The Weekly Addresses
In this week’s address, the President highlighted two specific steps the Administration took this week to make sure everyone plays by the same rules.
In his weekly message, Governor Markell discusses efforts to build a well-trained workforce, foster business development, and bring together leaders from government and industry to make Delaware a center for employment in biotechnology and the life sciences.
This week, the President hosted the Nuclear Security Summit, met with the NATO Secretary General, discussed a new administration rule that prevents companies from ducking their tax bill, and traveled back to the University of Chicago to discuss the Constitution and the Supreme Court.
Obama’s actions on investments and inversions are great, but my first reaction was: “Wait – you mean you could have done this all along?”
Yeah, I understand that reaction. But I am sure you realize that is a lot more to it that that. First, you have the preference for legislative action rather than executive and regulatory. Then when that avenue closes, due to the GOP refusal to pass anything, you then task your departments to find what can be done within the law and the limits of the Constitution. That can take years. And then when you have some answers, then you debate that, and that can take some time. This is why purists were disappointed with Obama: because they expected instant action by the snap of his fingers. And now they are expecting the same thing from Bernie. LOLz.
I guess it is like getting a pardon – you usually have to wait until the president is going out the door. Still, I wonder if Bernie had run in 2012 we wouldn’t have had these actions sooner from Obama. Remember, it wasn’t until shortly after Occupy Wall Street that Obama even mentioned income inequality, as far as I know.
Also, I wonder if the new composition of the Supreme Court freed Obama’s hand somewnat.
I think there will be more, not less of this from Obama as the presidential campaigns continue. If a D wins, it is a pretty safe bet that these actions persist and if an R wins, they’ll have to explain why they are unraveling a popular action. Not as though the Ds will capitalize on that, though. He’ll be bending policy towards more progressive actions, if anything because it keeps more progressive ideas at the top of the conversation and people get a chance to see that the world does not come to an end when popular policy is implemented.
Legislative action is always preferable because it is more permanent. Executive or regulatory action is much more difficult to sustain across administrations.
We used to take that into account when we took action based on executive orders. We had structure things so that they could either be reversed, build in off-ramps (exist strategies) when the administration changes.
In some cases the benefit versus cost was such that if we briefed it properly, the program would survive, unless it was a pet of the previous administration, then it was pretty much toast.
Not to mention, the financial sector provided a third of Obama’s reelection funds. That’ll buy you a lot of forbearance. Oops, was that an artful smear?
Or, ya know, they could throw a f-ing banker in jail, too.
He’s had 7 years to do that as well. No need for legislative action there.
But taking campaign funds don’t mean they won’t expect anything in return, Puck. Didn’t the Hillary camp explain that to you?