Obama puts himself above the law

In 2005, after The New York Times revealed then-President Bush’s illegal NSA spying program, I wrote a letter calling for Bush’s impeachment. The reason was simple: Bush broke the law by authorizing the illegal spying, and in this country no man is supposed to be above the law.

Fast forward to 2011. Now, we have a president who has authorized the killing of an American citizen, Anwar al-Alwaki, without due process of law. The president has simply decreed himself to be judge, jury and executioner. This is the pure definition of tyranny and goes far beyond the extreme policies of his predecessor.

Making matters worse, President Obama started a war in Libya without seeking the legal authority of Congress. Even if one accepts the dubious argument that the War Powers Act allowed Obama to initiate the war without congressional authorization, the act required Obama to obtain congressional authority within 60 days. We are now well past the 60-day limit, and Obama has still not tried to obtain the legal authority to continue the war. Bush was not above the law when he authorized the illegal NSA spying, and Obama is not above the law in authorizing the illegal killing of an American citizen and waging an illegal war.

It’s time for Obama to be impeached.

Robert H. Fredian

Arlington Heights