Category Archives: Obama

Executive Order White House Cancel Culture

Executive order, cancel culture

Legislation is out and executive orders are in. For example, “Pen and a Phone” President Obama signed 19 executive orders in his first 12 days. But “Human Wrecking Ball” Donald Trump canceled Obama with 18 in his first dozen days. And now a very “Un Sleepy” Joe Biden has already signed two dozen Trump crushing orders.

Snatching Power of the Purse with Executive Orders

snatching power, trump, pen and tweets, three branches of government
Click image to enlarge

Six years ago President Obama went around Congress and snatched its power of the purse. He announced “We’re not just going to be waiting for legislation, I have a pen and a phone… and I can use that pen to sign executive orders and take executive actions and administrative actions.”

Obama, pen, phone

So I drew this Obama cartoon:

Snatching Power

And now President Trump is messing with the same purse. He used an executive order to go around Congress and cut off stimulus talks.

So, a foolish consistency being the hobgoblin of a small mind, I drew the Trump cartoon above.

1980s Want Foreign Policy Back

1980s want foreign policy back, mantle of the office, Romney, Trump

Click Mitt to enlarge image.

The day before he reported for duty as a freshman U.S. Senator, Mitt Romney turned in his grades on the Chief Executive. In a Washington Post column Romney gave President Trump passing marks for some of his policies. But he flunked him for presidential character.

But, on balance, his conduct over the past two years, particularly his actions last month, is evidence that the president has not risen to the mantle of the office.

He also marked Trump down for failure to co-operate with allies. He noted:

The alternative to U.S. world leadership offered by China and Russia is autocratic, corrupt and brutal.

1980s Want Foreign Policy Back

Romney’s been consistent about Russia as our number one threat. And President Obama mocked him for it in their 2012 debate.

“And, the 1980s are now calling to ask for their foreign policy back, because, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years.”

Trump responded that if Romney had stood up to Obama’s taunts he might be president today.

 

Bush Funeral All About Humility

Humility

Click on someone humble to enlarge the image.

The funeral for President George H. W. Bush was beautiful, and informative. W’s eulogy was touching.

I drew Bush 41 a lot, and felt like I understood him pretty well as a goofy but decent guy. And I was aware of of his other virtues like integrity, kindness, courage, high speed golfing and fishing, airplane jumping and lip reading. But hearing the speakers, all of whom were close to him and loved him, one virtue seemed to stand out – humility. Maybe that’s because it’s a rare commodity these days, especially in Washington. Anyway, former Senator Alan Simpson nailed it in his warm and witty eulogy:

Those who crave the high road of humility in Washington , DC are not bothered by heavy traffic.

Then the camera panned to President Trump and the past presidents the front row and, well, this cartoon idea kind of jumped out.

It’s not often you get a pack of presidents together in one shot. So I try to make the most of it. Here’s a cartoon I drew when they gathered for Nixon’s funeral.

humility

Click a president to enlarge the image.

Maybe I’ll do the Bush bunch pondering, “If Perot hadn’t run…”

I know. I left Jimmy Carter out of the humility cartoon. It’s not the first time.

humility


Click a football helmet or the lump on President Ford’s head to enlarge the image.

 

 

President Obama Legacy

obama legacy

Aside from ObamaCare, most of President Obama’s legacy was achieved through executive fiat.

Except for the Nobel Peace Prize. And even the guy responsible for that has had second thoughts.

The Iran Nuclear deal would have had staying power as a treaty with two thirds U.S. Senate approval. But Obama couldn’t get that. So he settled for the authority of a narrative by aspiring novelist Ben Rhodes.

Here’s Dan Henninger in the WSJ:

The Iran nuclear deal is just that—a deal Mr. Obama did with the mullahs, Russia, Germany, France, the U.K. and China, with no formal instrument of ratification.

And the same goes for the Paris Climate Accord:

The Paris climate agreement is an “accord” with so little domestic support that even some Democrats would have voted “no” if Mr. Obama had submitted it to the Senate for approval.

President Obama Legacy

Not that Trump has any better luck getting the approval of Congress. But then, he doesn’t need it. He’s unraveling the Obama Legacy with the same pen and phone Obama used to create it.