Whatever Happened To Presidential Signing Statements A La Junior?

[stopbush]

Remember when Junior issued some 800 signing statements during his two (s)elected terms as POTUS? Remember how those statements asserted that he would basically ignore parts of legislation he was signing by "interpreting" the meaning of said legislation to support an imperial presidency?

Well, why hasn't Obama done the same? Why not issue a signing statement on the debt ceiling legislation saying that as president he was only signing the legislation to support the raising of the debt ceiling, but that as president, he was not supporting the rest of the legislation because in his opinion, it would hurt the economy, and that supporting parts of the legislation that he felt would hurt the country would violate his oath of office to protect the country from enemies foreign and doemstic?

If it was good enough for Junior, why isn't it good enough for Obama?

[shanti]

1. you're absolutely right

i had totally forgotten about them. has obama even had one??

[ChrisBorg]

3. 8 of them in 2009, 5 in 2010 and 4 so far this year.

http://www.coherentbabble.com/listBHOall.htm

[SpartanDem]

4. He has 18 of them

http://www.coherentbabble.com/listBHOall.htm

[southerncrone]

2. Have wondered that, too, on many items.

One can only wonder why the Repugs are still controlling everything when the POTUS has many arrows in his quiver. :(

[readmoreoften]

5. He also kept this rights for the presidency. He can do what he wants. He just doesn't want.

[Riftaxe]

6. President Obama has issued 16 signing statements

President Bush issued 161 in total.

Now the number of provisions of the law affected would be higher for both, so naturally if you want to milk some propaganda, you would run with total numbers of the provisions of the laws affected (which is where the higher number comes from).

[cherokeeprogressive]

7. Your screen name, juxtaposed with your last sentence, is so full of irony

it makes my head spin.

[MADem]

8. Ha! Point made!

Well, this is a perfect example (given that Obama has already issued a number of signing statements himself) of not letting pesky facts get in the way of a good full-out rant.

It probably would have been a good idea for the OP to do a little fact-checking before making the assumption that only Bush engaged in that conduct.

[Just-plain-Kathy]

9. "A La Junior" is right!! ...I would love Obama to become a little dictorial

when it comes to helping us!

[Lasher]

10. He's afraid Republcans won't like him anymore of he does that.