The latest talking point to emerge from the GOP congressional camp is that President Obama, through use of executive orders, is crowning himself “King Obama” and break the law by using this executive branch tool.
Rep. Randy Weber (R-Texas) called the president a “Socialistic dictator” and the “Kommandant-In-Chef.”
Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minnesota) wants to “sue” the president for breaking the law.
Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) says that the president is trying to “write laws.”
But are executive orders “breaking the law?” Is this a “new” thing we’ve never seen before? And is President Obama issuing them more than other presidents in the past?
From Steve Benen at MSNBC:
The American Presidency Project keeps a running tally of executive orders by president, starting with George Washington. Literally every president (except Harrison, who died a month after his inauguration) has made use of this tool, some more than others.
Franklin Roosevelt was clearly the most ambitious president when it came to executive orders. And who’s the least? That would be Barack Obama, who issued 168 executive orders in his first five years.
All told, Obama has averaged fewer executive orders, per year, than any president in the last 117 years. His totals may yet grow – it’s tough to predict how many orders he’ll issue in his final three years – but at least for now, Republican criticisms about Obama’s excesses aren’t just wrong, they’re demonstrably ridiculous.
Wait a minute! So you mean to tell me that Presidents Reagan and both Bush presidents used the dreaded executive order MORE than President Obama?
Yeah. They don’t mention that part, do they?
(source)
