Bullies in the Pulpit

By William L. Garvin

“I, Barack Hussein Obama, do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United State  and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States, so help me, God.”  

Somewhere along the line, that oath of office was lost.  When the Defense of Marriage Act was enacted—affirmed by 85 Senators, 342 Representatives, and signed into law by William Jefferson Clinton, it became the law of the land.  President Obama and his Attorney General chose to ignore Congress and refused to defend the law.  Governor Jerry Brown swore a similar oath of office which adds the Constitution of the State of California.  Over 7 million voters in California (52.24% of the votes cast) defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman.   Governor Brown and his Attorney General ignored the voters and refused to defend the law and the Constitution.  No matter where you stand on the issue, it should cause you great concern when bullies are elected to the pulpit, forsake their elected responsibilities, and run roughshod over their constituencies.

It seems as if there is an increasing frequency of blatant bullying throughout our government.  It goes hand in hand with a lack of accountability and a lack of consequences for wrongdoing.  Look at the IRS.  Lois Lerner was in charge of the unit that clearly and systematically bullied conservative groups.  After wholesale violations of the Constitutional rights of many Americans, she scurries behind the protections of that same Constitution.  As for accountability, she now sits at home drawing full salary and will likely receive a government bonus.  This is an unvarnished travesty.  Of course, many liberal voices are saying that progressive groups were also targeted.  Really?   Why hasn’t a single progressive group come forward to demonstrate similar unwarranted intrusions into their privacy, concomitant intimidation and equally blatant bullying?  The KKK used to be the terrorist arm of the Democrat party; now it’s the green eyeshade auditor in the IRS who is the domestic terrorist.

And isn’t it just coincidental that the Environmental Protection Agency just happened to make the unfortunate mistake of leaking the names and addresses of farmers to activist environmental groups?  The EPA will also be a vital cog in the Bully-in-Chief’s targeting of fossil fuels.  Daniel Schrag, one of the president’s “science” advisors, recently said “The one thing the president really needs to do now is to begin the process of shutting down the conventional coal plants.  Politically, the White House is hesitant to say they’re having a war on coal.  On the other hand, a war on coal is exactly what’s needed.”  Bullies love wars when they don’t have to fight.  They don’t care if the costs of electricity sky rocket.  In fact, President Obama said they would necessarily have to do just that.  That’s fine by him—he can afford it.  As for the working class Americans who will be most strongly affected—let them eat cake.  Cap and Trade failed in Congress so now the President will strangle coal into submission with executive orders, EPA regulations, and Keystone pipeline inaction. 

Attorney General Eric Holder’s entire tenure has been one of bullying and lack of accountability.  Particularly egregious is his assault on states who attempt to insure the security of their borders or the security of their elections.  In a serendipitous example of extreme irony (and hypocrisy), the Obama administration released a fact sheet about the $53 million it spent to help 500,000 people gain “legal identification for voting in Kenya.”  In Kenya, it’s a critical step for democracy; in the United States, it’s voter suppression.  In Holder’s mind, a government can legitimately require ID for buying liquor or cigarettes, for getting on a plane, for cashing a check or qualifying for welfare.  However, if an ID is required for casting a vote, then it’s entirely racist.

During this administration, we have seen bullying by the IRS, FBI, DOJ, DHS, NSA, HHSA, EPA, Energy, Interior, State, and Defense, by the president, governors, and mayors.  We’ve seen the media bully with lies, distortions, cover-ups, and by deliberately editing and distorting audios and videos.  It’s time to stop being a victim.  It’s time to stop looking the other way.  It’s time to stop sweeping misconduct under the rug.  It’s time to kick the bullies out of their bully pulpits!