In republican government, the legislative authority necessarily predominates.
Federalist 51, James Madison
When the Founding Fathers set up this nation of ours there was no doubt which branch they assumed would be the strongest. In colonial times the judiciary tended to be weak and largely restricted to fairly mundane questions. Royal governors were looked upon with suspicion, men to be kept on a very short leash by the colonial legislatures. It was the legislatures which represented popular will. They were the lawmakers and the inquisitors of all actions taken by the executive. Without them little could, or should, be done. Since the beginning of the last century, Congress has largely abdicated to the Executive, with Presidents ruling, in effect, by Presidential decree, often supported by broad grants of power from Congress in poorly thought out statutes. Anyone who loves both what the Founding Fathers created, and freedom, can only deplore this trend. We have a transformation underway of the office of the President into that of an elective emperor. Thus on substance I oppose this:
President Trump says he will sign an Executive Order to ease the suffering of those harmed by the pandemic-related shutdowns and to stimulate the economy. Congress has failed to agree on a new package to accomplish these things.
Trump’s Executive Order would include these four components: (1) a payroll tax holiday until the end of the year, (2) an extension of enhanced unemployment benefits until the end of the year, (3) an extension of the eviction moratorium for federal subsidized housing, and (4) a suspension of student loan payments until further notice.
Questions surround the legality of accomplishing at least some of these things via executive order. Trump’s response to that might be, “so sue me.”
However. I agree with Mr. Mirengoff of Powerline that as politics this was a masterstroke:
However, as a political matter, Trump’s move looks like a masterstroke. Since the days of FDR, the public has always seemed to approve of presidents who act to ameliorate suffering while Congress diddles. A flurry of activity, even of the futile or potentially counterproductive kind, makes a president look energetic and caring.
In this instance, Trump’s move might well force congressional Democrats to reach a deal. That outcome, too, would be a political win for the president.
Go here to read the rest. The Democrats thought they had backed Trump into a corner. They failed to understand that throughout his career Trump has always been at his best when his back is against a wall. After decades in the limelight, routing them in 2016, and almost four years as President, his political adversaries still do not have a clue about Donald J. Trump. Well played Mr. President, very well played.
Great move by Trump, a page from FDR’s playbook.
I really, really want to say that Gov Whitmer started it and showed the way, what with her 166 (?) Executive Orders–one of the last ones being the mandatory masking of 2 year olds.
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But it was Clinton (Paul Begala) who admitted “Stroke the pen, law of the Land; kinda cool,” back in 1998. (https://www.wnd.com/2012/10/stroke-of-the-pen-law-of-the-land-kinda-cool)
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On the other hand, Clinton didn’t shut down the economy, calling the majority of workers non-essential, and prevent Big Box stores from selling seeds, paint, and baby car seats.
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I wonder how the history books will write of the crumbling of the American experience.
Thanks, DJH, for that reminder of the excesses of ihre majestät Königin Gretchen. I pray the Dems will be stupid enough to nominate her as Sleepy Joe’s VP candidate. But I fear she is too White.
I approve – the two houses have squandered their authority along with their apparently tenuous hold on reality. They are an embarrassment. It would be a moral failure of the president if he failed or sank back from taking the helm. Maybe someday we will get better representation in the Legislative. It’s been a long slide.
Courts create law out of whole cloth. Legislators pass laws that they know are unconstitutional, hoping that the courts won’t call them on it (and they often don’t). They set the rules, and I don’t mind if the president now plays by them.
Tim Pool had a field day with this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e4EBV8x-P60
Of course I agree with Tim and Don.
On the one hand, I get that gridlock is a feature of our system, not a bug. I get the principle of negotiation and dealmaking.
What frustrates me is just how much the media has made the whole thing a rigged game. In some sane world, the dems would try this “no voter signature” deal in the covid relief. The media would report on it, they’d get raked over the coals a bit and then realize now is not the time, pull that out, focus just on the covid relief and try again another day.
Instead they just wait, knowing the media will spin it as “republicans hold up COVID relief bill” [because they won’t let the democrats do whatever they want] and a frightening number of people buy into it.
It makes a man want to scream.
I am really troubled by the powers governors and mayors have during this pandemic. When did the legislative bodies cede this kind of power to them? Or did they? Do they have emergency powers?
Almost all states have emergency acts, but this type of situation, outside of enemy armies on our soil, or rebellion or insurrection, was never anticipated.
Almost all of the governors are over-stepping their authority via the acts, too.
Oregon and Washington are doing especially bad, the simi-infamous “marching on the capitol with guns” protest was because their governor was trying to bully the state reps to give her power she’d already been using, and I’m starting to think a lot of the push to keep the panic going is because when things are back to normal, the lawsuits are going to be epic.
Foxfier-
For what it’s worth;
https://amp-detroitnews-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.detroitnews.com/amp/5382976002?amp_js_v=a3&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15971457298561&csi=1&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&_tf=From%20%251%24s&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.detroitnews.com%2Fstory%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2F2020%2F07%2F06%2Fpetition-limit-governors-emergency-powers-gains-boards-ok%2F5382976002%2F
Gretchen’s overreach makes her a favorite in the eyes of the Party of Darkness.
Philip-
I was looking for information on their progress, and found this:
https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/510689-michigan-governor-signs-order-calling-racism-a-public-health-crisis
Dear heavens, pretty clear that she NEEDS to have her powers restricted.
Thanks Foxfier.
“According to The Detroit News, Black Americans account for roughly 27 percent of the confirmed cases and nearly 40 percent of its deaths, although Michigan is only 14 percent Black overall.”
That makes Covid-19 a racist bug.
Maybe Gretch will empower the State Police to arrest Covid for not being sensitive to our African brother and sisters?
Marxism lite is growing into a high alcohol content Pale Ale before our very eyes. Sobriety is a must. Now.
If your a fellow Michigander please sign the petition.