Comments on: Congress Suddenly Decides They Don’t Like W.H. Signing Statements

By: shannonlee

shannonlee — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 21:13:08 +0000

“The trick is for legislators to shut down signing statements now in a way they can't be resumed under future administrations.”

Until this is done, Dems are no different than Reps on the issue. Congress cherry picked an issue to appear that they are not laps dogs to Obama. Until real legislative change is made…which they have the power to do…they are still lap dogs.

By: Jazz

Jazz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:49:49 +0000

Agree with GD. The one way for either party to really claim my respect is to bitch about something bad when the other party is in power and actually do something about it when they are in power. Well done, Congress.

By: GreenDreams

GreenDreams — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:31:08 +0000

Maybe Congress is finally ready to restore some of the checks and balances, some of the balance of power that they gave up under Bush. Clearly, GOP legislators would never, and did never, challenge Bush on signing statements. Now Congress has a chance to reclaim that balance of power with the GOP voting against Obama on anything and everything. The trick is for legislators to shut down signing statements now in a way they can't be resumed under future administrations.

By: Jazz

Jazz — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:41:26 +0000

It would be funnier for the punditry class if he signed it WITH a signing statement.

By: tidbits

tidbits — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 19:19:34 +0000

The Constitution at Article I, section 7 is probably fuzzy enough to justify (at least to an imaginative WH counsel) signing statements. Perhaps Congress should try passing a law to eliminate signing statements and see if Obama would sign that…without a signing statement.

By: shannonlee

shannonlee — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:29:11 +0000

I know a lot of liberals have buried their heads in the sand on this, but Obama is doing A LOT of things that Bush did during his reign of terror. At times, it is hard to tell the two adminstrations apart.

This is also not the first time Obama has gone back on a campaign promise. Personally, I am not shocked.

For some reason, many people thought he wasn't a politician.

By: DLS

DLS — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:13:46 +0000

“Congress hasn’t been able to agree on much this year”

If anything, the Democratic steamroller is more like a runaway train downhill. Only question is to what extent and how that this is being actually managed or directed (the explanations would not be flattering).

By: DLS

DLS — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:12:06 +0000

Actually, because he is effective, this might be the time to do it: Obama is the President that should be given power that may only require Congressional legislation, not an amendment to the Constitution, that would provide a good measure of line-item veto effectiveness, where it most counts, where it so often is useful.

Obama should be given the power to veto amendments (say, in full) to any bill (separately from the body of the bills themselves).

It's the most timely and relevent kind of line-item power, addressing where so much trouble is, in a very convenient and effective way, in amendments. (Leaving the body alone may bypass the need to amend the Constitution.)

By: DLS

DLS — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 18:08:11 +0000

Obama is a lib Dem and his administration has us wary, but he is more effective than the Congressional Dems, and helps muzzle the worst of them (admonishing them about Bush-Cheney retro-revenge, though that warning hasn't been fully effective). As I wrote several weeks ago, the nonsense about Bush and the “imperial Presidency” (which all libs and Dems whine about only when a Republican is in the White House) seems to be conveniently forgotten now that an effective Democratic President is in the White House and willing to take leadership over Congress even where Congress really should be acting. And as I wrote before, it really makes you libs feel good now that an effective (and yes, articulate) President is getting things (you want done) done, isn't it?

(Hear, hear!)

By: GeorgeSorwell

GeorgeSorwell — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:49:31 +0000

Obama made a stand on the campaign trail about this, and I cheered him for it at the time. I don’t know what’s happened to his memory lately, but he needs to go over his notes. Also, Congress hasn’t been able to agree on much this year, and they’ve managed very little for me to commend them, but if they can’t accomplish anything else, this is as good of a start on bipartisanship as I can think of.

Hear, hear!!