Doug Ross @ Journal: January 2014

Friday, January 31, 2014

WHOA: New Gmail Ads Appear as... Emails

Just spotted this new ad format:

Related: BadBlue Tech News.

BUMMER FOR CLIMATE KOOKS: Final Keystone XL Pipeline Report Reveals No Major Boost in Greenhouse Gas

Guest post by Deena Winter

LINCOLN, Neb. — The U.S. State Department’s final environmental review of the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline mirrors earlier conclusions that the pipeline wouldn’t significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.

The report reiterated last year’s draft report conclusion that the pipeline is unlikely to significantly impact the rate of extraction of oil sands or the continued demand for heavy crude oil in the U.S.

Now that the State Department’s environmental review of TransCanada’s application for a federal permit to build the pipeline is complete, a 90-day review by various federal agencies will commence to determine whether the pipeline is in the national interest, since it crosses a national border. The final decision is expected to be made by Secretary of State John Kerry and President Obama.

Canadian pipeline company TransCanada first applied for permission to build the pipeline in late 2008, but it ran into a wall of opposition in Nebraska. Nebraska pipeline fighters have taken part in and helped organize protests from the governor’s mansion to Washington, D.C., even as most of the Republican statewide public officials have pushed for approval.

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OBAMANOMICS: Unions Trump Bondholders, Again

Guest post by Tyler Durden

First, the Obama administration showed during the course of the GM and Chrysler bankruptcy proceedings, that when it comes to Most Preferred Voter classes, some unsecured creditors - namely labor unions, and the millions of votes they bring - are more equal than other unsecured creditors - namely bondholders, and the zero votes they bring. Five years later we are about to get a stark reminder that under the superpriority rule of a community organizer for whom "fairness" trumps contract law any day, it is now Detroit's turn to make a mockery of the recovery waterfall. As it turns out, bankrupt Detroit is proposing to favor pension funds at roughly double the rate of bondholders to resolve an estimated $18 billion in long-term obligations, according to a draft of a debt-cutting plan reviewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The breakdown to unsecured stakeholders would be as follows: 40% recovery for pension funds, 20% for unsecured bondholders - all this to the same pari class of unsecured creditors. Because just like in Europe when cashing out on CDS in insolvent nations is prohibited as it would suggest that the entire Eurozone experiment is one epic farce, regardless of how much "political capital" Goldman Sachs has invested in it, so in the US municipal creditors are realizing that in the worst case scenario, they will be layered first and foremost by all those whose votes are critical in keeping this crony administration in power.

According to the WSJ the plan calls for recovery to be divided among the unsecureds amounting to $4.2 billion, more than the originally planned $2 billion to settle claims which included about $11 billion in unsecured debt, including $6 billion in health and other benefits for retirees; $3.5 billion for retiree pensions; and about $530 million in general-obligation bonds.

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Raping the 11-year olds Americans won't rape

Guest post by The Machiavellian

Last year two illegal aliens, both partners in a string of robberies in the Nashville are, were found guilty of a long string of robberies and the rape of an 11 year old girl.

The first criminal alien from El Savador was sentenced to 40 years for rape, kidnapping, and robbery.

His partner was found guilty of 41 charges, stemming from a string of robberies in South Nashville, which culminated in a rape of an 11-year old girl during one of their crimes. He was sentenced to 75 years in prison.

So... here we have a team of illegal aliens, brandishing guns, robbing homes in South Nashville over a three month period and -- in the process -- raping a child.

Yet there are still those who still condone and encourage the illegal invasion of millions of people across our borders. I can’t buy Sudafed with a license, but robbers, murderers, and rapists are allowed to cross our borders freely.

Only after they have harmed American citizens does the government do something. Think about that. It takes rape and murder for the feds to act.

First, we must control our borders. Secondly, only a limited number of highly vetted citizens from Latin and South America should be allowed to enter our nation.

Of course, for our side, that would dry up cheap labor. And for the Democratic-Marxist Party, that would frustrate their plan to change the ethnic makeup of America in order to increase the dependent classes that vote for them, depress wages, destroy the middle class and their bourgeoisie values of faith, hard work, private property, and capitalism.

They raped an 11 year old girl. Do you really want more of this?

Boehner's Brainstorm

As Bryan Preston observes, "Republican Fools Are About to Throw 2014 Away."

There's dumb. And then there's RINO Establishment Dumb.

Larwyn's Linx: The Time To Stop John Boehner’s Amnesty Plan Is Now

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QOTD: "We live in Arizona, we’re on the front line of the administration’s unwillingness to enforce immigration law and the Congress’ unwillingness to force the administration to enforce immigration law.

Rep. Ryan, your statements are absolute, utter bulls***. [If that’s offensive to you, come to Phoenix, we’ll take you to the border. You’ll see what “offensive” really is.]

This policy is clearly amnesty and the border will not be secured. You and the spineless Democrats and especially Republican “moderates” who are bought and paid for by the Chamber of Commerce don’t want the border secured. If you did, you’d have been raising hell since any of the previous immigration bills were passed ALL of which required the border to be secured." --Minority Report

Thursday, January 30, 2014

While Obama Disarms America's Military, Red China is Quietly Building Game-Changing Hypersonic Missiles

Guest post by Investor's Business Daily

National Security: While the administration guts the U.S. military, Pentagon experts warn that as soon as five years from now our missile defenses might pose little problem for China's new hypersonic strike vehicle.

Behaving as the world power they are becoming, the Chinese are building state-of-the-art hypersonic missiles that Pentagon officials warn could overpower U.S. defenses in five years.

As we recently mentioned, China's defense ministry has confirmed the Jan. 9 test of a hypersonic glide vehicle, known as the WU-14. It was designed to evade our missile and other defense systems, such as the Aegis sea-based missile defense guarding our Pacific fleet and carrier battle groups.

On Tuesday, shortly before our commander in chief addressed his higher priorities, such as income inequality, in the State of the Union address, Frank Kendall, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology, and logistics, expressed concern during a House Armed Services Committee hearing. He is troubled that Chinese military advances such as the WU-14 would overtake the defense capabilities of the U.S. as soon as five years from now.

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REALITY TV: Watch as small company employees find out what Obamacare is doing to their coverage

"They call it the affordable health plan. There's nothing affordable about it. I can't afford it."

A local news station brings viewers inside one Pennsylvania company as the employees there learn about their new health care plans under Obamacare...

"Look at the numbers," says the reporter of two employees. "Jeff and Dave used to have a $1,250 deductible. Since Obamacare went into effect, it's now jumped 60 percent to $2,000. That's nothing compared to Brian, Kristi, and Judy who have kids. they are going to pay twice that, four grand." The reporter adds that co-pays are being increased, too.

"I don't know how President Obama thinks he's helping us because we can't afford this, we can't afford to pay these co-pays, to pay these deductibles on what we're making," says one of the workers.

Now pretend you're in the GOP Establishment.

What would you do to exploit the tidal wave of rage washing over the countryside as Americans discover what socialized medicine really means?

If you answered "Pass Amnesty for Illegal Aliens", you have a future working for Karl Rove and the Chamber of Crony Capitalism.

Hat tip: BadBlue Real-Time News

DEAR ABBY: I'm in an Abusive Relationship with the Republican Party

Guest post by Christine X.

Dear Republican Establishment:

So, what do you need to do to get us to stick with you and get us back into your good graces?
Good question [{I’m glad I asked it}]

1). STOP SUPPORTING AMNESTY FOR 30 MILLION NEW DEMOCRATIC VOTERS.
[Can I be any more emphatic on that point?]
Mark my words, you can either drop the insane idea of amnesty for the illegal invaders or you can destroy the party - It’s your choice.

Pushing amnesty will either create 30 Million new voters for Democratic largess or it will fractionalize the party so badly that it will no longer be the ‘Loyal opposition’ to the Socialist National left.
The GOP will be deader than a Bull Moose as a result – does that sound like a winning strategy?

Either way will mean one party Socialist Democratic national party rule for now until Armageddon.

2). Stop insanely nominating Rinocrats in the futile hope that the media will be ‘nice’ to you and not put the full weight of their propaganda machine to work shredding said candidate.

How many times do you need to repeat that insanity before you learn the lesson?

3). Stop trying to outbid the socialists with government largess – you cannot win the game, because they don’t care if they bankrupt the country in 5 years instead of 20.

You can’t outbid people willing to destroy the nation just attain some temporary power.

It should be plain that you need to stand up for Conservative values – that is the only thing that will save the country from it’s inevitable demise at the hands of the socialists.

IF you do not do those simple things to save the party and save the nation, I will bid you a quick goodbye and be on my way – along with millions of others.

You can stuff your endless appeals for my donations, and your admonitions to volunteer will fall on deaf ears.

We may be on our way to defeat with a third party – but we will do it with our head held high and our Conservative principles intact.

There is no earthly reason to stay with a sinking ship – and you people are heading straight on for an iceberg – and sadly, you don’t seem to know it.

We can and we will leave – many already have and the exits are getting pretty jammed up.

I can envision many of my Conservative colleagues yelling back at the paper – Hey, where have you been, sister? We abandoned the stupid party years ago – well, let me just say in my defense that in most abusive relationships, each has their personal breaking point – many have already reached and are beyond that point. I dare say that if the current events hold to the trends as they are now, many more will join them – as will I.

I encourage you to email this article to every Republican official you know. Time grows short to save the party -- and the country.

Al Gore has a very special message for the citizens of Atlanta

The science is settled...

...Al Gore is a climate grifter.

As Anthony Watts notes, "There’s never been any assertion that climate didn’t change — the idea that somehow this is something new to the 21st century is absurd. And, as science itself has demonstrated through history, it is never settled, it is always searching for new information, retesting, and sometimes discarding old ideas. Saying the science is settled is as ridiculous as the famous quote attributed to Lord Kelvin who said in 1900 ‘There is nothing new to be discovered in physics now.'"

Thus far, I've identified three segments of the population that cling to the notion of anthropogenic (man-made) global warming: nitwits, criminals and Marxists. But I repeat myself.

I found a picture of the President's pen.

It's shiny, smudge-free and fast drying.

I trust every Democrat will receive one:

It's especially useful for signing 2,000-page bills after they're rushed to the floor, loaded with special interests and pork, which not a single person has read.

You know: the ones you have to pass to find out what's in 'em. We know what's in 'em all right.

Larwyn's Linx: 6 reasons Mike Lee’s response to the State of the Union address was amazing

Send us tips! Bloggers: install a Larwyn's Linx widget. Get real-time news, 24/7, at BadBlue.

Nation

6 reasons Mike Lee’s response to the State of the Union was amazing: Patrick Howley
ICE officer slams Obama for illegal aliens attending State of the Union: DC
The poison of postmodern lying: Victor Davis Hanson

GOP Crafts Plan to Wreck the Country, Lose Voters: Ann Coulter
Governing by Pen and Phone : Victor Davis Hanson
State of the Union 2014: Cal Thomas

Obama is right -- there are two Americas: Bob Lonsberry
Eric Holder can't explain constitutional basis for Obama's executive orders: Exam
Bend Over, America: Paul Ryan Has an Amnesty Colonoscopy Ready!: Hot Air

Economy

IRA confiscation: it’s happening: Simon Black
Mitch McConnell, the Farm Bill and the Power of Logrolling: Daniel Horowitz
Barack Obama's insidious master plan for the United States?: TPC

Incredible video! Black Chicago SOTU response: Allen West
Don’t dare tell me there are no barriers to hiring for small businesses: Thomas Crown
What does Obama really think has gone wrong with the US economy?: Peth

Scandal Central

Ted Cruz reams Eric Holder over handling of IRS investigation: Scoop
Theft of a Nation: Plan of the Day
Feds data-mining hundreds of millions of consumer credit card accounts, mortgages: Exam

Climate & Energy

Climate Change Is Dead Last On List Of American’s Priorities: Cove
Atlanta Is Basically An Episode Of “The Walking Dead” Right Now: BuzzFeed
Freak Southern Snow Storm Strands 8,000 Students: ABC

Media

Ted Cruz: Media Acting as ‘Palace Guard’ to Protect Obama in IRS Scandal: R.S. McCain
Fox Doubles MSNBC's Ratings, Quadruples CNN's: Ace
WaPo: You know, the official GOP response was, er … good: Hot Air

Mark Murray Was Right. Just Not How He Meant It: Erick Erickson
Dude, You Nailed It!: Ace
MSNBC Hits a New Low: GWP

Holder: I really, really wanted to publish photos of Sandy Hook slaughter to push gun control!: Jennifer Koons
Ted Cruz has some things to say about the State of the Union speech: Adrienne
Ben Affleck: ‘Big Republican’ Actors Are Hard to Watch: Larry Elder

World

Israeli Defense Official Offers Dark Security Assessment: IPT
U.S. Intel Chief Confirms North Korean Reactor Relaunch: Diane Barnes, GSN
Malik Obama Found To Be Supporting Muslims Who Kill Christians: Shoebat

Sci-Tech (courtesy BadBlue Tech News)

Coveted $50,000 Twitter username swiped in tale of woe: Don Reisinger
New Clues in the Target Breach: Brian Krebs
Apple looking to start producing new 'critical' sapphire component in U.S. by Feb.: Apple Insider

Cornucopia

SOTU Six: Ladders of Opportunity in 6840 Words (just words).: MOTUS
Obama’s High School Pot Dealer Murdered Over ‘Flatulence’: Bryan Preston
The Arrival: Chris Muir

Image: Incredible video! Black Chicago SOTU response
Today's Larwyn's Linx sponsored by: Send a pink slip to Mitch McConnell: support Matt Bevin for Senate

QOTD: "The University of Maryland’s Global Terrorism Database tracks terrorism incidents from 1970 to today: search for “Islam” and you find almost 5,000 entries. Search for “Christianity” and you will find a grand total of 14.
The NSA could probably save a lot of money — as well as abide by the Constitution — if it simply acknowledged the following:
A person with neither a first nor a last Muslim name stood only a 1 in 500,000 chance of being a suspected terrorist. The likelihood for a person with a first or a last Muslim name was 1 in 30,000. For a person with first and last Muslim names, however, the likelihood jumped to 1 in 2,000 (Levitt & Dubner, Super Freakonomics, 2009, p. 93).
Clearly, for those with eyes to see and ears to hear, Islam is the world’s major ideological motivator of terrorism and violence. (I have neither the time, nor the patience, to yet again demonstrate the legitimate Islamic roots of violence. Ray Ibrahim’s brilliant article should be all the proof needed for those able to handle the truth.) Yet Eric Holder and his boss would have the federal authorities most responsible for protecting the public — led by the FBI — pretend that up is down, freedom is slavery, and Islam is peaceful except when “twisted” by a “handful of extremists.”
Instead of ardent Islamic beliefs being treated as a clear marker for potential terrorism, they are now a talisman protecting the holder not just from scrutiny, but suspicion.
Obama and Holder are transforming the U.S. into a dhimmi nation: one that cowers before Islamic law and demands that its non-Muslim citizens — especially its 240 million Christians — meekly accept their second-class status and never broach the glaringly obvious fact of Islamic violence, even if this means making all non-Muslims less safe. The question for those of us in the majority, then: just how long will we put up with such a dangerous policy?" --Timothy Furnish

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

LEVIN: He wants to talk about inequality; we want to talk about liberty

Via Mark Levin

Let me be clear about this. Let me help some of these Republicans here and of course tomorrow's hosts, they may want to cherry-pick some of this. This president has created more poverty, more economic inequality, more economic dislocation, more crushing debt than any president in modern American history including Jimmy Carter and Herbert Hoover.

This president has set back the economic progress of women more than any modern president. This president has set back the economic progress of minorities, including African-Americans, more than any modern president. This president has set back economic opportunity for our young people -- our children and our grandchildren -- more than any modern president because he has embraced the most ideological, the most radical form of economics. A system they cannot work; a system that will not work; a system that is impossible.

He's spreading misery, he's spreading destitution and he's spreading poverty. This is not the America that the Framers established. This is not the America that we were born into, each and every one of us. And because he's increasingly frustrated by his own incompetence and failure. What is he doing?

He's dividing this nation, he's Balkanizing this nation along every conceivable route that he can find -- whether it's religious, whether it's economic, whether it's race, whether it's age, whether it's income, whether it's religion. And he's seizing more and more power as he panics, as he becomes desperate, as imperial minds do. Yes, he's an imperial president. And just as I said, this president has been conducting a certain, a sure gradual coup which is now being picked up.

He's also an imperial president, which is also now being understood. He's changing our system of government; he's destroying our economic system. He's nationalizing businesses and industries through the front door and through the back door. Did you know they have over 6,000 regulations and rules that they're preparing to unleash on us?

Do you know that he's put out the word to his cabinet, to his agency heads and to everybody in the federal government that this is their time? Now come hell or high water by 2016 when he leaves office he wants thousands and thousands of regulations pouring out at the EPA, the [Agriculture] Department, the Education department, the Energy department, Interior and all the rest.

This man is a one-man wrecking ball, that's exactly what he is. He wants to talk about inequality; we want to talk about liberty. And it is liberty that we need to talk about.

Via Mark Levin

Illegal Border Crossings Explode as Ruling Elites Plot Amnesty for Millions of Law-Breakers

Guest post by David Inserra

In case anyone needed more proof that amnesty only encourages more illegal immigration, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has released its 2013 apprehension numbers that show that southern border apprehensions rose 16 percent last year. While this might seem like the DHS is doing a great job, it actually indicates that more unlawful immigrants are trying to cross the border.

Critically, it means that more unlawful immigrants are crossing successfully, since for every one who is caught another gets through or turns back to Mexico in order to try to cross somewhere else. Of course, some sneak through without the U.S. ever knowing, making it difficult to accurately estimate how many thousands make it across every year.

As more try to cross the border illegally, more will succeed. Regrettably, Congress’s discussion of amnesty has played a role in this increase. Stories from the Mexican side of the border indicate that the word is out among would-be-unlawful immigrants—the U.S. is considering amnesty, so cross now and maybe you can get some kind of legalization. Congress’s very discussion of amnesty, whether it is a special pathway to citizenship or just a pathway to legalization, is encouraging illegal immigration and making it more difficult for the Border Patrol to secure the border.

To try to make it seem like their irresponsible discussion of amnesty isn’t so bad, some in Congress are proposing various security and enforcement bills to crack down on illegal immigration in exchange for amnesty. Most of these policies, however, are incredibly flawed and do little more than create misguided metrics and extra reports for DHS, while providing no real security.

More importantly, why should we assume that these bills would be treated differently than current laws? The DHS is supposed to have already secured the border and be enforcing our immigration laws, but it isn’t doing either.

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I GUESS WHINY, DEPRESSING LIARS AREN'T GOOD FOR RATINGS: State of the Union Nielsens Lowest Ever

An anonymous tipster writes, "...according to Niesen, Obama's 2014 SOTU registered only a 20.7 household share rating... and according to the chart in the story below which goes back to 1993, no President has had a lower rating. I don't know how far back you'd have to go to find a lower rating, but it is at least the lowest in over 20 years. He's now historically boring and tough to watch."

On Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2014 President Barack Obama delivered his second State of the Union address of his second term in office. The address was carried live from 9:00 p.m. to 10:15 p.m. on 13 networks and tape-delayed on Univision. The sum of the average audience for those networks was 33,299,172 viewers with a combined household rating of 20.7. The networks carrying the address live were CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Azteca, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera America, Galavision and Mun2.

Networks	Combined Household Ratings	No. of Households	No. of Viewers (P2+)
CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, Azteca, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, Al Jazeera America, Galavision, Mun2, UNI*	20.7	23,949,843	33,299,172
Source: Nielsen *Tape delay.

Below is a historical look at past State of the Union addresses.

Historical State of the Union Addresses

Date	Networks	Combined Household Rating	Combined No. of Households	Combined No. of Viewers	President
2/12/2013	FOX, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Azteca, UNI, MFX, CNBC, CNN, Fox Business, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Current, Centric, GALA	21.8	24,767,047	33,497,607	Obama
1/24/2012	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, TF, UNI, CNBC, CNN, FBN, FOXNC, GALA, MSNBC and MUN2	24	27,569,423	37,752,613	Obama
1/25/2011	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, Centric, CNBC, FOXNC, and MSNBC	26.6	30,871,688	42,789,947	Obama
1/27/2010	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, TEL, UNI, CNN, BET, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC	29.8	34,182,725	48,009,595	Obama
2/24/2009*	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION	32.5	37,185,000	52,373,000	Obama
1/28/2008	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO^, UNIVISION	24.7	27,702,000	37,515,000	G.W Bush
1/23/2007	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC, TELEMUNDO, UNIVISION **	29.6	32,968,000	45,486,000	G.W. Bush
1/31/2006	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC	26.9	29,578,000	41,699,000	G.W. Bush
	TELEMUNDO, AZTECA AMERICA, TELFUTURA, TELEMUNDO	8.4	950,000	1,480,000
2/2/2005	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC	25.2	27,699,000	38,382,000	G. W. Bush
	TELEMUNDO, TELEFUTURA	6	660,000	1,050,000
1/20/2004	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC	28	30,286,000	43,411,000	G. W. Bush
1/28/2003	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC	38.8	41,447,000	62,061,000	G. W. Bush
1/29/2002	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC	33.6	35,547,000	51,773,000	G.W. Bush
2/27/2001*	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC	27.6	28,201,000	39,793,000	G.W. Bush
1/27/2000	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC	22.4	22,536,000	31,478,000	Clinton
1/19/1999	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, FOXNC, MSNBC	31	30,700,000	43,500,000	Clinton
1/27/1998	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN, CNBC, FOXNC, MSNBC	37.2	36,513,000	53,077,000	Clinton
2/4/1997	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN	28.4	27,600,000	41,100,000	Clinton
1/23/1996	ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, CNN	29.6	28,400,000	40,900,000	Clinton
1/24/1995	ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN	29.5	28,100,000	42,200,000	Clinton
1/25/1994	ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN	32.9	31,000,000	45,800,000	Clinton
2/17/1993*	ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN	44.3	41,200,000	66,900,000	Clinton
Source: Nielsen

I wonder if Chris Matthews got a thrill up his leg when he saw the ratings?

The science is settled: Americans are tuning this colossal failure of a would-be president out.

TED CRUZ: This imperial presidency threatens the liberty of every American citizen

Guest post by Ted Cruz

Of all the troubling aspects of the Obama presidency, none is more dangerous than the president's persistent pattern of lawlessness, his willingness to disregard the written law and instead enforce his own policies via executive fiat. On Monday, Mr. Obama acted unilaterally to raise the minimum wage paid by federal contracts, the first of many executive actions the White House promised would be a theme of his State of the Union address Tuesday night.

The president's taste for unilateral action to circumvent Congress should concern every citizen, regardless of party or ideology. The great 18th-century political philosopher Montesquieu observed: "There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or body of magistrates." America's Founding Fathers took this warning to heart, and we should too.

Rule of law doesn't simply mean that society has laws; dictatorships are often characterized by an abundance of laws. Rather, rule of law means that we are a nation ruled by laws, not men. That no one—and especially not the president—is above the law. For that reason, the U.S. Constitution imposes on every president the express duty to "take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed."

Yet rather than honor this duty, President Obama has openly defied it by repeatedly suspending, delaying and waiving portions of the laws he is charged to enforce. When Mr. Obama disagreed with federal immigration laws, he instructed the Justice Department to cease enforcing the laws. He did the same thing with federal welfare law, drug laws and the federal Defense of Marriage Act.

On many of those policy issues, reasonable minds can disagree. Mr. Obama may be right that some of those laws should be changed. But the typical way to voice that policy disagreement, for the preceding 43 presidents, has been to work with Congress to change the law. If the president cannot persuade Congress, then the next step is to take the case to the American people. As President Reagan put it: "If you can't make them see the light, make them feel the heat" of electoral accountability.

President Obama has a different approach. As he said recently, describing his executive powers: "I've got a pen, and I've got a phone." Under the Constitution, that is not the way federal law is supposed to work.

The Obama administration has been so brazen in its attempts to expand federal power that the Supreme Court has unanimously rejected the Justice Department's efforts to expand federal power nine times since January 2012.

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