House Republicans to Sue Obama

[pt716]

How can congress sue the president for a bill they passed?

[gpw]

LOL!

I swear politicians just keep throwing shit at a wall to see what sticks, Constitution be damned! The only fucks they give is how it plays to their base, who don't understand how our government works. "I know you hate Obamacare, so I am SUING THE PRESIDENT!! You must keep me in office!

[UMaineTeach]

Charlie Rose today had a whole panel of Republicans on today (strange for PBS) and they were outlining the differences it the factions of the party. The guy said one major split is should we sue Obama or proceed with an impeachment process and that either way the Rs all agree that Obama is the worst president ever and needs to be reigned in/shut down.

[jeaniebueller]

I just can't with this.

[emilyj]

I'm so glad that whole jobs and economy thing is all cleared up.

[NewOrleans]

Um.

[eclaires]

This reminds me, can we revisit whether there are any reasons I should vote to keep my current House Rep? He's been in office forever, but I'm not a fan. However, the guy running against him seems pretty conservative also, but is NOT a Tea Party affiliated candidate. The race will most likely be decided in the primary, though (which is August 7th, I think). The challenger lives in the neighborhood we have a pool membership in and from what I can tell, he seems well liked. But, this area also elected Stacy Campfield, so...

Idk, this is why I bitch about having no choices. I don't even know if we'll have a Dem running in the general, tbh, let alone whether they would even be competitive. Wait, I looked. The same guy who ran in 2008 is running and in 2008 he got a whopping 21.9% of the vote. The Dem who ran against him in 2012 got 20%.

[crazycakes]

This shit has reached the point of pure ridiculousness. I have to laugh or I'll hurt myself banging my head against the wall.

[penguingrrl]

Jul 10, 2014 18:59:50 GMT -5 eclaires said:

This reminds me, can we revisit whether there are any reasons I should vote to keep my current House Rep? He's been in office forever, but I'm not a fan. However, the guy running against him seems pretty conservative also, but is NOT a Tea Party affiliated candidate. The race will most likely be decided in the primary, though (which is August 7th, I think). The challenger lives in the neighborhood we have a pool membership in and from what I can tell, he seems well liked. But, this area also elected Stacy Campfield, so...

Idk, this is why I bitch about having no choices. I don't even know if we'll have a Dem running in the general, tbh, let alone whether they would even be competitive. Wait, I looked. The same guy who ran in 2008 is running and in 2008 he got a whopping 21.9% of the vote. The Dem who ran against him in 2012 got 20%.

The clear answer is that you need to run on a platform of sanity!

[eclaires]

Jul 10, 2014 19:28:48 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

Jul 10, 2014 18:59:50 GMT -5 eclaires said:

This reminds me, can we revisit whether there are any reasons I should vote to keep my current House Rep? He's been in office forever, but I'm not a fan. However, the guy running against him seems pretty conservative also, but is NOT a Tea Party affiliated candidate. The race will most likely be decided in the primary, though (which is August 7th, I think). The challenger lives in the neighborhood we have a pool membership in and from what I can tell, he seems well liked. But, this area also elected Stacy Campfield, so...

Idk, this is why I bitch about having no choices. I don't even know if we'll have a Dem running in the general, tbh, let alone whether they would even be competitive. Wait, I looked. The same guy who ran in 2008 is running and in 2008 he got a whopping 21.9% of the vote. The Dem who ran against him in 2012 got 20%.

The clear answer is that you need to run on a platform of sanity!

Can't really do much worse than 20%, right?  LOL.

Maybe in 2016.  The financials are sad, though.  The challenger has $25k cash on hand, and the incumbent has $1.5 million.  Sigh.

[penguingrrl]

Jul 10, 2014 19:31:24 GMT -5 eclaires said:

Jul 10, 2014 19:28:48 GMT -5 penguingrrl said:

The clear answer is that you need to run on a platform of sanity!

Can't really do much worse than 20%, right?  LOL.

Maybe in 2016.  The financials are sad, though.  The challenger has $25k cash on hand, and the incumbent has $1.5 million.  Sigh.

Holy crap, that's insane! You would do far better than 20%

[mmp]

Damn. I'm as conservative as they come. Even I think suing or impeaching Obama is dumb.

[josieposy]

I truly hope the last week he's in office he just goes apeshit with the executive orders.

[ttt]

I feel like I heard on NPR or somewhere that this isn't uncommon, that it's something that happens relatively often (the House suing the President). Off to find more info.

[Velar Fricative]

Jul 10, 2014 19:51:20 GMT -5 ttt said:

I feel like I heard on NPR or somewhere that this isn't uncommon, that it's something that happens relatively often (the House suing the President). Off to find more info.

I want to say this happened to GWB over Iraq too? Although the House was R-controlled then too so I might be remembering wrong.

Either way, give it up already, dumbasses.

[ttt]

Jul 10, 2014 19:51:20 GMT -5 ttt said:

I feel like I heard on NPR or somewhere that this isn't uncommon, that it's something that happens relatively often (the House suing the President). Off to find more info.

OK. It is uncommon, as in it has never happened before. What is *not* uncommon is individual members suing the president. 


www.vox.com/2014/7/9/5879693/boehners-lawsuit-against-obama-explained

[anonymous]

The only thing that really surprises me about this is that Benghazi is not on the list of other avenues the GOP considered.

Also, and This will probably get me flamed, but I think a lot of these Guys (and their constituents) just cannot handle having a black guy rank higher than they do in terms of power

[mmp]

Jul 10, 2014 20:23:37 GMT -5 anonymous said:

Also, and This will probably get me flamed, but I think a lot of these Guys (and their constituents) just cannot handle having a black guy rank higher than they do in terms of power

As one of the very few Rs on this board, can I speak to this? I say this with all sincerity. Race has absolutely nothing to do with my (or anyone I know) opinion of him.
I dislike his politics. He could be a green Martian. Same thing. I disagree with the platform.
I wasn't a Clinton fan, either. Or Jimmy Carter. Wasn't race then. Isn't race now.
I don't hate any of them. On a lot of issues we all want the same thing, just have different ideas on how to get there.
But you know what? Obama won fair and square. I shut my mouth and don't attack the guy. Nor does anyone I know. 
Does it grind my ass? Yes. I think he is a lousy president.

[anonymous]

Jul 10, 2014 20:38:16 GMT -5 mmp said:

Jul 10, 2014 20:23:37 GMT -5 anonymous said:

Also, and This will probably get me flamed, but I think a lot of these Guys (and their constituents) just cannot handle having a black guy rank higher than they do in terms of power

As one of the very few Rs on this board, can I speak to this? I say this with all sincerity. Race has absolutely nothing to do with my (or anyone I know) opinion of him.
I dislike his politics. He could be a green Martian. Same thing. I disagree with the platform.
I wasn't a Clinton fan, either. Or Jimmy Carter. Wasn't race then. Isn't race now.
I don't hate any of them. On a lot of issues we all want the same thing, just have different ideas on how to get there.
But you know what? Obama won fair and square. I shut my mouth and don't attack the guy. Nor does anyone I know. 
Does it grind my ass? Yes. I think he is a lousy president.

I absolutely know there are plenty of people like you who just disagree with dems strictly on the issues. But I really don't feel like that's true for a lot of the national GOP. I think moves like this are more than just politics.

Although the GOP did try to impeach Clinton so maybe it is more about the politics

[mmp]

Jul 10, 2014 20:50:08 GMT -5 anonymous said:

Jul 10, 2014 20:38:16 GMT -5 mmp said:

I absolutely know there are plenty of people like you who just disagree with dems strictly on the issues. But I really don't feel like that's true for a lot of the national GOP. I think moves like this are more than just politics.

Although the GOP did try to impeach Clinton so maybe it is more about the politics

Hmmm. I think it's nothing but politics. 

[jillboston]

Jul 10, 2014 20:54:24 GMT -5 mmp said:

Jul 10, 2014 20:50:08 GMT -5 anonymous said:

I absolutely know there are plenty of people like you who just disagree with dems strictly on the issues. But I really don't feel like that's true for a lot of the national GOP. I think moves like this are more than just politics.

Although the GOP did try to impeach Clinton so maybe it is more about the politics

Hmmm. I think it's nothing but politics. 

If it was all just politics I guess each party would try to impeach the other. That actually has not been the norm since the Clinton bullshit impeachment. Nancy Pelosi actually should have moved to impeach Bush in 2006 (and, for political reasons, possibly) said "impeachment is off the table" when the Dems won the majority in Congress. What he did WAS high crimes and misdemeanors. He and Cheney lied us into a devastating war. It is galling to me that the Republicans NEVER supported Obama in any way - Mitch McConnell said his first priority as Senate President in 2009 -  was not to end the crippling unemployment and housing crisis - but rather to make Obama a one term President. Can you imagine the outrage if the Democrats had said that in 2002? I don't know- it's time to call a spade a spade. I've followed 38 years of Presidential politics closely - the level of vitriol and disrespect lodged against this President is unprecedented in the modern age IMHO. I don't know if it is racial or not. We will surely find out when Hillary becomes President.

[josieposy]

Somehow I think having a woman (any woman) in office will make some heads spin even harder. If she runs/wins, I think we're in for an interesting time as far as reaction goes.

What I'm curious about is whether it's Obama himself as a person/President, the obviously much farther reach of the internet now, or both that make this feel so particularly hostile? I'm sure people obviously had this much vitriol for Presidents in the past, but couldn't spread it all over the web like they can now. It's an interesting thought but I'm tired and can't take it much beyond this point.

[ttt]

To me, the clearest evidence that racism is playing a major part in the Obama hate is how much vitriol is directed not at him but at his wife. I cannot think of any other First Lady who has basically stayed out of politics and has garnered as much hate and sheer venom as she has. Her cause is "get kids to eat more fruits and vegetables" FFS and she's been absolutely shredded by a lot of people on the right, especially over her appearance , everything from her body shape to her facial features.

I know Hillary got a lot of hate, but she also put herself out there and chose a political issue, so I don't see that as quite the same. And I don't think that at first she got this kind of reaction. But did Laura Bush get this? Barbara Bush? Nancy Reagan? Rosalynn Carter?

You cannot tell me that this is only about politics. It's about the fact that there is a black family as First Family and some people feel extremely threatened and/or resentful about that. 

[mmp]

I think the internet and 24 hour news plays a part in that. And the anonymous capability of the internet.
Trust me, if Hillary wins, there will be more hate. And it will be blamed on her being a woman. 
There are whackjobs and ignorant people on both sides of the aisle. This board likes to concentrate on them, the most vocal. 

[ttt]

Jul 10, 2014 21:41:01 GMT -5 mmp said:

I think the internet and 24 hour news plays a part in that. And the anonymous capability of the internet.
Trust me, if Hillary wins, there will be more hate. And it will be blamed on her being a woman. 
There are whackjobs and ignorant people on both sides of the aisle. This board likes to concentrate on them, the most vocal. 

But the internet and 24 hour news are not that new. They were around for most if not all of the W Bush administration. Yet I don't remember Laura Bush as zoo animal photos all over the place and frequent criticism of the size of her behind.

[mmp]

Jul 10, 2014 21:50:26 GMT -5 ttt said:

Jul 10, 2014 21:41:01 GMT -5 mmp said:

I think the internet and 24 hour news plays a part in that. And the anonymous capability of the internet.
Trust me, if Hillary wins, there will be more hate. And it will be blamed on her being a woman. 
There are whackjobs and ignorant people on both sides of the aisle. This board likes to concentrate on them, the most vocal. 

But the internet and 24 hour news are not that new. They were around for most if not all of the W Bush administration. Yet I don't remember Laura Bush as zoo animal photos all over the place and frequent criticism of the size of her behind.

I'm not disagreeing. That's shitty. But I do think there is way more access and avenues for people to behave like jackasses now.

[mmp]

Jul 10, 2014 21:57:32 GMT -5 asdfjkl said:

Jul 10, 2014 20:50:08 GMT -5 anonymous said:

I absolutely know there are plenty of people like you who just disagree with dems strictly on the issues. But I really don't feel like that's true for a lot of the national GOP. I think moves like this are more than just politics.

Although the GOP did try to impeach Clinton so maybe it is more about the politics

There is no question that, although racists are everywhere, the GOP has become a safe haven for racists and xenophobes. Because the GOP as a party will not disavow that fairly vocal minority, they become complicit in it and give the impression that it is perhaps more common within the party than it is.

Most likely true, but I cringe a little that the other sides thinks we are a safe haven condoning it. It annoys me when there are sweeping generalizations, though, and some would like to see us burn with the fire of a thousand suns. The fringe does not speak for all of us, but I see your point.

[mmp]

Again, not disagreeing.

[summer]

I can understand not liking him, but I can't figure out what he has done to make people hate him.

And I agree with TTT 100% about Michelle.

I think it's a combination of being "anti big gov't telling me what to do" and that "big gov't" being led by a black man.

I mean people actually said we will oppose everything he does. That's having strong feelings.

[ESF]

Jul 10, 2014 20:01:29 GMT -5 ttt said:

Jul 10, 2014 19:51:20 GMT -5 ttt said:

I feel like I heard on NPR or somewhere that this isn't uncommon, that it's something that happens relatively often (the House suing the President). Off to find more info.

OK. It is uncommon, as in it has never happened before. What is *not* uncommon is individual members suing the president. 


www.vox.com/2014/7/9/5879693/boehners-lawsuit-against-obama-explained

Thanks, this is helpful. Confirmed my suspicions that there are zero legitimate grounds for this lawsuit and it will be dismissed for lack of standing. So it's a bunch of grandstanding bullshit.

Can anyone clarify something for me? Why are they during for failure to enforce the employer mandate? I mean, I get that they are suing because they want Obama to comply with laws and not rewrite them. But they hate the mandate and everything about the ACA. So why file a suit to force the administration to adhere yo a law they hate? What's the end game here?