The imperial presidency of Barack Obama

By Rob Janicki
The imperial presidency of Barack Obama. Richard Nixon, often accused of being an imperial president, never approached the extent to which we now see President Obama taking extra legal acts to silence his opposition.

Immediately In the wake of the Supreme Court's Arizona S.B. 1070 immigration decision, the Obama administration acted to abrogate and rescind existing contractual relationships with Arizona regarding joint immigration enforcement policies and practices.  It's more than a petty vindictive act of retribution.  It's the nullification of existing federal law.  

The Department of Homeland Security said it would exclude Arizona from a program known as 287(g), which allows the Dept. of Justice to deputize local officials to make immigration based arrests.  This was a preplanned act of retribution by the Obama administration against Arizona.  It was also meant as a warning to other states with immigration laws similar to Arizona.  The message is simple.  Washington will determine what laws it will enforce and any state that opposes such federal action will pay a price for such opposition.  The Obama administration is using Chicago style thug politics to intimidate any of its critics or potential critics.

In addition to rescinding the 287(g) program with Arizona, The DOJ immediately set up a hotline for illegal aliens in Arizona to make complaints about state and local law enforcement, all of this so the DOJ can create challenges to Arizona law enforcement’s ability to check immigration status.  This is being done so that the DoJ can get that one remaining provision overturned at the Supreme Court.  Do not be surprised to see civil rights cases arising from the DoJ in regard to actions that may be taken by Arizona law enforcement over illegal immigration issues.  The Obama administration has gone lawless to exert its will through the force of these extra legal measures beyond the rule of law.

Obama has decided which laws his administration will enforce and which they will not enforce.  Obama has chosen to assert Executive Privilege where, under law, no Executive Privilege exists, as in the Congressional investigation into Fast and Furious.  A consensus of constitutional lawyers have concluded that Executive Privilege in Fast and Furious does not meet the standards of that legal concept.  Executive Privilege does not apply in cases of possible criminal activity by the executive branch and that is what the investigation of Fast and Furious is all about, possible criminal activity of executive branch personnel. 

There is no telling what the Obama administration has in store for America should the Supreme Court rule against Obamacare in part or in the whole of the entire Obamacare legislation on Thursday, when the Supreme Court has indicated that their decision will be handed down.  Buckle up because it's going to be a very rough ride between now and November 6 and beyond.  Hopefully the nightmare will end on January 20, 2013.