We have been discussing the extraordinary and public decision of President Barack Obama to withhold any information on his promised changes in immigration until after the election. While immigration remains one of the most important issues of this election, Obama officials have admitted to preparing for the changes while refusing to give any details or even summaries of what is being planned, as we discussed again yesterday. There has been surprisingly little hard reporting on the decision to withhold this information from voters until after they have voted. However, yesterday White House CBS reporter Major Garrett broke from the mainstream pack and pressed White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest on a report that the Administration has order material for a “surge” of immigration IDs of up to 9 million in one year. Ernest called the questions “crazy” and encouraged everyone not to speculate . . . before the election obviously.
The Administration has ordered materials to print green cards and employment permits consistent with Obama’s controversial “Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals” program. The order would reportedly allow for the printing of 4 million such IDs per year and allow for a capacity to handle a “surge” for 9 million IDs in 2016. The document specifically refers to a “surge” and the need for the contractor to be ready to fill such an order.
This is the latest such report of preparations for a massive unilateral action by the President that the Administration is steadfastly refusing to confirm until after the election (but before the New Year).
Garrett however faced the same stonewalling. Ernest dismissed the question as “relatively clever way” of trying to get the Administration to confirm its plans before the election. He insisted that this was little more than the ordering of some paper. However, Garrett responded “Don’t be absurd with us! That’s not just an ordinary piece of paper it’s central to what the president has promised in public to do … is that coincidental or is it unrelated?” It was the type of question that has been missing in the White House press for years on such controversies.
Ernest responded by saying that “You would have to ask the DHS about orders of green colored papers that they’ve ordered” and added that all of the questions about the plans after the election (in a matter of weeks) are “crazy.” If the Bush Administration had taken such a position, the press corp would have burned the press room to the ground. However, it was left to Garrett to press the point.
The dismissal of the order is just “green paper” misses the “surge” provision and this little added detail of the “green paper” order. It mush be “100% polycarbonate solid body card stock with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and holographic images embedded within the card construction substrate layers, card design service, and storage.” Not exactly photo copier stock.
Putting aside the order and Earnest’s “caution” not to try to guess the post-election plans of the President, there remains the much more important issue. Forget about the paper. Forget about the other reported planning by the Administration. There remains the fact that this Administration is openly withholding any information in its plans for unilateral presidential action despite the President’s pledge to take action after the election and before the New Year — only a matter of weeks. It is a cynical decision to prevent voters from being fully informed of the plans in a major policy area. Regardless of how one feels about immigration policies, it should be condemned by people across the political spectrum.
More importantly, the media has to show some independence from the White House in this and other stories. Garrett is one of the few such reporters to press the point. His extraordinary exchange however was not covered by the mainstream press and, once again, the stonewalling on the issue was again dropped. I expect given the record of the White House corp, such questioning from Garrett does seem “crazy.” After all, disclosure of such plans might harm the White House in the upcoming election and only a “crazy” reporter would pursue such a story.
Here is the video of the conference and article.
Why is it that people enjoyed the legal commentary as long as the commentary agreed with their way of thinking? Whatever happened to debating issues?
Professor Turley is being transparent by facing the reality of the times. This president has PROVEN that he is incompetent, deceitful, and incapable of holding the highly esteemed office of President of the USA. He is a puppet for Valierie Jarrett and the others, who promised him that they would “lead” him through his presidency. He greased their palms and they have greased his; he is part of the corrupt establishment machine.
He is one big disappointment and the Democrats have shown their disappointment by voting against their party. I’m sure it was a difficult decision for most to make, but they knew it had to be done.
Let us pray that the new Congress will go forward and rebuild our economy, reform immigration, and do a great job at restoring our country.
Much like Bill Clinton, I speculate that Obama will now move more centralized in his decision making, since he now has to contend with a Republican majority House and Senate. When Bill Clinton faced this dilemma, he too moved to the center and things were accomplished–of which he received much praise for his accomplishments.
It looks to me that Obama has begun this shift in his trade policies, “for lawmakers to approve stalled free-trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama. The cheers came from the Republican side of the chamber.,” as stated by swathmoremom.
rcocean, LOL!
First, bulls in china shop now Boors at a tea party. What’s next?
“I used to enjoy this blog for thoughtful legal commentary, but it has become another conservative propaganda outlet both in the choices for topics and the boorish tea partiers that swarm to your comment section.”
Signed /Matt Yglesias/
It is a cynical decision to prevent voters from being fully informed of the plans in a major policy area.
Non-stupid voters can draw the appropriate inferences. Obama relies on the rest of the electorate, with complete confidence.
The number of people that are attributing the basis of this column to partisanship, and not the administration’s complete contempt for the law and the foundation of our government is enlightening.
Jonathan
Real life is not a junior high school civics class. We know that the President wants the Dream Act passed – and that the GOP has refused to act on immigration reform. The President has said that he intends to use his executive power to do what he can in the face of the Congressional stone wall. There is nothing that obligates him to feed the lions while members of his party in close elections are confronted with bitter, hyperbolic opposition to immigration reform particularly in the swing and southern states. Your waving the “transparency” flag is disingenuous. You should state your own partisan objectives transparently.
– GWC
georgeconk – there is nothing in the Constitution that says the President can work unilaterally, using executive power alone. We do see that you are less transparent then this President and his administration. The way you are questioning JT shows even you think the Obama administration is going to go extralegal in 2015.
I think the Obama administration should be ramping up for more hearings. If the Republicans take the Senate it is Katie bar the door. And the Republicans may be waiting for a lame duck President to really attack him.
Saturday morning Dem talking points while I finish my coffee and prepare for my walk through the UW campus. It’s homecoming this weekend. I often walk through the campus. There’s a great dirt path along the lake that is much easier on the legs. The beach in San Diego @ low tide is the best in that regard. I will often stop @ the student union which is on the lake. They have good food and sometimes a band playing in the large outdoor patio. It’s homecoming weekend. I was eating some popcorn and drinking water @ a table yesterday. There was a younger couple w/ an older man. The man asked me a question about fishing, sorta out of the blue. The younger woman was kind of apologetic, but being an engaging dude, I just smiled and started chatting w/ the man who obviously wanted to talk. We Eyetalians were taught to respect the elderly, a category I am currently on the cusp! It became quickly apparent the man had dementia. People open up to me. Happens all the time. The younger couple were this man’s daughter and her husband. They were from NY. It was this man’s 55th anniversary and his daughter wanted her dad to come. She said it was therapeutic for both she and him. The memories of being @ UW were being jogged. She could see the synapses clicking when her dad would see something familiar. This was her first time to Madison and she asked a lotta questions about the area. I gave her some places to eat. They are probably on their way to the game as I write. We discuss so much nastiness in this world. I made my living in a nasty world. But, I will ALWAYS see the glass as half full. People like I spoke w/ yesterday just bolster that philosophy. The pure love of a daughter for her father.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/obama-lawsuit-house-republicans-112196.html?hp=f2“Some attribute the delay to electoral politics — suggesting that Republicans were worried it could rile up the Democratic base — though the GOP is mum on why the suit has yet to be filed.
Whatever the reason, the delay means the core of the suit could effectively be moot before the Obama administration even has to respond to it in court. The case was expected to center on an employer mandate provision that Obama twice delayed but is now set to kick in for many employers on Jan. 1.
“I thought this was a constitutional crisis and the republic was in jeopardy because Obama overstepped his bounds. Now, they can’t even get around to filing it?” asked former House Counsel Stan Brand, a Democrat. “It, to me, emphasizes the not-serious nature of it.”
Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2014/10/obama-lawsuit-house-republicans-112196.html#ixzz3HANezEl1
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/house-gop-obama-obamacare-lawsuit-not-filed
“Remember the much ballyhooed House Republican lawsuit against President Barack Obama for his executive overreach? About that…
Politico reported Friday evening that the lawsuit — which was supposed to challenge Obama’s executive orders regarding Obamacare (and appease the impeachment caucus in the lead-up to the midterm elections) — hasn’t actually been filed yet.
The planned lawsuit was announced this summer and, as Politico reported Friday citing lawyers close to the litigation, it was initially expected to be filed in mid-September.
The lawsuit now isn’t expected to be filed until after the elections, Politico’s sources said. One possible factor? It would have motivated Democratic voters to turn out at the polls.”
Send me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses. But not too tired, not broke, no mass except on Sunday.
I fear that the Obama Administration is going to issue directives which prohibit the Irish from migrating here. I watched the movie Blazing Saddles recently. I think we should ban all migration for a year and decide just who is safe to let in. I would say nothing East of Bermuda or West of Catalina or South of San Antonio. If any Canadians come in make them bring their medical care from the Kanuk system. No more Ebola, no more Tsarboys, no more Saudis with box cutters hijacking our planes.
fostering the false liberal/conservative dichotomy is a great way to drive up hits and keep the sheeple from realizing they’re being scammed by policies that protect and advance the 1% – e.g. unchecked illegal immigration.
you’d think rich bloggers would be satisfied with the lifestyle they and their families are able to enjoy. oh well, we do get to see photos of their fabulous foreign vacations.
“Why dost thou converse with that trunk of humours, that bolting-hutch of beastliness, that swollen parcel of dropsies, that huge bombard of sack, that stuffed cloak-bag of guts, that roasted Manningtree ox with pudding in his belly, that reverend vice, that grey Iniquity, that father ruffian, that vanity in years?” – Shakespeare (Henry IV, part I)
Transparent President, indeed. I am so sick of President Obama spending days and weeks and billions on the problems of other countries and citizens of other countries while leaving our own citizens to struggle economically and putting them at risk because of CDC incompetence. It really is appalling.
“the best government money can buy, ” bb Yep, Heard some guy on a business show getting very excited about the republican takeover of the senate. That is not to say the dems are pro- worker enough but at least they are for the minimum wage.
SWM – the Chamber of Commerce is nervous about a Republican take-over. Their illegal workers might be shipped back.
Harry will be against it until he is for it and that will happen faster than you can say “cat food” when the time is right just like Dennis Kucinich wouldn’t budge and then did back-flips for ObamaSnare when a fish scrap (or was it a quarter) was thrown his way.
SWM, you are right for the time being, but don’t count on it and I know you mean well.
It’s hopeful that neither bill will get anywhere near completion for the remainder of Obama’s reign, but it remains a strong danger. Obama is looking for fame in anyway he can get it, and that is going to become more desperate as he edges into lame duck territory.
In the long term, it’s close to hopeless. Hillary is all for it as are most people that can see Russia on a map, never mind from their windows. TPTB -particularly including the MSM- are simply overwhelmingly in favor for they stand to gain enormous amounts of money and power from it. They will find a way and both parties, the best government money can buy, will be there to help – if not openly then in the New-Democratic style (however underhanded they can be and get away with it).
Brooklin Bridge – the Democrats are already screaming to the faithful that the dreaded Reconciliation (used to get Obamacare passed) will be used if the Republican take a majority in the Senate. Horrors of horrors!!! Besides Harry Reid losing his office space and salary, God is bring forth a plague upon the land.
SMM…
Why illustrate just the trade bills??? Harry Reid has blocked ALL bills for almost two-years.
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/harry-reid-barack-obama-trade-deals-102819.html Harry Reid has blocked the bills for now. McConnell and Boehner are all in.