightly so in their case. I remember his supporters claiming that the Left hated him because he was 'rich and successful' and because the left was a bunch of loser, welfare queens who never did a day's work in their lives. Therefore, they 'reasoned', the Left was jealous of someone as talented and brilliant and PATRIOTIC as Bush.

Could it possibly have been, I asked them, that the Left was right about the policies he was responsible for?

I'm asking you the same question now.

[Whisp]

3. It will be fine, Kellie. Stewart said this Obama term is the Fuck You term.

And I believe that.

Obama is a long distance racer and the photo finish will have him win.

I don't think sticks and stones bother him much, he has a lot of people behind him and supportive.

The finish line will be awesome. You watch and see.

I don't know if you remember that when Clinton was almost done office he pardoned a whole passle of people in the 11th hours, like that thief Mark Rich and dozens if not hundreds of others.

Not saying Obama will do that kind of thing, becuase he is made of different stuff. But he will Do. I'm certain. And we will like it.

[dflprincess]

9. Given the support for fracking and the TPP I heard

I'm not sure who he's saying "fuck you" to. It just might be the people who voted for him.

[VanillaRhapsody]

26. big frapping sigh....

[phleshdef]

31. Christ, I think the TPP is turning into the left version of Benghazi around here.

You know, I don't quite understand all the intricacies of trade deals. I know a little bit about the reasons that NAFTA is bad. But I'm by no means an expert in that area. Its just not one of my top issues. So admittedly I should probably learn more about it.

But what I do know, is that trade deals are not the cause of our economic woes and inability to ensure a standard quality of life for everyone. From the most liberal to the most conservative estimates of job loss do to NAFTA, its nothing compared to the jobs we would gain if we just functioned like a rational society and maintained a tax code that made sense and invested in large scale national projects that make sense.

All I know about the TPP is that most of the countries included in it, we already have trade deals with and that only a few of the countries included that we don't have trade deals with are the type of country that offshoring corporations would prey upon and those few countries aren't all that large in terms of population. I also know that it includes Japan, which already pays decent wages. So you know, maybe the notion that it increases US exports has some merit. I've read that it already has clauses in it that says it is beholden to international standards on environmental protections and labor standards, but until we actually see the whole thing, we won't know that. And that's the most valid criticism of the whole thing, the secrecy behind it.

Regardless, I just feel like the controversy around it is overblown, especially in comparison to the bigger issues with a dysfunctional legislative branch that can't even get the traditionally ordinary business of Congress taken care of without intentionally breaking something.

[Fumesucker]

5. Your mistake is thinking NPR is "the left"

It's stood for Nice Polite Republicans for at least a decade now.

[KeepItReal]

10. Word... It's also referred to as National Petroleum Radio

eom

[NuclearDem]

12. They can't win. I've heard National Proletariat Radio.

[Fumesucker]

14. Plenty of Republicans think Fox News is too far left

[MadLinguist]

25. Nah, its Namby Pamby Radio

at least when it comes to "analysis"
Hale Boggs' daughter Cokie isn't even the worst.

[Jamaal510]

6. Hmm...maybe Obama

really is a dictator like Rand Paul has been saying.

[Cha]

8. yeah! OTOH.. Let's Get Real< shall we?

[flamingdem]

11. That gets it across!

Can't wait to see him get that pen a'signing!

[Cha]

13. Sign Away President Obama!

President Barack Obama signs a memorandum instructing the U.S. Treasury Department to create a new retirement account system after touring the U.S. Steel Irvin Plant in West Mifflin, Pennsylvania

http://theobamadiary.com/

[Whisp]

28. sorry assed mudderfuckers gonna rue the day

when the big pen comes to town:

[a kennedy]

16. OMGosh, this is A W E S O M E ....

printing it off, and giving it to ALL my repub friends....and there's not a lot I hang with, but to them that are repubs.....they're getting this graph. It's great. and thanks for posting it.

[Cha]

17. You're quite welcome,

a kennedy~

[iamthebandfanman]

18. +1

saw this floating around FB earlier..

I think it illustrates how 'unconstitutional' it is very nicely.. lol

[Orrex]

22. A self-professed Libertarian at work today told me...

"It's not the quantity of the executive orders, it's the quality."

Golly, how profound!

His alleged point was that Obama's executive orders are disastrous but that other the orders of other presidents are awesome. Well, other Republican presidents.

[Cha]

23. damn right it's the quality and President Obama's

are Excellent! And, he's done less so if anyone is a "dicatator" it little boots.

[VanillaRhapsody]

27. He has been sandbaggin on the EO's...saving them up for the "fuck it" phase

of his Presidency....ain't he smart??

[Cha]

30. It would seem so.. The O Admin knows what it's up against, VR..

these things don't happen by accident.

"Let's make this a year of action"

"America does not stand still, and neither will I, President Obama said."

[MADem]

32. Gotta do twice as well to get half the credit...we know how that shit works!!!!! nt

[WorseBeforeBetter]

15. Uh-huh.

NPR was calling on Obama to dismiss the Constitution? Which "leftist" commentators were those? I want to listen myself if a podcast is available. Or read a transcript.

[liberal_at_heart]

19. He could repeal Race to the Top and fire Arne Duncan.

[blkmusclmachine]

20. So, 11-Dimensional Chess has been a failure, or roarong success? Depends on who you ask, I guess.

[totodeinhere]

21. We need to take control of Congress and pass some laws. Any executive order that

the president signs can be undone by a future president. On the other hand, as the Republicans have found out, repealing a law such as the ACA is very difficult to do.

[JDPriestly]

24. On the one hand, they criticize him for not "leading,' and on the other they criticize him for

using Executive Orders when he can to accomplish his goals.

GWB used Executive Orders for all kinds of purposes, not all of which were appropriate. But they never complained when he did it. Am I wrong in saying that GWB issued secret Executive Orders?

Executive Order 13233[1] limited access to the records of former United States Presidents to a higher degree than the previous Order 12667, which it superseded. It was drafted by then White House Counsel Alberto Gonzales and issued by George W. Bush on November 1, 2001. Section 13 of Order 13233 revoked Executive Order 12667 which was issued by Ronald Reagan on January 18, 1989.

Executive Order 13233 was partially struck down in October 2007. The order was revoked on January 21, 2009 by Barack Obama's Executive Order 13489,[2] which essentially restored most of the wording of Order 12667 with some modifications.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Executive_Order_13233

Here is a list of GWB's executive orders:

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/orders/

Examples:

Here is one re: the labor relations of contractors, an issue rather similar to Obama's requiring a $10.10 wage for the employees of government contractors. So why the controversy?

Preservation of Open Competition and Government
Neutrality Towards Government Contractors' Labor
Relations on Federal and Federally Funded Construction Projects

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and laws of the United States of America, including the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, 40 U.S.C. 471 et seq., and in order to (1) promote and ensure open competi-tion on Federal and federally funded or assisted construction projects; (2) maintain Government neutrality towards Government contractors= labor relations on Federal and federally funded or assisted construction projects; (3) reduce construction costs to the Federal Government and to the taxpayers; (4) expand job opportunities, especially for small and disadvantaged businesses; and (5) prevent discrimination against Government contractors or their employees based upon labor affiliation or lack thereof; thereby promoting the economical, nondiscriminatory, and efficient administration and completion of Federal and federally funded or assisted construction projects, it is hereby ordered that:

Section 1. To the extent permitted by law, any executive agency awarding any construction contract after the date of this order, or obligating funds pursuant to such a contract, shall ensure that neither the awarding Government authority nor any construction manager acting on behalf of the Government shall, in its bid specifications, project agreements, or other controlling documents:

(a) Require or prohibit bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors to enter into or adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other related construction project(s); or

(b) Otherwise discriminate against bidders, offerors, contractors, or subcontractors for becoming or refusing to become or remain signatories or otherwise to adhere to agreements with one or more labor organizations, on the same or other related construction project(s).

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2001/02/20010221.html

Executive Order: Waiver Under the Trade Act of 1974 with Respect to Turkmenistan


RSS Feed White House News

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including sections 402(c)(2) and (d) of the Trade Act of 1974, as amended (the "Act&quot 19 U.S.C. 2432(c)(2) and (d)), and having made the report to the Congress set forth in section 402(c)(2), I hereby waive the application of subsections (a) and (b) of section 402 of the Act with respect to Turkmenistan.

http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/news/releases/2007/06/20070629-10.html