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| Byrd: Obama in power grab | |
| 2009-02-25 | |
In a letter to Obama on Wednesday, Byrd complained about Obama’s decision to create White House offices on health reform, urban affairs policy, and energy and climate change. Byrd said such positions “can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials.” While it's rare for Byrd to criticize a president in his own party, Byrd is a stern constitutional scholar who has always stood up for the legislative branch in its role in checking the power of the White House. Byrd no longer holds the powerful Appropriations chairmanship, so his criticism does not carry as much weight these days. Byrd repeatedly clashed with the Bush administration over executive power, and it appears that he's not limiting his criticism to Republican administrations. Byrd also wants Obama to limit claims of executive privilege while also ensuring that the White House czars don’t have authority over Cabinet officers confirmed by the Senate. “As presidential assistants and advisers, these White House staffers are not accountable for their actions to the Congress, to cabinet officials, and to virtually anyone but the president,” Byrd wrote. “They rarely testify before congressional committees, and often shield the information and decision-making process behind the assertion of executive privilege. In too many instances, White House staff have been allowed to inhibit openness and transparency, and reduce accountability.” | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #7 To steal a quote, B, "History does not repeat itself.... but it does rhyme..." |
| Posted by: Angeans Turkeyneck1374 2009-02-25 21:10 |
| #6 No one should be surprised by this fellow's actions. I suspect few here are. "All That We've Learned From History.... Is That We Don't Learn From History!" anon |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-25 17:05 |
| #5 As much as I'd like to embrace a Democratic senator rebelling against the god-king, I'm afraid it's far more likely that the honorable senator's seeing an old nightmare on his side of the mirror that walks like a president. Something he used to look at through holes cut in a white sheet. Even mirrorball nothingburgers have racist enemies. |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2009-02-25 16:57 |
| #4 All Barry's gotta do to shut him up is find the one thing in West Virginia not named after Byrd and rename it. Welcome to Exalted Cyclops International Airport... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2009-02-25 16:47 |
| #3 Louis-Auguste de France enjoyed much adoration at first also. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-25 16:47 |
| #2 Trust me, we are not trying to establish an Imperial Presidency. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2009-02-25 16:37 |
| #1 Byrd said such positions "can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials." Never saw it coming did you Senator? |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2009-02-25 16:33 |