Watch Live: Congressional Hearing on IRS Scandal

Live Now on TheBlaze Radio: ‘The Buck Sexton Show’

Crime

‘Wilkow!:’ Obama’s Not the First to Issue Controversial Executive Orders

Jan. 18, 2013 9:34pm Christopher Santarelli

President Obama’s issuing of 23 executive orders this week to enhance the country’s gun laws is not a horribly uncommon action in American history.

Franklin Roosevelt issued 3,728 executive orders during his administration, Richard Nixon created the EPA by executive order, and George W. Bush authorized warrantless wiretapping through executive order.

With guests Burt and Anita Folsom, Adam Freedman, and Neil McCabe, Andrew Wilkow on Friday discussed the history of executive orders.

Should we expect the president to use these actions moving forward for issues he has trouble getting through Congress (i.e. immigration and the debt ceiling)?

Watch a clip from Friday’s ‘Wilkow!’ below:

In CONTROL, Glenn Beck presents a passionate, fact-based case for guns that reveals why gun control isn’t really about controlling guns at all; it’s about controlling us. Find out more HERE.

Back to The Blaze »

Comments (21)

suzpenn
Posted on January 20, 2013 at 8:24am
Since the EPA was created by executive order, it can be ‘uncreated’ via the same.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
thegreatcarnac
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 10:17pm
Stop trying to legitamize this illegal, communist, Kenyan president. He is a left wing tyrant and his edicts are unconstitutional and will not be stood for.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
tothepoint
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 8:34pm
Oh wait, wasn’t it Obama who promised not to be like the other Presidents.
Instead, he was going to:
be ‘transparent,’
honest,
not entertain lobbyists,
cut the deficit in his first term,
put bills up on tv for 6 days before they were to be voted on, etc. etc. etc.
He’s a Proven Serial Liar.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
techengineer11
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 6:15pm
It’s really a reflection on how irrelevant Congress has become.. They have the power to intervene but not the intelligence nor the spine.

Sad.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ICEDRAGONNITE
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 2:05pm
So Executive Orders outside the Presidential prevue that would be considered legislation is unconstitutional. That is why we have a Congress, Executive and Judicial Branch of Government for checks and balances. Granted Congress is totally asleep and out to lunch at this time. But at least they are having a nice nap.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
jlancecombs
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 11:12am
Yet another reason to get rid of the EPA. If it was made with an executive order, it can be removed with one.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- thecoldfire
  Posted on January 20, 2013 at 2:12am
  I see comments all the time and it makes me shake my head. The EPA like any government agency is in need of reform. No one on is going to argue that. But c’mon have you heard about the air quality in Beijing? How does a permanent smokers cough and runny nose sound? What function of the free market puts any controls what so ever on pollution? nada none. Sure once someone makes a huge mess you might not buy their product but at that point its already done. Common sense is the CENTER of our beliefs – But you don’t believe people can make a huge mess?
  
  Report this comment
SamIamTwo
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 8:48am
Of course he is not the first to abuse the power of the WH. Presidential powers need to stripped. JIMHO

EOs are costly. It’s like a massive whip lash with each and every president.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- skiz
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 9:42am
  He is not the first, but if we stand up for our country, he will be the last!
  
  Report this comment
- shorelineliz
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 2:18pm
  Yes! This is one Presidential Power that needs to be totally stripped! No Executive Orders ever again. Get rid of this ability in the Executive Branch. It should not be there at all.
  
  Report this comment
NigelTufnel
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 3:46am
The best way to ensure our 2nd amendment rights is to put a federal tax on guns. Knowing what we know about smoking, tobacco should have been illegal 15 years ago but the tax is relied too heavily on for funding entitlements and other things. Tax the guns and the fed will NEVER entertain banning the sale of them.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- sandyscousin
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 12:16pm
  Manufacturers pay 10% federal excise tax on each handgun manufactured and 11% on each long gun based on a law requsted by American sportsmen in the 1930s to fund conservation projects. The exceptions to that tax are police and military purchases. More taxes are great ways to disenfranchise the poor and middle class and backdoor hidden agendas.
  
  Report this comment
- ProudCapitalist
  Posted on January 19, 2013 at 12:43pm
  Taxing to achieve social goals is never the answer.
  
  Report this comment
NigelTufnel
Posted on January 19, 2013 at 3:40am
Executive orders mean nothing untill they are put in a bill that becomes law. But with Obamacare now in full force overdrive and law of the land, Executive orders like the one telling doctors to ask if there are guns at home can be carried out as Obamacare allows Kathleen Sebilius to do whatever she wants or whatever she is told to do by the President. Of course you can lie so the National Health Data-base does not carry that sort of information on you, but it WILL make you a little less boisterous about your 2nd amendment beliefs. If you say yes then your premiums will go up. You getting the picture? It’s about cohersion and eliminating a “hot button” election topic.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
ANTISOCIAL-IST
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:47pm
i say we empty every jail and prison immediately. i am confident there is not one person incarcerated for a crime that hadn’t already been committed.
right? wait. hmm?
this “case precedent” stuff is a farce. thank you, lawyers. oh, you thought nobody was watching. and the lazy judges that go along with this malarky versus doing their job as “judge” and judging on the merits of the case. duh.

Report this comment
Log in to ReplyReply
- Caniac Steve
  Posted on January 18, 2013 at 10:04pm
  agreed…that is why those of us who are in the know..are way behind the “left’ after all they have had 112 years haven’t they ?
  
  Report this comment
RJJinGadsden
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:47pm
“Franklin Roosevelt issued 3,728 executive orders during his administration”
LOL, how else could he have kept that depression running as long as he did?

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Advection
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:47pm
Congress needs to castrate the Executive Branch and end executive orders. The problem is that this requires a two thirds vote by one party while the other party holds the White House.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:43pm
Obama seems to believe he belongs to both the Executive AND Legislative branches. Congress needs to set him straight.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:40pm
Should we expect a communist radical who hates this nation and our Constitution and our very way of life, tradition, culture and society to use Executive Fiat to do as he wishes?

Yup.

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply
Salamander
Posted on January 18, 2013 at 9:38pm
Overuse of the executive order may result in Congress castrating the Office of the President! We have to be very careful, here, but there is a huge difference between Legislative and Executive responsibilities and they need to be resegregated!

Report this comment
Log in to Reply Reply

It appears that you have Javascript Disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser preferences for a better user experience on TheBlaze. You can not comment without Javascript enabled.