Less than 2 weeks into the Obama Presidency, we have some new excuses that you can use before the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Not.
1. On former Senator and Democratic Leader Tom Daschle, who failed to pay more than $120,000 ($128,203 in taxes and $11964 in interest): “Nobody’s perfect,” said Obama press secretary Robert Gibbs. “It was a serious mistake. …” (February 2, 2009)
It is the eternal struggle between these two principles — right and wrong — throughout the world. They are the two principles that have stood face to face from the beginning of time; and will ever continue to struggle. The one is the common right of humanity, and the other the divine right of kings. It is the same principle in whatever shape it develops itself. It is the same spirit that says, “You toil and work and earn bread, and I’ll eat it.” No matter in what shape it comes, whether from the mouth of a king who seeks to bestride the people of his own nation and live by the fruit of their labor, or from one race of men as an apology for enslaving another race, it is the same tyrannical principle.Abraham Lincoln, The Lincoln-Douglas Debates
“That’s not part of his power, but this is part of the whole theory of George Bush that he can make laws as he goes along. I disagree with that. I taught the Constitution for 10 years. I believe in the Constitution and I will obey the Constitution of the United States. We’re not going to use signing statements as a way of doing an end-run around Congress,” Senator Obama, 2008.
Somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe. Steven Chu, December 12, 2008, Obama Administration transition team. So, up to $5 to $8 per gallon is the Obama Administration’s goal according to Chu. [Update: now U.S. Secretary of Energy.]
Valeria Jarret, co-chair of the Obama transition team told Tom Brokaw on Meet the Press (Nov 9, 2008) that “given the daunting challenges that we face, it’s important that president elect Obama is prepared to really take power and begin to rule day one.”
As a country, we elect Presidents to govern, not rule.
“I think we can say that, ah, ah, the Constitution reflected a enormous blind-spot in this culture that carries on until this day, and, and, ah, and that ah, the Framers had that same blind spot. Ah, ah, I don’t think that the two views are contradictory to say that it is a remarkable political document, ah, that paved the way for where we are now. And to say it ah, also, ah rep, ah, reflected fundamental flaw of this country that continues to this day.”
Barack Obama in 2001 on reinterpreting the Constitution of the United States to force the redistribution of wealth:
“Ah. But the, ah, Supreme Court never ventured into issues of redistribution of wealth…. Ah, and, sort of more basic issues of politcal and, and, and, ah economic justice in this society. And ah, to that extent…the Warren Court wasn’t that radical. … [~1:30]And one of the tradegies of the civil rights movement was, um, because the civil rights movement became so court focused I think that there was a tendency to lose track of the political and community organizing and, and activities on the ground that are able to put together the actual coalitions of power through which you bring about redistributive change. Uh, and uh, and in some ways we still suffer from that.”
He goes on to discuss how to best redistribute money at the point of a gun.
Governor, you mentioned a moment ago the constitution might give the vice president more power than it has in the past. Do you believe as Vice President Cheney does, that the Executive Branch does not hold complete sway over the office of the vice presidency, that it it is also a member of the Legislative Branch?
Senator Biden’s full response:
Vice President Cheney has been the most dangerous vice president we’ve had probably in American history.The idea he doesn’t realize that Article I of the Constitution defines the role of the vice president of the United States, that’s the Executive Branch.He works in the Executive Branch. He should understand that. Everyone should understand that.And the primary role of the vice president of the United States of America is to support the president of the United States of America, give that president his or her best judgment when sought, andas vice president, to preside over the Senate, only in a time when in fact there’s a tie vote. The Constitution is explicit.
The only authority the vice president has from the legislative standpoint is the vote, only when there is a tie vote. He has no authority relative to the Congress. The idea he’s part of the Legislative Branch is a bizarre notion invented by Cheney to aggrandize the power of a unitary executive and look where it has gotten us. It has been very dangerous.
KMOV reports:”Last Tuesday without any fanfare, the Barack Obama campaign announced Jennifer Joyce and Bob McCulloch, the top prosecutors in St. Louis city and St. Louis County, were joining something called an Obama truth squad.”
The governor of Missouri responded today, appropriately illustrating the outrageousness of these actions. In a free society, such tactics areabhorrentandreminiscentof the police state tactics of the USSR:
?¢‚Ǩ?ìSt. Louis County Circuit Attorney Bob McCulloch, St. Louis City Circuit Attorney Jennifer Joyce, Jefferson County Sheriff Glenn Boyer, and Obama and the leader of hisMissouricampaign Senator Claire McCaskill have attached the stench of police state tactics to the Obama-Biden campaign.
Theodore Roosevelt: Anarchist is the enemy of humanity
“When compared with the suppression of anarchy every other question sinks into insignificance. The anarchist is the enemy of humanity, the enemy of all mankind, and his is a deeper degree of criminality than any other. No immigrant is allowed to come to our shores if he is an anarchist; and no paper published here or abroad should be permitted circulation in this country if it propagates anarchist opinions.”