But, make no mistake about it, Chuck Hagel is one of America's great public servants, a class act, all the way.

While I disagree with Hagel on many things, it's the fact that he IS an honorable public servant is exactly why Obama forced him out..

Obama just wants a mouth-piece, a figure head at the Pentagon so Obama and his goons can micro-manage the DoD from the West Wing...

It sure doesn't bode well for Obama's final 2 years (???) in office...

It doesn't bode well for the country either...

Michale

Ya know....

One of these days, ya'all will acknowledge that, in instances such as this, LEO related and National Security related and Military related....

One of these days ya'all will acknowledge that I *DO* know what I am talking about...

If investigators looked beyond the emotionalism of the Left, looked beyond the hysteria of the Left... If investigators looked solely and completely at the FACTS of the incident....

At NO TIME was there EVER any doubt. There was NEVER any chance of an indictment...

I said the same thing 3+ months ago as I am saying right now...

Darren Wilson acted honorably. He should be given a medal for his actions on that day...

I am proud to say as I was then as I am now... I am proud to stand with Darren Wilson...

http://sjfm.us/temp/stand.jpg

Michale

A million quatloos says there is no indictment...

Michale

This is exactly why our President is a moron...

He makes these Emperor-esque proclamations and simply cannot see how someone else might use them as precedent to make OTHER Emperor-esque proclamations...

There has never been an instance where a POTUS has made such damaging Executive Orders in the last 200 years...

If ya'all don't believe me now, just wait until we have a GOP POTUS in the White House and he/she uses the Obama-Precedent to prosecutorially discrete tax/campaign prosecutions...

THINK!!! Before you strike!
-Smokey The Bear

Basically ya'all have come around to the idea that THE ENDS JUSTIFIES THE MEANS...

{{sniffle}} I am so proud....

:D

Michale

It's a foregone conclusion.. There is simply no way in the universe that Wilson will be indicted..

To do so would put a bulls-eye on the back of every cop in the country...

Michale

While I have no doubt that Biden would say what was on his mind (as he has proven time and time again :D) the problem is that Obama and Biden are two of a kind and think the same things about the same agendas....

Our founding fathers had the right idea...

The VP should be the POTUS Candidate from the losing Party...

Michale

Well, that's what Biden is there for. :)

I can say with complete and unequivocal honesty that I am 1000% in agreement with you...

For a leader to be effective, they need to surround themselves with people who will tell him/her how frak'ed up they are.

As opposed to people who will just say how awesome they are...

As an Elltee, I always made it a point to have my second be the guy/girl who disagreed with me on practically everything...

Only then can a leader make sound decisions..

Michale

I will say this, though, Obama's inner circle may be at the root of most of his problems, politically speaking and policymaking-wise.

But, make no mistake about it, Chuck Hagel is one of America's great public servants, a class act, all the way. If more Republicans were capable of the kind of enlightened analysis that always characterized Hagel's positions on the issues - whether you agree or disagree with his stance on any single issue - then I am sure that there would not be the level of dysfunction that is so pervasive through all levels of leadership in Washington.

The problem with Hagel is he puts too much stock in diplomacy.. Which would be great, if he was a diplomat...

But a military leader that puts too much faith in diplomacy is easily manipulated..

Finally, I would say that Chuck Hagel and Leon Panetta are not made from the same stuff. And, that is why I am so sure that you will not be delighted by Hagel's memoirs, should he ever go that route.,

Perhaps... But consider this...

Panetta left on GOOD terms with the Obama administration.. And he tore Obama a new one...

By all accounts, Hagel has been attacked and minimized by Obama's inner circle...

Something about Hell Hath No Fury and Scorned comes to mind.. :D

Let me just put it this way...

I wouldn't be surprised in the least if we see a Hagel Tell All within the year...

Michale

I can't say that I'm very surprised that Secretary Hagel is leaving the Pentagon. I think the reasons have much to do with his communication skills, or lack thereof (ironic, indeed, considering the ineffectiveness of President Obama, himself, in this regard), and with the fact that Hagel may not have the right personality to be effective as head of the Defense department.

But, make no mistake about it, Chuck Hagel is one of America's great public servants, a class act, all the way. If more Republicans were capable of the kind of enlightened analysis that always characterized Hagel's positions on the issues - whether you agree or disagree with his stance on any single issue - then I am sure that there would not be the level of dysfunction that is so pervasive through all levels of leadership in Washington.

Finally, I would say that Chuck Hagel and Leon Panetta are not made from the same stuff. And, that is why I am so sure that you will not be delighted by Hagel's memoirs, should he ever go that route.

Many said the same thing about Panetta... If such a stalwart and loyal Democrat like Panetta was driven to expose the Obama frustration, I doubt Hagel will be able to resist..

His frustration with the Obama Administration is evident in his speeches...

Michale

I wouldn't hold your breath on that one, Michale, if I were you. I don't think he's the type.

Considering how juicy Obama's past SecDef's memoirs were, Hagel's should complete the tri-fecta... :D

Michale

Michale

Consider this..

It is undeniable that Obama's case for action would have been a LOT stronger if Obama had waiting and given the new GOP Congress a chance to get things done..

This is fact...

Further, it is also undeniable that Obama would have paid a HUGE, likely recoverable, political price if he backed out of his word again... The Hispanic community would have crucified him...

Since the case for action would have been made STRONGER by Obama waiting, but POLITICS demanded that he acts now, the idea that the action was prompted by anything BUT politics is completely unsupported and without merit...

Again, if there is any flaws in my logic, by all means.. Point them out...

Michale

Art imitating life.

Michale

Exactly!!!

The Left lives in their own little world that is far divorced from reality... And, in that little world, Bush and the Right are pure evil incarnate and Obama walks on water and Democrats are as pure as the driven snow..

thank you for clearing that up.

Yer welcome... :D

Michale

So, if Bush HAD over-reached like Obama, as the Left had accused Bush of doing then the Left is hypocritical for condemning Bush for the same thing that the Left lets Obama get away with..

it's still self-disproving. you're saying that what obama and bush did were different. so unless democrats are somehow compelled to judge presidential actions by your priorities rather than their own. they're entitled to get upset about one set of actions and you're entitled to get equally upset about another.

So, if Bush HAD over-reached like Obama, as the Left had accused Bush of doing then the Left is hypocritical for condemning Bush for the same thing that the Left lets Obama get away with..

therefore, based on your own statement, hypocrisy from the Left in this case would require a condition other than reality. thank you for clearing that up.

JL

Obama taking matters into his own hands with his Executive Orders is no different than Arizona and other states passing their own immigration laws....

We know how the Left feels about THAT, eh?? :D

Michale

See!? I can make up words too!! :D hehehehehe

That may have appeared to be a little snotty. I hope you accept it as the good-natured comment it was intended to be.. :D

Michale

See!? I can make up words too!! :D hehehehehe

Michale

I am just covering all the basis.. :D

Seriously, there really isn't any conflict in my positions.

Bush didn't over-reach like Obama had done..

But the Left ACCUSED Bush of over-reaching and reacted with their usual hysterical apopleticness...

So, if Bush HAD over-reached like Obama, as the Left had accused Bush of doing then the Left is hypocritical for condemning Bush for the same thing that the Left lets Obama get away with..

Clearer now?? :D

Michale

Are the yellow stripes and dead armadillos actually paying any attention at all?

--

The presidency is too powerful.

The Constitution assigns all powers to Congress. Article II literally doesn't have a section 8. The "unitary executive" nonsense is nonsense now, just as much as it was eight years ago.

Part of the reason Congress is so dysfunctional is simply that it can be. As long as we're not hitting the debt ceiling or needing another continuing resolution to stave off the quasi-annual "government shutdown", Congress is free to gather up thousands of pages of its own poo, escalate to defe-con 1, and fling it across the aisle: no one will care. Everything is handled within the executive branch.

["unitary executive" behavior coming from both bushes and reagan.]
Which I have already proven is absolutely NOTHING like Obama did...

[13] Exhibit B:

Whaa?? The Left is allowed to get hysterical over it when a GOP'er does it, but approves when a DEM does it???

well, which is it? different or the same?

either it's different, in which case the Left is entitled to their opinion that what Bush did is worth getting apoplectic about but what Obama did isn't,

or it's the same, in which case they all did it, are equally culpable for it, and are equally deserving of scorn.

I don't mind that you disagree with me, but it gets confusing when your arguments conflict with each other in the same post.

JL

Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., Joe Donnelly, D-Ind. and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D. have all expressed concerns that Obama's actions are not good for the Democrat Party and not good for the country..

So, the forces lined up AGAINST Obama and his emperor-like edicts is completely and unequivocally bi-partisan....

Michale

When I read about how great Obama and the Democrats think they are, all I can picture is this:

http://tinyurl.com/n2qw9es

Michale

And, considering the similarities between how the two POTUSes used the IRS, that's a very apt comparison...

Michale

How exactly is that pronounced??? :D

Michale

Which I have already proven is absolutely NOTHING like Obama did..

pretty much any time ANY president does something that pushes a bit against the balance of power between branches, the response from the legislative side is to try to cast that executive as trying to act like a king.

And yet, there is no example of this that approaches what Obama did back 200 years..

as to whether "bush did it morely" is a legitimate response, i'll leave that up to the observer. i found an article about some recent presidents' executive overreach here:

And, if I remember correctly, the Left had a hysterical conniption fit over it, INCLUDING Obama...

Whaa?? The Left is allowed to get hysterical over it when a GOP'er does it, but approves when a DEM does it???

Michale

that's elephanticulous.

CW mentioned instances of "unitary executive" behavior coming from both bushes and reagan. pretty much any time ANY president does something that pushes a bit against the balance of power between branches, the response from the legislative side is to try to cast that executive as trying to act like a king. not that it's necessarily relevant to obama, but the charge of imperial president has been leveled the most at some of the presidents regarded as the best in history (Lincoln, FDR, Teddy Roosevelt). i would say FDR had the most imperial presidencey of all.

as to whether "bush did it morely" is a legitimate response, i'll leave that up to the observer. i found an article about some recent presidents' executive overreach here:

http://civilliberty.about.com/od/waronterror/p/imperial101.htm

Nope, truth is completely irrelevant because it's subjective..

"If it's truth you're after, Professor Tyree's philosophy class is right down the hall."
-Indiana Jones

FACTS are the only relevant points...

Is there any difference at all between what the president said he hadn't the authority to do and what he said he will now do by executive order?

No difference whatsoever...

Michale

Is there any difference at all between what the president said he hadn't the authority to do and what he said he will now do by executive order?

This is not a trick question. :)

More of a totally moronic move..

ESPECIALLY considering this POTUS spent the previous few years telling people that he CAN'T do what he just did...

And the MORON cherry on top is this POTUS saying, "I haven't changed my position on this"..

Mega Moron...

Michale

I do not like them, Obamaman.
I do not like those Mexicans.

Would you like them there or here?

I would not like them to be here.
I do not like them, let’s be clear.
I do not like those Mexicans.
I do not like them, Obamaman.

Would you like them in a jail cell?
Would you like to tell them go to hell?

I do not like them to have a green card.
I do not care if they work hard.
I do not want them here, can’t you see?
I do not want them to get amnesty.
I do not like those Mexicans.
I do not like them, Obamanman.

Would you like them to self-deport?
Would you like them if they can’t vote?

Not with the Ebola.
Not with an anchor baby.
Not with a permit.
Not even maybe.
I do not like them on our side of the wall.
I don’t want to see them, no not at all.
I do not like those Mexicans.
I do not like them, Obamanman.

I disagree with that premise.

Before answering, let me first repeat that I have long been a fan of America and a true believer in the promise of America.

Now, dare I say it ... it's the American people, stupid. Or should I say, it's the stupid American people. Of course, we could single out any number of countries in this regard but, for now, we're talking about America.

One way to remedy this serious political problem that is the root cause of much of the political dysfunction might be for the enlightened people to start really fighting back and not be afraid of the truth.

The US Government is going ballistic for two more years. I don't mean ballistic in the sense of all the Republican Kubuki theater: hyperbolic Fox friendly rhetoric, meaningless resolutions, lawsuits and endless investigations. No, it's simply following a trajectory of governance completely determined by existing legislation. The controls are locked, at least until the 2016 election, but probably long after that. All Obama can really do is spin the capsule in pitch, roll and yaw. Anybody remember the Right Stuff? Good movie, great book.

Is this point when most Americans, Blue, Red and Purple realize that we can't govern ourselves anymore? That our constitutional system produces something akin to the medical condition known as Parkinson's?

Dare I say it? It's the Constitution stupid! Or the stupid Constitution. Ossification. If this be heresy, let's make the most of it.

It's utter felgercarp...

Reagan and Bush merely tweaked immigration legislation that had been recently passed... The Simpson-Mazzoli Amnesty Law of 1986..

If Obama had done that, no one would be saying boo....

So, let's stay with reality, eh?? :D

"This isn't the first time a president has been called 'king,' and it certainly won't be the last. Americans as a whole have always disapproved of monarchy, going all the way back to when we overthrew one. Since then, it's been a common refrain for many presidents. Here is what we'd call an editorial cartoon of Andrew Jackson, for example

It's funny that ya'all don't DENY that Obama is making himself a king.. :D

The fact that you had to go back almost 200 years to find an example of a POTUS acting like a monarch should be a clue to ya'all how bad Obama has acted...

If a GOP POTUS had done such actions and had screwed over the black community so bad, Left Wingers would be rioting in the streets...

We all know this is a fact...

But, if a Dem POTUS does such actions and badly screws over the black community, it's no big deal... :^/

Michale

Sometimes, I can be a dog with a bone. Ahem.

Even if he had, we wouldn't do that to him on the week he had his birthday!

:-)

"Happy Birthday, Mister Vice President..."

-CW