Obama’s Abuse of Executive Orders – Worse Than Fast and Furious

Washington DC - -(Ammoland.com)- Operation Fast and Furious has left a hideous scar on our nation to date.

It should result in the prosecution of Attorney General Eric Holder, former U.S. Attorney Dennis Burke, and a slew of ATF supervisors who oversaw the ridiculous operation from the word go.

As a result of their foolishness and criminality, taxpayer money was used in the purchase of weapons intentionally passed to criminals, Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry is dead, hundreds upon hundreds of Mexican citizens have been killed, and over one thousand firearms are still unaccounted for. (Although the lion’s share of those weapons will probably be found in Mexico, we know some are undoubtedly in the U.S. because they keep showing up at crime scenes in Arizona and Texas.)

Yet as bad as Fast and Furious was, and will continue to be when as more facts unfold, I am persuaded that Obama’s clear usurpation of the Constitution via his misuse of Executive Orders is worse.

In other words, although Fast and Furious was a completely lawless situation that has endangered both Mexicans and Americans physically, and which is being used even now to push for more gun control, it was largely conducted under a cover of secrecy.

But Obama’s attempts to legislate from the White House are being done right in the open and pose a clear violation to the separation of powers established by our Founding Fathers nearly 225 years ago. This strikes at the very core of our nation’s foundation by disrupting the pattern and order of government set forth in the Constitution, as well as the customs and conventions we’ve trusted heretofore.

The Constitution clearly gives the power of legislating to Congress – period.

A check on that power resides in the Executive Office, where the president can sign acts into law or not. In this he has some discretion over what kind of acts Congress passes into law, but he has no authority to legislate: no authority whatsoever. And he cannot create authority to legislate because all authority belongs to the people, save that authority which they delegate to various office holders and branches of government in ways plainly outlined in the Constitution.

Remember: All powers not delegated to the government by the Constitution, “nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” In other words, original powers outside of those delegated to the federal government continue to reside with the people (see 10th Amendment).

When Obama stands before crowds of zombie-like hippies, freaks, or union employees, and uses the mantra“We can’t wait” to justify legislating in Congress’ place, he’s not only taking a power unto himself that isn’t his to take, he’s also bypassing a check purposely placed on his office by our Founding Fathers. The simple fact is, Congress has checked Obama’s agenda and refuses to pass legislation that would further it. Yet because Obama is even haughtier than your typical leftist, he refuses to be checked.

In just the past few months the little emperor has used Executive Orders to reduce the size of student loan payments, to create new gun control laws, and to enable Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to allow borrowers who owe more than their houses are worth to refinance at lower interest rates.

We have a serious problem on our hands here folks. This man has absolutely no respect for our Constitution or for the office of the president. He would be king, if we would but be his subjects.

AWR Hawkins

About:
AWR Hawkins writes for all the BIG sites, for Pajamas Media, for RedCounty.com, for Townhall.com and now AmmoLand Shooting Sports News.

His southern drawl is frequently heard discussing his take on current events on radio shows like America’s Morning News, the G. Gordon Liddy Show, the Ken Pittman Show, and the NRA’s Cam & Company, among others. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Russell Kirk Center for Cultural Renewal (summer 2010), and he holds a PhD in military history from Texas Tech University.

If you have questions or comments, email him at awr@awrhawkins.com. You can find him on facebook at www.facebook.com/awr.hawkins.