NRD Editor’s Note: This column was originally published at The Washington Examiner.
By Bill Wilson — In late December, Barack Obama announced that he believed the U.S. Senate was in recess and that he had the right to plant four people into sensitive governmental positions without Senate concurrence. Coming as it did during a time when the American public had checked-out for the holidays the move by Obama received only the expected level of opposition.
But the implications of what Obama has done and the failure of anyone in the Senate to respond in an effective way will have devastating consequences for the United States.
In short, Obama staged a radical coup, he has transformed the Constitution of the United States without so much as whimper. The facts are as clear as glass.
Our government was established on the principle of separation of powers. The three branches of government — the executive, legislative and judicial — were meant to be co-equal. This has meant that one branch did not have the right or power to impose its will on another. Obama has changed that. He has asserted the right of the executive to dictate terms to the legislative. If this is allowed to stand, the United States will be entering the land of Third World, dysfunction and dictatorship.
It has been a cherished principle that only a legislative body — the Senate or the House — has the power to determine its rules. No outside force can tell the Senate how it will operate. But that is what Obama has done – he has decided on his own with no other authority — to tell the Senate when he thinks they are in session and when they are not. He decides, not the Senate itself. And on that basis, his personal lawyer contends he can twist the provision on “recess appointments” to place his henchmen in powerful positions.
Well, we all know Barack Obama by now. He is a Chicago-style bully. He will impose his distorted view on America if we let him. The whole point of the Constitution is to block any one person from imposing their will. So when you strip away all the propaganda spin from the White House and their mainstream medialackeys what we are left with is a simple question: will the United States Senate stand by and allow our entire system of government to be redefined? Is there not even one Senator that will stand up and bring the entire sick charade to a halt until Obama rescinds these illegal, unconstitutional “appointments”?
Oh, there have been protests. Senators have threatened to be “uncooperative” in the future and others have signed protest letters. Big deal. I’m sure that has Obama and his comrades shaking in their birkenstocks.
“But we can’t do anything harsh,” whisper Senators. “We don’t want to be seen as obstructionists.” That line is what passes for clever politics — play into the enemy media attack and as a result concede the country. Brilliant!
Here is an alternative view. You, Mr. and Mrs. Senator, were elected to defend the Constitution and the liberties of the People. Remember that oath you took? It says you will defend the Constitution of the United States. So do it.
One or two Senators can bring a total halt to the Senate — nothing moves. No spending. No nominations. Every single bill is read, every single word. There are a thousand procedural moves that can be made by any one Senator to tie the place in knots. And that is what must happen until Obama rescinds his appointments.
This is not a partisan fight — if Democratic Senator Robert Byrd were alive he would be leading the battle to defend the Senate from the dictates of the executive. This is a fight for the very soul of our nation. Is there not even one member of the Senate willing to fight it?
Bill Wilson is the President of Americans for Limited Government. You can follow Bill on Twitter at @BillWilsonALG.
