We live in an amazing country. When President Obama took office in 2009 I, like most other U.S. citizens, expected him to do his best to defend our constitution (as he swore to do) and preserve our individual liberties.
Instead, to my disappointment Obama has failed to do so. The latest escapade in his already stellar record of disrespect and disregard for our nation’s constitution comes in the form of an illegal installation of a “consumer chief” to an agency that we arguably do not even need.
Richard Cordray, a liberal-loving, pro-union democrat, is his appointee. Now the director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Cordray can presumably begin to draft new regulations of “varied financial entities,” according to The New York Times.
This attempt to defy Congressional approval is a blatant power grab by Obama. As Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT) said in a statement issued after Obama’s decision, “By opening this door, the White House is saying it can appoint any person at any time to any position it chooses without the advice and consent of the Senate. This is not how our republic was designed to function.”
It is no secret that Obama has been “stuck” since the GOP surged back in the mid-term Congressional elections. It is understandable that he feels frustrated, as the GOP-controlled House will inevitably block any liberal legislation attempts.
This, however, is the way our government works. This system of checks and balances was put into place over 200 years ago by men who were fearful of an oppressive state.
Democrats used these same congressional tactics to block former President Bush’s recess appointments. By overriding these regulations placed on our federal government, Obama has demonstrated his lack of respect for our constitution.
In fact, since taking office Obama has constantly been “limited” by the constitution. His unpopular Obamacare legislation, which has yet to take full effect, will inevitably be challenged by the courts on its constitutionality.
Perhaps the biggest example of his administration’s expansion of the authority of the federal government, Obamacare serves as the poster child of an already enormous state.
It’s time that we come to our senses. It’s time that we heal the wounds that started the 2008 economic crisis and embrace the individual liberties that make us free.
By expanding the role of the federal government and by ignoring Congress and appointing a chief to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, President Obama has once again affirmed his dedication to social equality over individual liberty.
Will the American people respond? The answer will lie within the coming Presidential elections.
Reach the columnist at spmccaul@asu.edu.
