Dear Sally Kohn,
Recently you wrote an op-ed lamenting that House Republicans shockingly do not support left wing policy prescriptions preferred by President Obama and yourself. Your solution to their objection was buried past the apples to oranges comparisons of executive orders that cleverly hides the problem of constitutionality.
One executive order that violates the rule of law and our system of checks and balances is one too many but that’s not a handy partisan talking point. After that conflagration of straw men, you went on to leftwingsplain to the Republican party what the House GOP should do.
“If House Republicans don’t like these executive orders, then pass immigration reform and the Employment Non-Discrimination Act. Don’t sue the President. Passing laws that our nation wants and needs is doing your job. Suing the President just because you don’t like him is irresponsible partisan petulance.
Speaker Boehner, you write: “If you look back over American history, there has always been a tension between the inherent powers of the executive branch versus the inherent powers of the legislative branch.”
Yes, that’s true, and President Obama is simply exercising those inherent executive powers. Now please exercise yours and pass some laws to help America instead of wasting taxpayer money on a frivolous lawsuit that is nothing more than a flagrant partisan stunt.”
In other words: “Just rubber stamp Obama’s agenda despite the House GOP’s own granted authority given by the electorate.”
Gosh that sure is tempting to support policy of a President now polling as the least popular President since World War II. The same President who is now seen by a majority as the primary cause for the current crisis on the border of our country.
If you wonder why immigration reform cannot get done, look no further than your own party whose unwillingness to obey our laws and enforce our border betrays their clear lack of interest in meeting anyone halfway.
Most Americans support reform and a strong border. The support for reform drops every minute Obama demonstrates we do not have a secure border nor an interest in having one.
Negotiating in good faith is not simply saying, “I will begin to do my job if you capitulate completely on my proposals.”
As inconvenient as it may be, it’s not the Republican’s job to pass the agenda you support, Ms. Kohn. Think of it this way: Would it be reasonable for me to demand that President Obama and Senate Majority Leader Reid pass the House GOP agenda? It may even be reasonable to suggest President Obama should be open to even one single Republican proposed reform in light of his party’s legislative and executive decree failures.
For instance, how about repealing the disaster that is Obamacare? Those rate hikes coming in September sure don’t look like good news for the American people. Reconsider DACA in light of the border situation that worsens daily. Ending Ex-IM, fundamental tax reform, Medicare reform, regulatory reform, energy independence, returning federally held lands to the states. These are just a few things stalled by the blockade known as Senator Harry Reid.
Why won’t Senator Reid act now, Sally?
Look what happens when Obama is forced to accept the Republican idea. You note that Boehner’s silly focus on jobs “is a particularly laughable assertion given last week’s jobs report, which noted our economy added 288,000 jobs in June”
Maybe that’s because, even the White House’s own report showed that extending unemployment benefits increases unemployment but the partisan politics that you decry as the problem were just too tempting for Obama to resist. Yet with the latest jobs report, its hard to ignore the data:
“The long-term downward trend in participation since 2000 is tied to the aging of the Baby Boom generation. But the end of extended unemployment insurance at the start of the year is also having an impact. Extended benefits kept some people from working and also kept others, who really didn’t intend to work, in the labor force (so they could keep getting benefits). The end of extended benefits should push down the jobless rate by both encouraging work among those who really want work and discouraging participation among those who really don’t. And, since the start of the year, we’ve had both faster payroll growth and a decline in the participation rate. Further supporting the case that ending extended benefits has helped: So far this year the median duration of unemployment has dropped to 13.1 weeks from 17.1 weeks, the steepest drop for any six months on record.”
Well if Obama was wrong on unemployment benefit extensions he might be wrong on quite a few other matters. Perhaps its time for him to support just one Republican idea so we can continue solving the problems that face our nation.
While I’m heartened to see your objection to wasting taxpayer money, it’s troubling that the only time the left is concerned about “taxpayer money” is when it might be spent to investigate the government’s actions.
When media snark isn’t enough to deter Republicans from asserting their constitutionally granted authority, only then is there a rush of concern for taxpayer dollars. Never mind how much all those planes and shiny new buses cost that are transporting what is projected to be a quarter of a million illegal immigrants all across our country (as it is now the taxpayers duty to finance illegal immigration).
But one lawsuit? Well, now you’ve gone too far!
Perhaps consider the lawsuit a “Dear Obama” letter and it will all make sense.
Regards
Amy
