It’s been a couple of weeks since President Obama remarked, “I’ve got a pen, and I’ve got a phone” and less than 24 hours since he favored Americans with a tweet containing a photograph of the pen, presumably to show he means business.
The business in question, for those who aren’t following his drift, is to bypass Congress — and the Constitution — and sign more executive orders.
Some of the areas where he plans to rule unilaterally, the Wall Street Journal notes, are infrastructure development, job training, climate change, education, and raising the minimum wage.
As for his message, White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett was on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” this morning to explain that Obama’s plan to wield his pen is simply an effort to carry out the will of the people. Referring to his State of the Union Address tonight, Jarrett explained:
People around our country are hungry for action, and what you’ll hear from the president tonight is going to be all about action — creating opportunity — and it’s going to be a very optimistic speech.
Another senior adviser, Dan Pfeiffer, similarly told CNN in a preview of the SOTU, “We need to show the American people that we can get something done.”
Perhaps the president is feeling slightly unnerved by recent polls that reflect a “souring view of leadership.” An ABC News/Washington Post poll released this weekend showed his approval rating at 46%, compared with 55% a year ago.
On the idea of Obama ruling unilaterally, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stated:
When the executive branch tries to assume the legislative powers, that’s a form of tyranny…. He says, ‘Oh well, it’s hard to get Congress to do anything.’ Well, yeah, welcome to the real world.
