At this very late date in the Obama Presidency, Ron Grossman of the Chicago Tribune suddenly sees a problem with bypassing Congress. An admitted liberal, Ron expresses concern that Donald Trump might use exactly the same actions that Obama has employed during his tenure. How can Ron demand that Trump not bypass Congress or the Constitution when he has not made such a demand of Obama? Well, that is a quandary. Thus we have this 11th hour article that takes Obama to task for his actions. Now, if a President Trump or his minions challenge Ron's double-standard, Ron can point to this article and claim that he did criticize Obama's executive action. He has seen the light just in time to oppose Trump.
More such articles will be written by media figures who have cheered as Obama enforced laws that Congress did not pass and failed to enforce laws that Congress did pass. Obama rewrote the Affordable Care Act several times without Congressional involvement. No media outcry. Obama enforced the Dreamers Act that Congress expressly did not legislate. Obama took the United States to war in Libya when the Congress did not authorize it, clearly abrogating the traditional interpretation of the War Power Act. Who cares? These same actions on the part of a President Trump will provoke media firestorms. Grossman needed to make a sacrifice to fairness and equality and this mild (and far too late to matter) rebuke to the outgoing POTUS is his offering.
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