Now that the government has been officially shut down, many Americans can't seem to fathom what is going on in Congress. Some reactions I witnessed today I found to be outright dangerous. Seems folks still believe the ObamaCare will have active "Death Panels" and still believe that raising the debt limit leads to increased spending. These folks actually celebrate the government being shut down and hope the United States actually defaults on its debt!
What gives? The Media must start educating Americans with the truth about our government and stop perpetuating distortions that advance objectives of Political Parties or interest groups. Shutting the Government is one thing, defaulting on our financial obligations is another! But what can be done?
Are we entering an era of total governmental stagnation and self-inflicted financial/economical disarray and chaos? Are Tea Party and GOP members in Congress doing to the Country what no terrorist could ever accomplish - push America over a financial cliff? But there is something Barack Obama might be able to do!
Within Article II of the Constitution, the President is required that "...he shall take Care that the laws be faithfully executed..." (Article II, Section 3). Okay, so what does this mean? Known as the "Take Care" Provision or Clause, the President is required to take all steps necessary to protect the United States from any threats, domestic, foreign, military or economic. So there is an obligation to act in this matter! But, with what authority does he have to act in any way to ensure the country never goes into financial default? Look to the Fourteenth Amendment, which reads; "SECTION 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."
So here goes. In the event Congress is going to force the United States to default on its financial obligations, the President, under his "Take Care" obligations under Article II, can look to Section 4 of the 14th Amendment and argue that the debt being defaulted upon was authorized by law (Congress), and only now when it comes to pay the tab for the debt do they balk. And balk not for financial reasons, but solely for political ideological purity reasons alone. Congress authorized the spending - on credit. The debt ceiling simply authorizes paying the debt back, not the initial spending represented by the debt.
If Obama uses an Executive Order to direct the Treasury to continue to pay the debts of the United States, we might avert total disaster. Great for the Country, Bad for Obama and Real BAD for Republicans. Why? Well, in the event Obama has to act (he would be violating the Constitution if he did not act), then the GOP leaders in the House of Representatives would undoubtedly demand his immediate impeachment, which they would get (impeachment is NOT removal, it is simply an indictment for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" and it requires only a simply majority in the House). So Obama would be impeached right out of the gate (after all, he's already a tyrant in the eyes of the Tea Partiers). But what about the Constitutional Crisis it would create, surely the Supreme Court would intervene? Based upon SCOTUS history, the Court might not act due to the crisis being "Political" in nature and not "justiciable" - and an impeachment confirms it is "Political" (does anyone really think Obama would be convicted in the Democratically controlled Senate?). Of course not. Bottom line, Obama stays in office, but the hatred towards him rises to a very dangerous level. So - Bad for Obama. But why Real BAD for the Republicans?
If Obama is impeached, that would make two consecutive Democratic Presidents to be impeached by a Republican controlled House. Two in a row! Has a Democratically controlled House ever impeached a Republican president? Richard Nixon resigned before he was impeached, and many Republicans favored his removal as well. Andrew Johnson was impeached, but by a House controlled by what was known then as the "Radical Republicans." There has never been a Republican president ever threatened with impeachment, let alone impeached by Democrats in the House. So where does that set up for the future? Think the Democrats will ever again ignore using the same tactic of impeachment against a Republican President while having control of the House? Is this enough for Americans to finally say "enough is enough" and demand a wholesale turnover in our Congress? Regardless, the negativity to America is extreme. The negatively to Obama is short term and history will be on his side, but for Republicans, will they ever recover if this scenario plays out?
Time to get real folks. The Tea Party does NOT represent the vast majority of Americans. The Media can no longer be trusted to provide real objective information about our government, and the GOP must stop playing fast and loose with their oversight authority in the House and their overuse of the Filibuster in the Senate. Americans are seeing the GOP's true colors with the current shut down and the impending debt ceiling crisis. Sorry, but there is no moral equivalence in this battle. It is all on the Republican's side. The GOP still cannot admit they lost the White House in 2008 and again in 2012. They fail to admit, ObamaCare IS the LAW. Instead of trashing it, find its faults and fix them! The GOP must start doing their jobs instead of running for them! But whatever happens, stop playing games with the financial security of the United States of America! Perhaps President Washington said it best; "Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble."
What gives? The Media must start educating Americans with the truth about our government and stop perpetuating distortions that advance objectives of Political Parties or interest groups. Shutting the Government is one thing, defaulting on our financial obligations is another! But what can be done?
Are we entering an era of total governmental stagnation and self-inflicted financial/economical disarray and chaos? Are Tea Party and GOP members in Congress doing to the Country what no terrorist could ever accomplish - push America over a financial cliff? But there is something Barack Obama might be able to do!
Within Article II of the Constitution, the President is required that "...he shall take Care that the laws be faithfully executed..." (Article II, Section 3). Okay, so what does this mean? Known as the "Take Care" Provision or Clause, the President is required to take all steps necessary to protect the United States from any threats, domestic, foreign, military or economic. So there is an obligation to act in this matter! But, with what authority does he have to act in any way to ensure the country never goes into financial default? Look to the Fourteenth Amendment, which reads; "SECTION 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned."
So here goes. In the event Congress is going to force the United States to default on its financial obligations, the President, under his "Take Care" obligations under Article II, can look to Section 4 of the 14th Amendment and argue that the debt being defaulted upon was authorized by law (Congress), and only now when it comes to pay the tab for the debt do they balk. And balk not for financial reasons, but solely for political ideological purity reasons alone. Congress authorized the spending - on credit. The debt ceiling simply authorizes paying the debt back, not the initial spending represented by the debt.
If Obama uses an Executive Order to direct the Treasury to continue to pay the debts of the United States, we might avert total disaster. Great for the Country, Bad for Obama and Real BAD for Republicans. Why? Well, in the event Obama has to act (he would be violating the Constitution if he did not act), then the GOP leaders in the House of Representatives would undoubtedly demand his immediate impeachment, which they would get (impeachment is NOT removal, it is simply an indictment for "High Crimes and Misdemeanors" and it requires only a simply majority in the House). So Obama would be impeached right out of the gate (after all, he's already a tyrant in the eyes of the Tea Partiers). But what about the Constitutional Crisis it would create, surely the Supreme Court would intervene? Based upon SCOTUS history, the Court might not act due to the crisis being "Political" in nature and not "justiciable" - and an impeachment confirms it is "Political" (does anyone really think Obama would be convicted in the Democratically controlled Senate?). Of course not. Bottom line, Obama stays in office, but the hatred towards him rises to a very dangerous level. So - Bad for Obama. But why Real BAD for the Republicans?
If Obama is impeached, that would make two consecutive Democratic Presidents to be impeached by a Republican controlled House. Two in a row! Has a Democratically controlled House ever impeached a Republican president? Richard Nixon resigned before he was impeached, and many Republicans favored his removal as well. Andrew Johnson was impeached, but by a House controlled by what was known then as the "Radical Republicans." There has never been a Republican president ever threatened with impeachment, let alone impeached by Democrats in the House. So where does that set up for the future? Think the Democrats will ever again ignore using the same tactic of impeachment against a Republican President while having control of the House? Is this enough for Americans to finally say "enough is enough" and demand a wholesale turnover in our Congress? Regardless, the negativity to America is extreme. The negatively to Obama is short term and history will be on his side, but for Republicans, will they ever recover if this scenario plays out?
Time to get real folks. The Tea Party does NOT represent the vast majority of Americans. The Media can no longer be trusted to provide real objective information about our government, and the GOP must stop playing fast and loose with their oversight authority in the House and their overuse of the Filibuster in the Senate. Americans are seeing the GOP's true colors with the current shut down and the impending debt ceiling crisis. Sorry, but there is no moral equivalence in this battle. It is all on the Republican's side. The GOP still cannot admit they lost the White House in 2008 and again in 2012. They fail to admit, ObamaCare IS the LAW. Instead of trashing it, find its faults and fix them! The GOP must start doing their jobs instead of running for them! But whatever happens, stop playing games with the financial security of the United States of America! Perhaps President Washington said it best; "Worry is the interest paid by those who borrow trouble."
RSS Feed
