Ron Paul on Cordray appointment: ‘The president is not a dictator or a king’

[ProSense]

Ron Paul on Cordray appointment: ‘The president is not a dictator or a king’

By Felicia Sonmez

Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) on Thursday became the latest presidential hopeful to criticize President Obama’s recess appointment of Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, saying in a statement that Obama “has acted in clear disregard of the Constitution” and “must be called to account for his actions.”

“It is disappointing that a former constitutional law professor does not understand that the president is not a dictator or a king who can simply ignore the Constitution whenever he feels frustrated by the system of checks and balances wisely put in place by our Founders,” Paul said in a statement.
Paul added that he has opposed “unconstitutional power grabs” by presidents of both parties and argued that that consistency makes him “the only Republican candidate with the credibility and the record” to challenge Obama.

“If the president insists on behaving in such a cavalier manner with regard to requirements set forth by the Constitution, then action by Congress may become necessary to rein in his flagrant contempt for the rules,” he said.

- more -

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/election-2012/post/ron-paul-on-cordray-appointment-the-president-is-not-a-dictator-or-a-king/2012/01/05/gIQAfOcMdP_blog.html

President Obama is also not a lunatic!

[Mojorabbit]

1. What are the rules?

I have not been following this. I thought there needed to be a reccess before he could do it? Was there a reccess? Was there a workaround the rule? I would be grateful if someone could fill me in.

[ProSense]

5. Here:

Sorry, Boehner, The Senate Cannot Take Away Obama’s Recess Appointment Power By Pretending To Work
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/01/04/397578/bush-administration-legal-advisers-said-obama-can-recess-appoint-cordray/

President Obama Has Made Far Fewer Recess Appointments Than Any Recent President
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/01/04/397589/president-obama-has-made-far-fewer-recess-appointments-than-any-recent-president/

[Mojorabbit]

14. THanks. The first article explained in nicely. nt

[Tx4obama]

16. On that thinkprogress link ...

there's a comment there in the comment section that is spot on:

Patrick Hughes · Boston, Massachusetts
When the president announced he was going to use his authority to raise the debt limit a couple of days ago, Republicans in Congress whined mightily that they wouldn't be able to demagogue the issue because their bodies were in recess. Now they are trying to argue that they aren't in recess. Go figure.

LOL



Edited to add...

Looks like President Obama set this one up VERY well.
Obama requested a debt ceiling increase and CONGRESS asked him to 'wait' because they are not in session (!!!) - LOL
See here: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-01-05/obama-will-delay-debt-limit-increase-request-official-says.html
and here: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/12/30/obama-delays-request-for-12t-debt-ceiling-increase/

Good job President Obama!

[ProSense]

21. .

[baldguy]

2. Neither is the leader of the minority party in one cahmber of Congress, Ron.

[Summer Hathaway]

3. I guess Ron Paul

hasn't read David Swanson.

[Dawson Leery]

4. Ron Paul is a member of the obstructionist party.

Ron Paul's party has forced Obama to make these appointments.

[Jakes Progress]

6. People here on DU regularly agree with that sentiment.

[ProSense]

9. Bullshit!

Agreeing that an unqualified hack shouldn't be given a recess appointment and Republicans intentionally blocking a highly-qualified candidate because they equate the CFPB to Stalinist-era agency is a false equivalency.

"People here on DU regularly agree with that sentiment. "

Leave Ron Paul alone?

[Jakes Progress]

10. Read your own headline.

Do you mean that you haven't read a post where someone argues that Obama isn't a king or dictator?

The appear regularly when progressives fume that Obama hasn't done something they feel a progressive president should. It usually takes just the form you presented. The excuse is that the president is only president and not a king or dictator.

Now. Would you care to redact your calling bullshit? Would you if I found a couple of posts that say that the president is not a king or dictator?

I have no idea what the rest of Post 9 is about. It has nothing to do with my post. I think you have too many irons in the fire to tend them all properly.

[ProSense]

12. Is

"Do you mean that you haven't read a post where someone argues that Obama isn't a king or dictator?"

...your comprehension so off that you believe stating that Obama isn't a king as a point of fact (he's simply performing his duties as President) is the same as Paul stating that Obama is not a king because he believes Obama is acting like one?

[Jakes Progress]

22. Please read your headline again.

And again I ask. Do you mean that you haven't seen a post state this?

It is not my comprehension that is off. You now feel you must defend a silly error on your part in not understanding my post. Blather away.

You headlined about paul saying Obama is not a king. I said that others on DU say that frequently. You bombasted. Then you duck the fact that your headline was an inadvertent spoof of a frequent apologist argument for Obama's lackluster progressive performance.

So blather away. We all got it. Your fan club will turn a blind eye, but the rest of us got it.

Let me add that I applaud the President's actions. I am enjoying this brief display of Democratic guts and hope it will be a harbinger of things to come. I believe Obama has been way too light on using recess appointments. It is a presidential prerogative that he should have exercised more in the past.

[ProSense]

24. No

Please read your headline again.

And again I ask. Do you mean that you haven't seen a post state this?

It is not my comprehension that is off. You now feel you must defend a silly error on your part in not understanding my post. Blather away.

You headlined about paul saying Obama is not a king. I said that others on DU say that frequently. You bombasted. Then you duck the fact that your headline was an inadvertent spoof of a frequent apologist argument for Obama's lackluster progressive performance.

If anyone is saying what the headline says, then they believe Obama is acting like a king.


In your previous post you stated: "The appear regularly when progressives fume that Obama hasn't done something they feel a progressive president should. It usually takes just the form you presented. The excuse is that the president is only president and not a king or dictator."

Stating that Obama is not a king because he does not have the powers of a king is not the same as believing he's acting like one.

[Jakes Progress]

29. I don't blame you.

I guess it's galling to try to see your own errors.

But the upshot of your postings are that when they say Obama is not a king, it is bad. When you say Obama is not a king, it is good.

Nice to keep two realities going in your mind at the same time. Keeps all that principle stuff from cluttering up things. I can't do it though. I just kind of believe that a principle stands regardless of how cool the leader is. If Obama does the same kind of crap that bush does, it is bad then too. If I wanted to excuse Obama's timidity and lack of experience by claiming that he had no choice because he had no power, then I wouldn't point out how bad it is when an ass like paul wants to claim Obama is wielding power like a king. But I guess if having consistent beliefs is not a big deal to someone, that person could excuse themselves. Your last sentence is just silly. The fawning brigade that pulls out the "he's not a king" apology are using it to excuse the president for not knowing how to do his job. The progressives that fume never said Obama should act like a king. They just wanted him to act like a president. But you know that. We all know that. So stop playing that game.

The truth is that paul is a phony ass. Obama is not acting like a king or dictator. He is using the powers of his office and the political excuses he should in order to get stuff done. When he shuffled around and shrugged his shoulders for the last two years, using the excuse that the wily republicans made him do those corporate whoring things, he was either being disingenuous or inept.

I'm glad that he is actually doing something that shows a little skill and gumption. Good for him. Now, let's hope he keeps it up.

[librechik]

7. apparently not, since the last three presidents did it 100s of times without controversy

could it be that this President is "different?"

[madrchsod]

19. dam right he is "uppity"

[Spazito]

8. This coming from the POS who promises...

to, singlehandedly, end the WOD, withdraw from the UN, do away with a myriad of Departments, employ privately armed and equipped persons and entities, etc.

LOL, who is acting as if they are or would be a dictator or king? Paul would be better served by looking in the mirror to see who most resembles the "dictator or king" wannabe.

[Canuckistanian]

11. Article II, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution:

"The President shall have Power to fill up all Vacancies that may happen during the Recess of the Senate, by granting Commissions which shall expire at the End of their next Session."

So, it's VERY "Constitutional", Ron.

[ProSense]

13. Clearly

Ron Paul missed that part when he read it.

[Control-Z]

15. I bellieve Ron Paul just threatened the president

with impeachment!

“If the president insists on behaving in such a cavalier manner with regard to requirements set forth by the Constitution, then action by Congress may become necessary to rein in his flagrant contempt for the rules,” he said.

[unapatriciated]

17. I don't remember there being any outrage when bush jr made 171 recess appointments

As of October 31, 2008, President Bush had made 171 recess appointments.
President William J. Clinton, in comparison, made a total of 139 recess appointments
during the course of his presidency. Of President Bush’s 171 recess appointments,
99 were to full-time positions, and the remaining 72 were to part-time positions.
Thirty were made during recesses between Congresses or between sessions of
Congress (intersession recess appointments). The remaining 141 were made during
recesses within sessions of Congress (intrasession recess appointments). The
duration of the 24 recesses during which President Bush made recess appointments
ranged from 10 to 47 days. The average (mean) duration of these recesses was 25
days, and the median duration was 26 days.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33310.pdf

Where was his outrage when bush jr appointed William Pryor to the appellate court during a ten day recess.
http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/feb2004/2004-02-23-10.html

He is upset over a measly 28 appointments when the repubs have done this in the triple digits?
http://motherjones.com/mojo/2012/01/chart-day-presidential-recess-appointments

President Barack Obama used his authority to appoint former Ohio attorney general Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Wednesday without approval from the Senate, which was in recess. By doing so, Obama defied Senate Republicans who had sought to block any and all such recess appointments by holding "pro-forma" sessions for the sole purpose of obstructing the president's ability to fill executive branch and judicial vacancies.

Obama's decision to appoint Cordray to the CFBP anyway has provoked outrage from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who didn't complain much when President George W. Bush used recess appointments to install Senate rejects including Iraq war architect John Bolton as US Ambassador to the UN. Wednesday, McConnell characterized Obama's move as a power grab that “fundamentally endangers the Congress’s role in providing a check on the excesses of the executive branch.”

[madrchsod]

18. god what an asshole...

reagan was the king of recess appointments and obama has almost none.

[Zorra]

20. Obama for three from the corner! nt

[Odin2005]

23. Fuck Ron Paul.

[jmowreader]

25. Was Paul screaming this loud five years ago...

when George W. Bush was using signing statements as line-item vetos?

[Drunken Irishman]

26. Ron Paul can lick my hairy asshole.

[Rex]

27. Wrong guy, he wants the last guy GWB.

“If this were a dictatorship it would be a heck of a lot easier... as long as I'm the dictator. Hehehe.”
― George W. Bush

[Johonny]

28. then action by Congress may become necessary

of course if they were in session they could act. I mean an act of congress could stop a recess appointment. All Paul has to do to stop is get the senate to act, but they aren't in session to act. Hmm...