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Both sides do it: "Unprecedented"

by: Zappatero

Wed Jan 04, 2012 at 14:55:10 PM MST

The President has done something rare: showed good governance in the face of blatant Republican obstructionism, held to some principles, and universally pissed off Republican congressional leaders (if you can count fake outrage and lie-filled press releases as pissed off):

President Obama raised quite a few eyebrows this morning when the White House announced a recess appointment for Richard Cordray to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. It was an unusual display - congressional Republicans abused the rules and told the president to just accept it, and Obama effectively responded, "No."
As it turns out, this more combative attitude goes beyond the CFPB. Greg Sargent has this scoop this afternoon.
Obama is also set to use recess appointments to install his picks to the National Labor Relations Board, according to White House officials and others familiar with ongoing discussions.
The move, which is arguably as important as the Cordray appointment, will ratchet up opposition from Republicans and make this an even bigger fight, since they have been attacking the NLRB regularly for its moves to streamline union elections and inform workers of their rights.
Obama is set to appoint Sharon Block, Terence Flynn, and Richard Grifin to the board - something unions have made a big priority for them in the new year.

A little late, but this is the kind of thing he was elected to do no matter how mono-partisan it is perceived to be. Speaker Boner:

"This is an extraordinary and entirely unprecedented power grab by President Obama that defies centuries of practice and the legal advice of his own Justice Department."

Some Republican Senator:

"Breaking from this precedent lands this appointee in uncertain legal territory, threatens the confirmation process and fundamentally endangers the Congress's role in providing a check on the excesses of the executive branch."

Here's unprecedented, courtesy of those very same Republicans:

Zappatero :: Both sides do it: "Unprecedented"

Republican abuse of the filibuster has reached historic highs (lows?).
Eric Cantor did not allow the Obama jobs bill to come to a vote in the House.
And there's this unprecedented, historic nugget: Senate Leader McConnell's tactic of politically emasculating the President.

Like the old adage says: if Republicans are accusing you of doing something, you can bet they are doing that very thing. That's exactly what has happened here: the unprecedented acts of Republican congressional leaders has finally provoked the president into the precedentless actions of making recess appointments to important posts and making sure laws passed by congress are faithfully executed by the government.