The AT cartoon by Erin Bonsteel showing Obama's disdain for the U.S. Constitution's 2nd Amendment while children (human shields?) are strapped around him, is both appropriate and timely.

"They ["Dear Leader" Barack Hussein Obama and Joe Biden] will be joined by children around the country expressing their concerns about gun violence and school safety, along with their parents." That announcement was made by White House press secretary Jay Carney on Tuesday, January 15, 2013. Obama's "press conference" about gun violence and school safety took place at 11:45 AM on Wednesday. Obama concluded the press conference by saying, "I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make this a reality," referring to the twenty-three executive orders (EO) he signed. He also hugged and "high fived" four children who were on stage with him. Obama also said, "If there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there is even one life that can be saved, then we've got an obligation to try."

Obama's staged theatrics are well and good, but (and there's always a "but" with Obama) they serve to highlight what a hypocrite he really is.

Have you ever heard of Illinois Public Act 91-0015 (SB-759)? It was a bill to create a law designed to maximally punish school shooters by calling for "... adult criminal prosecution..[.]" A synopsis of the bill can be found here. Care to guess how Obama voted on the bill in 1999? He voted "present." You would think that all of this week's theatrics would be consistent with something, anything Obama did in 1999. But, to quote John Belushi from SNL, "Noooooooooooooooooooooo." Could his "evolution, his change of heart" have anything to do with the size of the present stage and/or the MSM?

This is yet another example of Obama's "king complex" that he seems to be developing. Obama wants EVERYTHING his way, and won't let a little thing like the U.S. Constitution deter him. He famously said, in October 2011, as part of his "We Can't Wait" program, "We can't wait for Congress to do its job, so where they won't act, I will." His reason: he claims that any legislation he favors or proposes will be voted down by Republicans in the House of Representatives. So, with that (royal) mindset, Obama began issuing EOs, policy directives, waivers, signing statements, and other administrative steps, all designed to bypass Congress. This mindset continues today.

Senator Rand Paul (R-KY), referring to Obama's 23 gun-control EOs, said, "The court struck [President Bill] Clinton down for trying this, and I'm afraid that President Obama may have this king complex sort of developing, and we're going to make sure that it doesn't happen." Obama, Paul said, has "a history of arrogance" in trying to legislate from the Oval Office, mentioning Obama's cap-and-trade program, his ObamaCare contraceptive mandate, his recess appointments, his allowing illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., his refusal to defend the Defense of Marriage Act, his weakening of welfare work requirements, and his ordering U.S. military strikes on Libya without congressional authority.

Paul, speaking while on the Sean Hannity radio show, continued:

"...our founders looked to Montesquieu, and Montesquieu wrote that there can be no liberty when you combine the executive and legislative powers. You have separation of powers, so the powers check and balance each other and I'm very concerned about this president." [emphasis mine]

"...the idea of checks and balances and separation of powers should be a fundamental one that Democrats and Republicans alike would support, but I'm afraid that there isn't much support on the Democrat's side, but we'll see."

I guess that Obama's views on school safety and gun shootings in schools has "evolved" since 1999. Can the same be said about his "governing" by executive fiat, by EOs?
But that's just my opinion.

Dr. Beatty earned a Ph.D. in quantitative management and statistics from Florida State University. He was a (very conservative) professor of quantitative management specializing in using statistics to assist/support decision-making. He has been a consultant to many small businesses and is now retired. Dr. Beatty is a veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 22 years. He blogs at rwno.limewebs.com