Supreme Court Strikes Down Obama

[Gallstones]

Supreme Court Strikes Down Obama's Unconstitutional Executive Overreach 9–0

Today, Obama’s eagerness to expand executive authority beyond Bush-era levels met with overwhelming rejection at the hands of a unanimous Supreme Court. "We conclude that the President lacked the power to make the recess appointments here at issue," declared Justice Breyer. Obama’s “recess” appointments to the National Labor Relations Board are therefore invalid and unconstitutional.

Excellent.

[mistermack]

Isn't that the same bunch who ruled that holding prayers before a council meeting wasn't religious?

How the fuck do these morons get on the supreme court ?

[Warren Dew]

Supreme Court Strikes Down Obama's Unconstitutional Executive Overreach 9–0

Today, Obama’s eagerness to expand executive authority beyond Bush-era levels met with overwhelming rejection at the hands of a unanimous Supreme Court. "We conclude that the President lacked the power to make the recess appointments here at issue," declared Justice Breyer. Obama’s “recess” appointments to the National Labor Relations Board are therefore invalid and unconstitutional.

Excellent.

Nice to see our constitutional checks and balances working for once. So what's the impact on all the decisions Obama's bogus appointees made?

[PsychoSerenity]

I don't really understand the background to this, but these pro forma sessions sound an awful lot like a technicality used to prevent the president having powers he would ordinarily have. If so, why is it a good thing that the supreme court are favouring the letter of the law over the spirit of it?

[Warren Dew]

I don't really understand the background to this, but these pro forma sessions sound an awful lot like a technicality used to prevent the president having powers he would ordinarily have. If so, why is it a good thing that the supreme court are favouring the letter of the law over the spirit of it?

Actually the President would not normally have these powers; if you read the constitution directly, the President can only make recess appointments between the annual sessions of the Senate. It was only with Bush, and then even more with Obama, that the President started making unconstitutional recess appointments in the middle of sessions to avoid having to get the constitutionally required "advice and consent" of the Senate.

[Gallstones]

Isn't that the same bunch who ruled that holding prayers before a council meeting wasn't religious?

How the fuck do these morons get on the supreme court ?

The President nominates them and the Senate confirms or rejects.

[mistermack]

Isn't that the same bunch who ruled that holding prayers before a council meeting wasn't religious?

How the fuck do these morons get on the supreme court ?

The President nominates them and the Senate confirms or rejects.

So anyone can be a supreme court judge then? Actually, that wouldn't surprise me.
America dumbs down everything, so why make an exception of the law?

[piscator]

'Let's just draw the line at the GWBush-levels of executive overreach...'

Way to go SCOTUS, that's nippin' it in the bud!

[Gallstones]

Isn't that the same bunch who ruled that holding prayers before a council meeting wasn't religious?

How the fuck do these morons get on the supreme court ?

The President nominates them and the Senate confirms or rejects.

So anyone can be a supreme court judge then? Actually, that wouldn't surprise me.
America dumbs down everything, so why make an exception of the law?

Geezus you're fucking stupid.

[PsychoSerenity]

I don't really understand the background to this, but these pro forma sessions sound an awful lot like a technicality used to prevent the president having powers he would ordinarily have. If so, why is it a good thing that the supreme court are favouring the letter of the law over the spirit of it?

Actually the President would not normally have these powers; if you read the constitution directly, the President can only make recess appointments between the annual sessions of the Senate. It was only with Bush, and then even more with Obama, that the President started making unconstitutional recess appointments in the middle of sessions to avoid having to get the constitutionally required "advice and consent" of the Senate.

So then why the need for the pro forma sessions? And why did the supreme court rule it as unconstitutional specifically because of the pro forma sessions, but not otherwise? And I don't really get how the American government works, but if the senate can oppose appointments to office during a full session and have these mini fake sessions to oppose appointments the rest of the time, how else can appointments be made? The article makes it sounds like there would be vacancies in government offices simply left unfilled. Is that right? If so how does the government work?

[piscator]

Not by mid-level political appointees, if that's what you mean.... The US government usually has a deep bench of bureaucrats that handle 99% of the functioning of the State.

[mistermack]

Isn't that the same bunch who ruled that holding prayers before a council meeting wasn't religious?

How the fuck do these morons get on the supreme court ?

The President nominates them and the Senate confirms or rejects.

So anyone can be a supreme court judge then? Actually, that wouldn't surprise me.
America dumbs down everything, so why make an exception of the law?

Geezus you're fucking stupid.

You're fucking ugly.

[Tero]

At least someone in DC is still omnipotent!

[Gallstones]

Isn't that the same bunch who ruled that holding prayers before a council meeting wasn't religious?

How the fuck do these morons get on the supreme court ?

The President nominates them and the Senate confirms or rejects.

So anyone can be a supreme court judge then? Actually, that wouldn't surprise me.
America dumbs down everything, so why make an exception of the law?

Geezus you're fucking stupid.

You're fucking ugly.

I have evidence, you don't.

[Warren Dew]

And I don't really get how the American government works, but if the senate can oppose appointments to office during a full session and have these mini fake sessions to oppose appointments the rest of the time, how else can appointments be made?

The President can appoint someone less radical that the Senate will actually approve. That's how the system is supposed to work, and how it did work through the 1980s and maybe 1990s.