Downfall XXII: Obama Angers Democrats

I must admit, past Obama enormities have not dragged down his regime as I’ve expected.  I’ve even wondered if my Downfall series is one big wrong prediction. The IRS Targeting Scandal, Benghazi, etc have not provoked enough Democrats to significantly erode his base of support which remains around 40%.  (I will defer on commenting on what that says about his base.)

But his latest enormities may not be so.  The EPA’s proposed carbon reduction regs, the Veterans Administration Scandal, and the Bergdahl trade have this in common – anger over these is crossing party lines more.  Yes, even Democrats are getting provoked now.  I guess destroying entire industries, jacking up electric bills, dragging down the entire economy, killing veterans with long waits for care and then covering it up with fraud, and trading a known deserter for five high-level, high-risk Taliban are enormities even many Democrats cannot abide.  And perhaps outrage after outrage has finally worn down their tolerance.

The normally easy on Obama Mad Magazine is a case in point:

Whether these indeed prove to be tipping points or blow over in time to preserve Obama’s power is to be seen.  Although the anger over these is broader than over most past enormities, this all could blow over, yes.  I’d say why, but I said I would defer on commenting about the character of Obama’s base.  Not to mention I need to get back to proof editing my novel...

Obama’s “Climate Change” Speech - More Contempt for Consent of the Governed

I could rake Obama’s “Climate Change” speech over the coals (No pun intended.) for its questionable science and destructive economics.  If Obama gets his way, he’ll be hurting our economy while China cheerfully keeps polluting at full tilt.  A lot of good that would do.

But what may be even worse about the speech is his utter disregard for the consent of the governed.  If Obama wants all these so-called green policies, which will be red for the economy, then let him campaign on them before an election and work with Congress to pass them.

Instead, he threatens to go close to full tyrant, using executive orders and his pet EPA to slow down and even shut down much of the economy (e. g. power plants and the coal industry) for the sake of somehow stopping climate change.  The Wall Street Journal puts it well:

Most striking about this Obama legacy project is its contempt for democratic consent. Congress has consistently rejected an Obama-style "comprehensive" anticarbon energy plan. That was true even when Democrats ran the Senate with a filibuster-proof majority in 2009-2010 and killed his cap-and-trade energy bill. The only legislative justification for Mr. Obama's new plan is an abusive interpretation of the Clean Air Act, which was last revised in 1990 and never mentions carbon as a pollutant.

So instead Mr. Obama will impose these inherently political policy choices via unaccountable bureaucracies, with little or no debate. Mr. Obama might have at least announced his war on carbon before the election and let voters have a say. Instead he posed as the John the Baptist of fossil fuels in locales such as Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia—taking credit for the shale fracking boom he had nothing to do with and running ads attacking Mitt Romney as anticoal.

Now safely re-elected, Mr. Obama figures he can do what he pleases. The Americans who will be harmed will have to console themselves with 99 weeks of jobless benefits, food stamps and ObamaCare.

Obama Black-outs?

This has been largely drowned out by other news stories. But I expect this to be a big story in the future.

The EPA under Obama’s pick Lisa Jackson is pushing regulations that may shut down 8% of U. S. electric generating capacity. AEP alone says it will shut down five power plants because of the EPA regs.

I see more black-outs in our future . . . a lot more. And the Electric Reliability Council of Texas has warned as much, not only saying the regs increase the likelihood of rolling black-outs, but that there would have been rolling black-outs in Texas last month if the regs were already implemented.

Now Obama can stop his rogue EPA from shutting down so much U. S. power. But will he?

I do not think he will unless forced to do so politically. But a bad spate of rolling black-outs this winter or next summer in the midst of a presidential race combined with campaigns smart enough to call him out on this may push his hand. We shall see.

But sooner or later, the EPA’s putsch to shut down U. S. power plants will become a big issue, as it should be.

Merry Christmas from the Obama Administration!

Why, look what Santa Obama left under the tree . . . way in back by the wall in hopes we won’t notice that much. Two days before Christmas, the EPA engaged in a power grab, trying to take over industrial permitting in Texas. Yes, red state Texas has one of the better economies in the union. Must put a stop to that!

Governor Rick Perry noticed that lump of coal (or the “clean” equivalent). Expect a good political war between Texas and the EPA.

Oh, and look! Remember when Obama and company promised he would not give us death panels or the like for Christmas? Well, surprise! While we were busy buying gifts for Grandma, Kathleen Sebelius was busy trying to help shuffle her off. The HHS is writing regulations to give incentives for doctors to accelerate “end of life care.”

The timing of these fed regulatory actions is *interesting*, around Christmas when not even I is paying much attention to politics and soon after the last election and as far as possible before the next election.

But I’m sure the Obama regime isn’t trying to sneak these acts past us to avoid political fall out. Nah.

Merry Christmas!