If there is one man who knows about corrupt presidential administrations, it is Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward. So, when the man who helped bring down Richard Nixon warns about widespread corruption within the Executive Branch, it commands attention. Woodward spoke last weekend with CBS anchor Bob Schieffer about the Obama Administration’s “secret world” of government power, where it operates with impunity, often times well outside the rule of law.
To keep Obama and his cronies ensconced in power, Woodward describes how the Administration routinely uses intimidation, misdirection, and outright lies to hide what it actually is doing. Of course, this “rats nest of concealment and lies,” as Woodward calls it, is not limited to the Administration’s national security operations; it is systemic.
Despite claims from President Obama himself during the lengthy healthcare debate that began in earnest more than four years ago, that individuals would be able to keep their healthcare plans if they wanted, millions of Americans are now receiving policy cancellation notices as a direct result of the new ObamaCare regulations. These individuals now are forced to buy more expensive polices, or settle for plans with reduced benefits. The Administration, of course, claims this is an unexpected and unforeseeable “inconvenience.” However, NBC News -- a once reliable Obama ally in the Mainstream Media -- notes the Administration has known for years this would occur, even while telling the public the exact opposite.
Another former Mainstream Media ally also blasted the Obama Administration last weekend, for lying to the public. A CBS “60 Minutes” special on Benghazi called the attack “a planned, sophisticated” act of terrorism by al Qaeda against a “barely protected American outpost.” CBS also blamed the White House for “misinformation” and “confusion” following the attack, as Obama and other Administration officials repeatedly mislead the public with false reports of a peaceful protest gone awry.
These damning indictments of the Obama Administration should hardly surprise anyone. The go-to responses when backed into a corner are either denial of knowledge (“I know nothing and even if I did, I couldn’t tell you”), or outright lies (“If you like your health plan, you will be able to keep your health plan”). In every scandal plaguing the Obama Administration, the information initially given to the public or to congressional investigators, rarely has turned out to be true.
Obama lied about Black Panther voter intimidation in Philadelphia. He lied about his Administration’s role in “Operation Fast and Furious.” He lied about using the Department of Justice to intimidate journalists. He lied about NSA wiretapping. He lied about using drone strikes to kill American citizens overseas. He lied about Benghazi and the first assassination of a U.S. Ambassador since 1979. He lied about using the IRS to bully Tea Party organizations and deny them their First Amendment rights. He lied about ObamaCare being ready for launch, despite Republican warnings to the contrary. He lied about individuals being able to keep their healthcare plans. The President and his Attorney General refuse to enforce laws duly passed by the Congress.
America’s “Commander-in-Chief” has the become the “Commander-in-Deceit.”
In order for government to function properly, there must be a certain level of trust between the people and their elected officials. It is this faith that holds the Republic together. When the public no longer trusts elected officials to serve the interests of the People, eventually the rule of law breaks down. The rebellion of America’s veterans in tearing down Obama’s “barrycades” during the recent, partial government shutdown was just a small example of this principle in play.
Congressman Joe Wilson apologized for his “You lie!” outburst during Obama’s 2009 healthcare speech before a joint session of Congress; however, the actions of the Obama administration suggest Wilson may want to retract that apology. And, as ill timed as Wilson’s emotional eruption may have been, he did what few of his colleagues in Congress have yet to do: hold Obama accountable for his lies.
Congress has a duty and an obligation to act as a check on the Executive Branch. However, Congress cannot be effective in this duty if it allows Administration officials to lie repeatedly in a systemic effort to avoid being held accountable for its actions. It is time to start holding Obama’s feet to the fire, and punish officials who knowingly lie to protect his ruinous political agenda.
Article II, Section 3 of the Constitution of the United States obligates the president to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” His very oath of office requires him to “preserve, protect and defend the Constitution.” If the systemic deceit and lying practiced by this President is not a violation of that solemn mandate, it is fair to ask, “what is?”
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