Executive order was out of bounds

In your June 23 edition, reader Cal Claus posited that for every “here and now” news event there is an analogous “there and then” happening. However, the example he used to demonstrate that point is quite flawed. Mr. Claus contrasts the reaction to “President Obama’s extending a caring hand to young foreign-born residents” with the GOP reaction to President Reagan signing the Immigration Reform and Control Act in 1986.

The two events are inapposite. Reagan signed a bill presented to him and approved by both houses of Congress. Obama signed an executive order declaring that in his infinite wisdom some 800,000 people should receive a waiver of compliance to laws of the United States. Reagan received the bill to sign after 535 senators and representatives had an opportunity to voice their opinion. I suspect Obama received the executive order to sign from David Axelrod.

The historical comparison to the recent “caring hand” should be that of Obama’s views on the identical topic in March 2011. At a town hall forum hosted by Hispanic network Univision, Obama was asked when he would sign an executive order to stop deportation of immigrants, or, if he would not sign an order, why not. Obama responded: “With respect to the notion that I can just suspend deportation through executive order, that’s just not the case, because there are laws on the books that Congress has passed.” He then went on to succinctly describe the three branches of government and their respective roles. Not only has he had another campaign evolution of thought, a la same sex marriage, apparently he has evolved away from the Constitution he has allegedly studied.

Thomas A. Floyd

Bartlett