If President Obama wants to make things better for undocumented immigrants, the New Bedford Standard-Times editorial board says he should … do nothing while Republicans throw a partisan hissy fit?
The president has felt the pressure to do something where Congress has so far failed, but he decided to let the election play out before making any dramatic changes through executive order. That strategy might have been misguided. Instead of keeping that hot issue from interfering with Democrats’ prospects on Nov. 4, a Republican-majority with a decidedly negative view toward executive orders awaits him in the next session.
The majority leadership for that next session has already informed the president and the public of its displeasure with that approach.
Obama has run out of political capital on this subject, and if he wants to see reform — not to contribute to his legacy, but to do what’s best for the country — he should put the pen down. Instead, he should listen, talk, and listen some more. […]
The Democrats risk the ire of the electorate, which will focus either on what it perceives as the president’s hubris or on his inability to deliver on promises of meaningful reform.
President Obama explained why this is wrong just this morning. “I gave the House over a year to go ahead and at least give a vote to the Senate bill. They failed to do so and I indicated to Speaker Boehner several months ago that if, in fact, Congress failed to act, I would use all the lawful authority that I possess to try to make the system work better, and that’s going to happen,” he said.
Of course Republicans have a “negative view toward executive orders” right now – because voters gave that power to a Democrat. They loved executive orders when George W. Bush was in office and they’ll love them again the next time they hold the White House. Just like personally, I think it’s a waste of time that House Republicans have voted to repeal Obamacare dozens of times even though it’s currently providing health care to 20 million Americans, but I support their constitutional right to do it.
“The one thing that I think is going to be important to have a successful partnership over the next couple years is not making disagreements on a single issue suddenly a deal breaker on every issue. Democracy can never work that way,” Obama said. THAT’S bipartisan problem solving.
President Obama should do everything in his power to ease our national problems on immigration, global warming, and whatever else he can do that’s constitutionally within his power. If Congressional Republicans don’t like it, they can pass legislation to stop him. That’s how government works.
