[StBernard] Turley: Obama's "Become The Very Danger The Constitution Was Designed To Avoid"

[Westley Annis]

Turley: Obama's "Become The Very Danger The Constitution Was Designed To
Avoid"



REP. BOB GOODLATTE (R-VA): Professor Turley, the constitution, the system of
separated powers is not simply about stopping one branch of government from
usurping another. It's about protecting the liberty of Americans from the
dangers of concentrated government power. How does the president's
unilateral modification of act of Congress affect both the balance of power
between the political branches and the liberty interests of the American
people? 

JONATHAN TURLEY: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. The danger is quite severe. The
problem with what the president is doing is that he's not simply posing a
danger to the constitutional system. He's becoming the very danger the
Constitution was designed to avoid. That is the concentration of power in
every single branch. 

This Newtonian orbit that the three branches exist in is a delicate one but
it is designed to prevent this type of concentration. There is two trends
going on which should be of equal concern to all members of Congress. One is
that we have had the radical expansion of presidential powers under both
President Bush and President Obama. We have what many once called an
imperial presidency model of largely unchecked authority. And with that
trend we also have the continued rise of this fourth branch. We have
agencies that are quite large that issue regulations. The Supreme Court said
recently that agencies could actually define their own or interpret their
own jurisdiction. (House hearing, December 3, 2013)
	
<http://realclearpolitics.com/video/2013/12/04/turley_obamas_become_the_very
_danger_the_constitution_was_designed_to_avoid.html>