Is Obama Aware That There Are Three Branches Of Government?

Carol, writing at No Sheeples Here, has an excellent article today titled, The Won’s “Signing Statements” Usurp The Constitution, Congress and Supreme Court which rightly points out that Obama is using the controversial practice of “signing statements” to concentrate power within the Executive branch.

During the 2008 presidential campaign, The Won denounced President Bush’s use of signing statements as an “abuse” after he used them to authorize officials to bypass laws like a torture ban and oversight provisions of the USA Patriot Act.

Since taking office, The Won has relaxed his notion of what he deems to be appropriate signing statements and on July 21, 2009 Representatives Barney Frank (D-MA) and David R. Obey (D-WI), sent a letter to Obama complaining about one of his signing statements.

“During the previous administration, all of us were critical of the president’s assertion that he could pick and choose which aspects of Congressional statutes he was required to enforce. We were therefore chagrined to see you appear to express a similar attitude. The policy of using signing statements to assert the right of the White House to ignore certain provisions of legislation regarding the IMF, the World Bank, and other international financial institutions may result not in the invalidation of those various provisions, but rather in insufficient Congressional support for further funding of these institutions.”

Obama said he could disregard the negotiation instructions under his power to conduct foreign relations.

Are the members of Congress waking up to the fact that the Obama Administration has little respect for our three branch form of government or are Frank, Obey, et al, simply speaking out because the President’s use of signing statements are a frontal attack on congressional power? Where were these congressman when Obama set up an entire shadow government in the form of “czars”?

Read Carol’s article here and while you’re there, don’t miss The Obsolete Man: Refusing To Let The Soul Of America Die