Edited by Alyssa Goulding
The president wanted to speak in Congress. The opposition threw a spoke in his wheel. Never before had Congress rejected a president’s request for a date to speak.
The timing seemed auspicious. On Wednesday, two days after Labor Day (also the official end of summer in the U.S.), Congress will convene again for the first time after the five-week summer recess. What better opportunity for Obama to present himself as a can-do, nonpartisan president by announcing a job program on national television with a drum roll? At least, that is what Barack Obama and his advisers in the White House thought.
So they requested a date with John Boehner, the Republican Speaker of the House. This led, of course, to a confrontation because Boehner felt just as caught off guard as the Democratic congressional leaders. The publicly-conducted disagreement lasted for hours until the president finally caved and agreed, gritting his teeth, to a postponement until Thursday.
It was a precedent. Never before, according to presidential historians, had the Congress rejected a president’s request for a date to speak. The show of unity put on by politicians of both stripes when Gabby Gifford, a Democratic representative who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt, appeared at the vote to raise the debt ceiling a month ago seemed forgotten. Obama’s appeal fell flat: “As I have traveled across our country this summer and spoken with our fellow Americans, I have heard a consistent message: Washington needs to put aside politics and start making decisions based on what is best for our country and not what is best for each of our parties.”
The conflict between the obstinate Democrats and Republicans has now heated up further, stoked by the polemic of the Republican primary race. The backstory for the postponement of the Obama speech is just a scheduling conflict with a televised debate among the presidential hopefuls in California. If the president had pushed through with his request, he would have scored points in the virtual showdown with his opponents. On Thursday, the football season kicks off between the Super Bowl Champion Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints, threatening Obama with overwhelming competition.
Hi – The Congress did not stop Obama. The Congress is a Co-equal Branch of Government, led by the Speaker of the House. E.g. The Speaker must ‘invite’ a guest to the house. The President cannot ‘invite’ himself anymore than a second cousin can invite themselves to a wedding.
George Washington, the first President tried this stunt in the Senate. He walked away red-faced when he was not recognized. For over 230 years+ the rules are the President requests time from the Speaker; the Speaker & President (thru proxies) negotiate time and date & then and only then, the Speaker issues an invitation. Obama did not do this and found out the hard way, the Speaker rules the House – NOT the President
Obama presides over the Executive Branch – He is NOT KING nor can he ORDER either the Supreme Court or the Congress to do ANYTHING. If he tries – the President is sent away red-faced – so Obama now shares something in common with our First President – he was humbled by Congress.
As you all watch what is happening in America these days, to understand it you must know we demand that our leaders follow the Constitution. For the last 60-70 years we’ve gotten away from that – you are seeing a reawakening of American limited Government sensibilities. That’s a Tsunami sized wave hammering the American Political class. Expect another big election or ‘wave’ election in 2012…it’s coming and it will be massive. Left leaning politicians are in big trouble.
For really astute observers – just look to the special election coming in New York to replace Anthony Wiener. No Dem (Lefty) need spend a dime to win in NYC…but they are…bad sign for lefties…