President Lacks Desire To Compromise

IS IT THAT BARACK OBAMA CAN’T WAIT FOR CONGRESS OR THAT HE CAN’T WORK WITH CONGRESS?

When our Founding Fathers established our Constitution, they intentionally built in a true separation of powers in the three branches of our government - legislative, executive and judicial.

They were rebelling against “absolute despotism,” according to the Declaration of Independence. That Declaration was actually written to the “King of Britain” because of his “repeated injuries and usurpations” leading to “the establishment of an absolute Tyranny.” The last thing they wanted was another king.

In fact, according to Alexander Hamilton in the Federalist Papers, “The legislative authority necessarily predominates” the other two branches of the government. The founders did not want the president to have unlimited power. They intended for the president to have to work with Congress to get things done. It can be diffcult and messy, but that was the intent.

Recently, however, President Barack Obama has said he “can’t wait for Congress.” Is it that he can’t wait for Congress or is the issue he can’t work with Congress?

Even in the fi rst two years of his administration when Democratscontrolled 59 percent of both houses (including independents Joseph Lieberman and Bernie Sanders, who caucus with the Democrats), the president and Congress had to resort to using the controversial reconciliation process to pass Obamacare. This process allows a bill to pass the Senate with just 51 votes instead of the normal 60 votes needed to stop a fi libuster. They had 59 percent and couldn’t construct a bill that would attract one Republican senator to vote for it? Even with liberal Republicans such as Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine?

Some might say President Obama, Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi weren’t trying very hard to placate any Republicans.

In fact, the only bipartisan thing about Obamacare was the opposition to it as 39 Democrats in the House voted against it.

Pelosi famously said of Obamacare, “We will go through the gate. If thegate is closed, we will go over the fence. If the fence is too high, we will pole vault in. If that doesn’t work, we will parachute in.”

While some may say this demonstrates remarkable persistence, others may counter this doesn’t sound like someone who is looking to compromise.

Pelosi also said, “We have to pass it so that we can fi nd out what is in it.” That statement is the product of misguided determination.

And while Pelosi was shunning House Republicans, Obama was telling Republicans he“won” the election and they would have to “sit in the backseat” when it came to legislation and policy. He also called Republicans “our enemy” in a radio interview on Univision. Does that sound like a person who is trying to unite this country, even though that is exactly what Obama campaigned as - the uniter?

The point is, Obama could barely work with a Congress in which his party controlled 59 percent of both houses.

That should have sent him a message.

Now, he has lost control of the House, where Republicans have a 50-vote advantage. In the Senate, Democrats control only 53 seats if you include independents Lieberman and Sanders;

however, when you toss in conservative Democrats such as Joe Manchin of West Virginia, Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, the president’s party has almost no advantage in the Senate.

Now it is immigration.

King Obama has decided he is not going to enforce the immigration lawsproperly passed by Congress, which, by the way, is his job. I wonder what other laws he is going to decide not to enforce? He could have supported the plan of Sen.

Marco Rubio, R-Fla., which is shockingly similar to his immigration edict and has bipartisan support, but he chose to go oft on his own and thumb his nose at Congress, again.

It is time for the president to work with Congress, which was the intent of our Founding Fathers and the Constitution they battled to establish.

If he wants immigration reform, common ground is very evident. Both sides agree young people who came to America with their parents illegally need special consideration - especially when they have served in the military, speak English as their primary language and are model citizens. We would all be foolish to treat them as criminals.

Mr. President, the American people don’t care whose idea it is, they just want progress.

Work with Congress. Be willing to compromise.

Look for a position “in the middle” and you might be surprised at what will happen.

KEVIN CANFIELD IS AN INDIANA NATIVE WHO RETIRED IN 2010. HE LIVES IN SPRINGDALE.

Opinion, Pages 13 on 07/08/2012

Upcoming Events