Tyranny, Thy Name Is Obama

The dictionary defines tyranny as an “oppressive power” or “a government in which absolute power is vested in a single ruler.”  It’s never been easier than today to make the case that we are living under tyranny.  Barack Obama and his thugs have used the Executive Branch to launch assaults on the American people and the rule of law.  They have attacked almost every one of the Bill of Rights and Obama has essentially declared himself an American potentate who answers to no one.  He has his pen and his phone and he needs no one else.  Earlier this month Obama gave us just one more example of this when the administration announced the employer mandate in Obamacare would be delayed until 2016.  This is, of course, an attempt to stave off more anger about Obamacare until after the midterm elections this fall.  But under what authority does Obama arbitrarily decide to delay implementing legislation duly passed by Congress and signed into law by himself?  Where in the Affordable Care Act does it say the president has the authority to delay implementation of certain aspects of the law?  Hint – it’s not in there.  The Republicans in Congress are completely ignoring this misuse of power.  Instead of fighting the unlawful delay, the only comments I have read from any Republican currently in Congress is that the announced delay is further justification for scrapping the law.  Apparently, they’re fine with Obama using his pen and his phone.  It was left to former House Majority Leader Tom Delay to put it in perspective.

The Blaze – Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay believes President Barack Obama’s use of executive power has gone beyond what should ever be constitutionally acceptable.

“If it’s not tyranny, I don’t know what it is,” DeLay told TheBlaze. “But this president is violating his oath of office. He’s abusing his power. The president of the United States, I don’t know where he gets the notion that he can legislate, change legislation, decide what law he’ll enforce and not enforce, this is all violating the Constitution of the United States and probably many statutes.”

Obama has used executive action to change the Obamacare law that was enacted with his support, to impose gun restrictions, to impose carbon emission rules that failed to pass Congress, to change immigration rules after Congress rejected a similar proposal, and a unilateral decision by the Justice Department on drug laws.

DeLay also said that the Obama administration has misused the government, citing the Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups and the treatment of State Department employees who were prevented from talking to Congress about the terrorist attack in Benghazi.

DeLay refrained from calling for specific action against the president, but said the standards would be different if it was a Republican president.

“The use of government to oppress his enemies – the IRS scandal, Benghazi, they’re abusing the employees of the federal government that were there in Benghazi as we speak—if a Republican had done this, the national media would be calling for impeachment and drive him out of office,” DeLay said. “It’s just unbelievable and scary who this president thinks he is and the tyranny that he is beginning to inflict on the American people.”

The Republicans in Congress don’t seem to have the stomach to do anything about the tyranny Obama is inflicting on the American people.  Their failure to do their Constitutional duty and put a stop to Obama’s tyrannical acts makes them accomplices to every act he inflicts on us.  By refusing to act, they are emboldening Obama into believing he is invincible and can do whatever he wants with impunity.  Obama is most certainly a tyrant, but the GOP is partially responsible for his tyranny.

While the Republicans won’t take steps to end the tyranny, a dentist in Boca Raton, Florida is stepping up.  Judicial Watch has filed a lawsuit on behalf of Dr. Larry Kawa against the U.S. Department of Treasury, Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew, the Internal Revenue Service and IRS Acting Director Daniel Werfel challenging Obama’s decision to delay the employer mandate in Obamacare.  The lawsuit argues that the delay “exceeded [the Obama administration’s] statutory authority, is arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law, and is otherwise unlawful.”  The complaint asks the court to declare the delay to be unlawful and for an injunction prohibiting the delay.

Judicial Watch – “We obviously object to the employer mandate and the entire Obamacare law, but we understand that, under the U.S. Constitution, the law can only be changed by legislation passed by Congress and signed by the president.  President Obama would delay the damage of his health care scheme until after the 2014 congressional elections.  But politics do not trump the Constitution or the rule of law,” stated Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.  “And to paraphrase Ulysses S. Grant, the best way to ensure the repeal of a bad law is to enforce it vigorously.”

In Federalist No. 47, James Madison wrote that support for the separation of powers among the three branches of government are attributable to the writings of Charles-Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu.  In his book Considérations sur les causes de la grandeur des Romains et de leur décadence (Considerations on the Causes of the Greatness of the Romans and their Decline, 1734) he wrote of the tyranny that results when one branch of government simultaneously holds the powers of another branch.  He also wrote of the weakness of human nature in the face of power and how it brings about the destruction of the government.  The Founders were most certainly pessimists about human nature and that pessimism was an influence in our Constitutionally created government having three branches with separate powers.  Obama’s announcement that he will act using his phone and his pen is tantamount to notification that he is taking the powers of the legislative branch upon himself.  And naturally, the Democrats favor this.  At the State of the Union speech last month when Obama said he would act if Congress does not, the Democrats cheered and applauded.  Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D) said that their main job in Congress would now be to write executive orders for Obama.

But, a dentist in Florida is doing what no Republican in Congress will and is at least trying to put the brakes on the tyranny.  If the court finds that he has the legal standing to sue, it will force the court to either endorse Obama’s tyranny or declare his action unconstitutional.  If his case is allowed to proceed it will most certainly end up in the Supreme Court.  Should the end ruling in this suit be that Obama is within his authority under the Constitution, members of Congress may as well pack up and go home.  And Obama will buy a large box of pens.  Tyranny, thy name is Obama.