The President's Curious Reasoning

During the president's speech last night in which he informed the nation that he's no longer content to be president and is henceforth elevating himself to the rank of emperor, he delivered himself of this bizarre piece of rhetoric:

And to those members of Congress who question my authority to make our immigration system work better or question the wisdom of me acting where Congress has failed, I have one answer: Pass a bill. I want to work with both parties to pass a more permanent legislative solution. And the day I sign that bill into law, the actions I take will no longer be necessary.

This is as nonsensical as it is brazen. As Jonah Goldberg puts it:

Obama is in effect saying [to Congress], “If you don’t want me to do something you believe to be illegal or unconstitutional - and I eloquently agreed with you not long ago - all you have to do to stop me is to do exactly what I want.”

Placating Obama’s wishes doesn’t erase his lawless deed, it establishes a precedent for a new presidential power of lawless action. It’s against the law for me to steal your car. If I do it anyway and then say, “Look, all you have to do to nullify my lawless action is sign over the title to me, that way it will all be nice and proper” does that really make it all better?

Mr. Obama and his media sycophants are blaming the Republican congress for not passing the immigration bill that he wants passed, but if he was really so concerned about the plight of immigrants why didn't he do something to reform the system during the first two years of his presidency when he controlled both houses of congress? He didn't do it then when he could have and now he blames the Republicans for dragging their feet.

Actually, congressional Republicans have very good reason to be reluctant. No immigration reform is possible unless it is all but certain that our border is secured against further incursions of illegals coming north a couple of years from now. The problem is that it's up to the president who swore an oath to uphold the laws of the nation to enforce any legislation that he signs, and no one, at least no one who has been paying attention, has any confidence that Mr. Obama will fulfill his obligation keep our borders secure. He has dissembled about so much so often that he has no credibility, even within his own party much less with Republicans.

By refusing to accept the limitations placed upon his power by the Constitution, Mr. Obama has very likely thrown this country into a constitutional crisis, and probably cemented his reputation as the most divisive and lawless president in the history of our nation.