[JoeRedskin]

The abuse of executive power has been a constant stress on our republican govt. (small r) since its inception. However, Obama simply took it to another level saying: "Okay, if Congress won't pass laws I like, I will bypass the Constitutional process and implement the policies I like by fiat." Anyone who had to deal with the EEOC or other federal watchdogs knows exactly how abusive this process was.

In higher education based on "Dear Colleague Letters" from the Education Department, entire codes of conduct were rewritten, burdens of prove lightened, etc. The result was that many institutions had to go to huge expense by the Executive branch saying "Do it our way or we cut off your funding, investigate your every action in the subject area regardless of whether it is related to specific complaint brought to us, and blacklist you so that your enrollment drops." All without any legislative oversight. It was a ridiculous abuse of the executive power and resulted in many, many terrible consequences for individuals and institutions.

I said then and I say now, Obama and the left paved the way for Trump's abuses. By saying, "We don't need no stinking Congress," they steamrolled through the very procedures that they now seek to invoke.