Much more important is what Obama let stand in Dreams

Submitted by Abu Nudnik (Canada), Sep 14, 2012 at 12:38

What's there is damning enough. His statement that he believes in American exceptionalism in the same sense that Frenchmen believe in French exceptionalism. Here he shows a basic misunderstanding. Exceptional should be taken literally, not as a measure of quality. America alone recognizes that while men need to be governed, the governors themselves are the same imperfect men and need to be governed too. Hence the Constitution, which Obama has called "fundamentally flawed" because it limits the power of government, was made in such a way as to forbid Congress from enacting laws that abridge or limit the rights of man that existed before the Constitution and continue to exist.

Obama's recent comment, days late, weakly defending the 1st amendment as a "hallmark" he "believes in" proves how poor his understanding of American exceptionalism is. It is the exception to the rule to purposely limit the powers of government, to enumerate those powers, to divide the government into three co-equal government to jealously guard their prerogatives against incursion by the two other branches, thus providing a check and balance against tyranny. That Obama does not know this and was yet a guest lecturer in Constitutional Law is shocking in the extreme.

Equally important is the lacunae in his history here. Where are the fond memories of the brilliant student at Columbia who, say, was a great debater? Where are the published papers on law that qualified him to be an editor (or editor-in-chief) of the Harvard Law Review, a job given to a student with an outstanding publishing record? Where are these brilliant essays.

My comment exceeds the scope of your essay, Dr. Pipes, and for that I apologize. But these things are more important, and form part of the reasons for his usurpation of Congressional and Juridical authority in overriding Congressional failures (Cap and Trade, DREAM Act) and enacting by dictatorial fiat the measures in those bills.

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