It’s hard not to ridicule Congress’ tea party Republicans as a group of mad-dog “aginners” who do nothing but run around in circles yapping “no way,” uh-uh,” “we’re agin it!”
But as last, they’ve come up with something they’re for: The impeachment of President Barack Obama. The mad dogs of the right yap that this president is flaunting the Constitution and bypassing Congress by issuing executive orders and making skads of recess appointments.
Enjoying Hightower's work? Join us over at our new home on Substack:
Two words: Bush-Cheney. Their White House didn’t just use executive orders to raise the pay of working families or extend health care to uninsured Americans, but to send more than a million Americans into a war that was an ideological folly based on executive branch lies. In fact, George W issued more executive orders than Obama has. So did Daddy Bush. And so did Reagan, Ford, Nixon, Ike, Hoover, Coolidge, Harding, and Teddy Roosevelt.
Oh, and about those recess appointments that’re causing the tea partiers to foam at the mouth? Obama has made only 32. But George W. Bush made 171 – without a peep of protest from those who’re now thumping the Constitution and demanding impeachment.
The chief reason that Obama has had to use recess appointments is that Republican senators, prodded by their extremist tea party partners, have routinely misused the procedural device of filibuster obstructionism to block the qualified people Obama has appointed. Here’s a historical perspective the yappers won’t mention to you: In less than six years in office, 82 of Obama’s presidential nominees have been filibustered by the Republican/tea party; in the previous 220 years of US history, the other 43 presidents combined had only 86 of their nominees blocked by filibuster.
The tea party, which started with such legitimate outrage, has become ridiculous.
“Many on far right ready, eager to impeach Obama,” Austin American Statesman, July 6, 2014.
“Graphs Show How Obama’s Been Abusing His Power (Or Not),” www.portside.org, June 25, 2014.
Special rate for original Lowdown readers