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Lawless: The Obama Administration's Unprecedented Assault on the Constitution and the Rule of Law
In Lawless , George Mason University law professor David E. Bernstein provides a lively, scholarly account of how the Obama administration has undermined the Constitution and the rule of law.
Lawless documents how President Barack Obama has presided over one constitutional debacle after another—Obamacare; unauthorized wars in the Middle East; attempts to strip property owners, college students, religious groups, and conservative political activists of their rights; and many more.
Violating his own promises to respect the Constitution’s separation of powers, Obama brazenly ignores Congress when it won’t rubber-stamp his initiatives. “We can’t wait,” he intones when amending Obamacare on the fly or signing a memo legalizing millions of illegal immigrants, as if Congress doing its job as a coequal branch of government somehow permits the president to rule like a dictator, free from the Constitution’s checks and balances.
President Obama has also presided over the bold and rampant lawlessness of his underlings. Harry Truman famously said, “The buck stops here.” When confronted with allegations that his administration’s actions are illegal, Obama responds, “So sue me.”
Lawless shows how President Obama has betrayed not only the Constitution but also his own stated principles. In the process, he has done serious and potentially permanent damage to our constitutional system. As America swings into election season, it will have to grapple with finding a president who can repair Obama’s lawless legacy.
Lawless documents how President Barack Obama has presided over one constitutional debacle after another—Obamacare; unauthorized wars in the Middle East; attempts to strip property owners, college students, religious groups, and conservative political activists of their rights; and many more.
Violating his own promises to respect the Constitution’s separation of powers, Obama brazenly ignores Congress when it won’t rubber-stamp his initiatives. “We can’t wait,” he intones when amending Obamacare on the fly or signing a memo legalizing millions of illegal immigrants, as if Congress doing its job as a coequal branch of government somehow permits the president to rule like a dictator, free from the Constitution’s checks and balances.
President Obama has also presided over the bold and rampant lawlessness of his underlings. Harry Truman famously said, “The buck stops here.” When confronted with allegations that his administration’s actions are illegal, Obama responds, “So sue me.”
Lawless shows how President Obama has betrayed not only the Constitution but also his own stated principles. In the process, he has done serious and potentially permanent damage to our constitutional system. As America swings into election season, it will have to grapple with finding a president who can repair Obama’s lawless legacy.
216 pages, Hardcover
First published November 17, 2015
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About the author
David E. Bernstein
14 books8 followersDavid E. Bernstein is a Professor at the George Mason University School of Law.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
December 22, 2016
Excellent book that details the lawlessness of Barack Obama. An important point he makes is that regardless of the party of subsequent presidents, they tend to expand on the over reach of their predecessors
May 28, 2020
Fascinating and troubling
Deeply partisan book, though that does nothing to detract from the central thesis. The book has a few new observations and its general call for greater Presidential restraint is as refreshing as it is, sadly, unrealistic given current political behavior.
Deeply partisan book, though that does nothing to detract from the central thesis. The book has a few new observations and its general call for greater Presidential restraint is as refreshing as it is, sadly, unrealistic given current political behavior.
January 5, 2020
Included in this book is a pretty succinct explanation of Citizens United.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews