Republicans must consistently oppose a “pen and phone” approach to governing.
by Katherine Timpf, March 5, 2019, National Review -Senator Rand Paul has announced that, despite supporting improvements in border security, he will vote against President Trump’s emergency declaration on the grounds that it’s an abuse of executive power — and he’s absolutely right.by Rod Williams - That is my view exactly. If you have any integrity you can't be for the constitution only when it helps you in attacking the agenda of the other party and not care about the constitution when it would keep you from advancing your own agenda. Democrats didn't care about the constitution when Obama was in office and abused executive power and now with Trump in office, Republicans don't care.
“Every single Republican I know decried President Obama’s use of executive power to legislate,” Paul wrote in an opinion piece for Fox News. “We were right then.”
“But the only way to be an honest officeholder is to stand up for the same principles no matter who is in power,” he continued."
Almost all Republicans have been guilty of being hypocrites. Senator Ted Cruz was one of the most vocal and articulate critics of President Obama's abuse of executive power. He was relentless in calling out President Obama. He now has lost his voice.
In an article, Obama Is Not a Monarch, Cruz decried the President for his executive amnesty for immigrants. He said the Presidents unilateral decree seriously undermined the rule of law. He called the action "lawless" and "unconstitutional." He quoted the founding fathers and The Federalist Papers in making his case that President Obama had violated the Constitution and said, "A presidential temper tantrum is not an acceptable means of discourse."
Cruz is a smart guy and does not shoot from the hip. He can articulate his arguments. He was right then, and if he said it today, he would be right today. Obama still had two years left in office when Cruz issued a 16-page report that laid out 76 Examples Of Obama's 'Dangerous Lawlessness.' He listed example after example of how Obama abused executive power and disregarded and violated the law. Suddenly, Ted Cruz sees no evil.
The Democrats are hypocritical in denouncing President Trump for his violating the Constitution when they were silent when President Obama violated the Constitution. The Republican hypocrisy however is much more offensive. The Democrat hypocrisy is akin to someone who stopped doing wrong and started doing right, while the Republican hypocrisy is akin to someone who stopped doing right and started doing wrong.
I have never expected great fidelity to the Constitution from Democrats. Most Democrats believe the constitution is more of an inspirational framework rather than a binding charter. They believe in a 'living Constitution' that has to be interpreted in light of contemporary circumstances and mores. Just take the way they look at the Second Amendment. They would not let the Second Amendment stop them from imposing "sensible" gun control. They would argue that the founding father did not know we would have AK47s and so we must apply common sense and do what we think the founding fathers would do if they were hear today. Or, they reinterpret the Second Amendment to mean that the National Guard has the right to be armed.
Contrast this with the way most Republicans view the constitution. They would call themselves 'strict constructionist' or maybe 'textualist' or 'originalist'. Republicans believe the Constitution means what it says and means what the founding fathers meant it to mean. They believe it is a fixed charter. They believe it is as close to scared as a secular work can get. While it is amusing to see Democrats suddenly have concern for the Constitution it is heartbreaking to see Republicans no longer have concern.
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