"WARTIME PRESIDENT” – Part 2

    In Part 1, I suggested that President Obama was avoiding an increase in American involvement (including troop levels) in Iraq because of the upcoming mid-term elections, placing the government in Iraq as well as the entire region at risk. Although I wanted my cynical view of the POTUS to be wrong, this is what happened Friday afternoon immediately following the November 2014 mid-term elections according to the WaPo; “President Obama authorized Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Friday to send up to 1,500 additional U.S. troops to Iraq, roughly doubling the force the United States has built up since June to fight the Islamic State militants who control much of Iraq and Syria.” Don’t get me wrong, I think we really need to push it up against ISIS or ISIL or whatever name they are using this month, but lying about it is despicable albeit standard for President Obama (#Obamacare, #IRS, #Benghazi).

    What I don’t like and I was having a hard time believing is that a man who has been elected twice to lead the greatest nation in the history of man, could be so narcissistic and power hungry as to risk the security of allies and America on a belief the American people are too stupid to reject his policies in an election (#Gruberism). Furthering his own personal agenda, none of which I have seen benefiting America; President Obama has followed the election with a wave of dictatorial actions that should make the citizens of this country afraid.  Don’t be afraid of 5 million illegal immigrants who now have the “right to work” (denied citizens by liberals in many states, unless they join a union) or Russia who’s economic collapse could drive Putin further into Ukraine or Iranians developing a nuclear weapon or the fact that nKorea can cyber-attack our country with impunity.  What you should be afraid of is an executive branch of our government that is completely devoid of restraint. 

 

     Congressional and state-wide elections in November were an overwhelming signal to the president that his policies are an absolute failure; as far as the people of America are concerned.  The response to this message from President Obama is not only abhorrent but childish. Even President Clinton (the misogynist, not his wife the future president) and President Bush (the younger) were able to adjust policy positions after a huge political defeat to keep the country together; somewhat. This president has only dug in his heels, defied the mandate of the people and pushed his positions to even more of an extreme, just like a pissed off 5 year old who won’t get that toy he really really wants this Christmas. The problem with this response isn’t that his policies are terrible (they certainly are), but the way in which he is meeting his policy objectives through regulatory oppression and executive order despite explicit Constitutional limitations to executive authority.

     Although no one wants to believe this president, our president is not looking out for our best interests; there is absolutely no evidence that this man has done anything, except what is best for him. Example: The Iraq withdrawal, was a purely political decision to pacify his base and attempt to validate his opposition to it from the beginning.  PolitiFact reported, “Military commanders in Washington and in Baghdad pushed for a residual force between 16,000 and 24,000 to conduct counterrorism work and train Iraqi security forces.” The New York Times detailed how the one-time White House goal of a 10,000-person force shrank before negotiations failed altogether.  Obama ruled out the 10,000-troop option in an Aug. 13, 2011, conference call, according to the New York Times, and "the new goal would be a continuous presence of about 3,500 troops, a rotating force of up to 1,500 and half a dozen F-16’s." We are negotiating away all of our leverage over Iran, to eventually leave them as a threshold nuclear power. In case you are not aware, that will give huge leverage to Iran in the future to merely threaten to go nuclear, a la nKorea. Now it’s Cuba. Another dictatorial regime enabled by our recent move to normalize relations. Whether or not you believe we should normalize with Cuba, you have to agree doing it secretly and autonomously is not beneficial to our country’s position going forward. In fact, it appears he has more in common with the Mullahs of Iran, Putin and the Castro brothers, than any other US president. The aforementioned dictators make decision, policy and act on their own, without restraint. President Obama is doing the exact same thing. The liberal domination of our judiciary and the feckless Republican leadership in Congress are either in bed with his ideas or too concerned about their own personal well-being to stop him.

     President Obama has waded into every situation with one thing in the back of his mind: revenge against the people who don’t bow to his majesty. His actions have weekend the fiber of our government and no one will know how weakened it is until we have another president. The next president, regardless of party, will be faced with a huge decision; shall I following President Obama’s footsteps and expand executive power eventually negating the other two branches of government, or follow the Constitution and work within the system to achieve national goals? Only time will tell, but one thing for sure this president has set a terrible precedent. One we will be suffering under for years to come.