John Boehner: Hubris, Arrogance and the Violation of Separation of Powers

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Boehner as apostle of hatred, bigotry, ignorance

Here’s what the Constitution of the United States, Section 2 says: “He shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties…shall appoint Ambassadors, other public Ministers and Consuls…”

And here’s what the Constitution of the United States, Section 3 says: “…he shall receive Ambassadors and other public Ministers…”

There are two interesting and powerful concepts that make the Constitution of the United States unique.  One is “separation of powers” and the other is “checks and balances”. 

The United States government has three co-equal branches with defined separate powers and authorities.  Each branch is provided with the ability and authority to check the powers of the other branches.

It is clearly delineated in Article II of the Constitution that the Executive Branch, the President, is America’s preeminent foreign policy maker as evidenced by his diplomatic, treaty powers and his role as commander-in-chief.  In 1936 the Supreme Court confirmed this role by stating in United v. Curtiss-Wright, “… the president is the sole organ of the federal government in the field of international relations.” 

It is also important to note that it is the Senate not the House of Representatives that is first in line to consult with the President on international affairs.

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) has taken it upon himself to ignore the clearly delineated powers in the Constitution and has extended an invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint session of congress on March 3.  Boehner has three objectives: first, continue to humiliate the first African American President of the United States; second, impact the ongoing negotiations between the Obama administration and Iran in the favor of Israel; and, third, throw Netanyahu a lifeline two weeks before Israeli elections as his political position in Israel flounders.  According to The Times of Israel, “…poll finds dramatic swerve to pessimism among young voters and the right, trends that should worry Israel’s second-longest serving prime minister.”

To their credit a growing number of Democrats are planning to skip Netanyahu’s address.  President Obama himself will not meet with Netanyahu at The White House and VP Joe Biden will be “on travel”.

To date, the following members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are on record as intending to boycott the address: G.K. Butterfield (D-N.C.), head of the CBC; John Lewis (D-Ga.); James Clyburn (S.C.); Barbara Lee (D-Calif.); and, Gregory Meeks (N.Y.).  According to  HYPERLINK “http://thehill.com/homenews/house/232065-dems-lining-up-to-skip-netanyahu-speech” The Hill Rep. Butterfield said the move marked an “unprecedented overreach of the Speaker’s authority” that “goes beyond the traditions of his office.” Rep. Lewis stated, “I think it’s an affront to the president and the State Department what the speaker did…”

Kudos to those who are standing up and boycotting this insult to the office of the president and the overreach by Speaker Boehner. But what about boycotting Netanyahu too because he represents a government that is engaging in genocide and apartheid with respect to Palestinians? 

According to Nobel Pace Prize Laureate, The Most Reverend, Archbishop Desmond Tutu: “I have witnessed the systemic humiliation of Palestinian men, women and children by members of the Israeli security forces…Their humiliation is familiar to all Black South Africans who were corralled and harassed and insulted and assaulted by the security forces of the apartheid government.”

Boycott Netanyahu because Israel’s aggression towards Iran will become the sequel to the failed disaster film we’ve already seen; Iraq.

Again, it’s great that members of the CBC are boycotting Netanyahu’s planned speech but what about the CBC as an organization?  The CBC should stand together on the side of morality and speak with one voice in opposition to Boehner and his henchmen. According to The Hill Reps. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) and Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) say they’re still on the fence while they push for a postponement. 

Note to Reps. Johnson and Ellison; Tutu was correct when he said, “People who are denied their dignity and rights deserve the solidarity of their fellow human beings.” Tutu said of the Palestinians: “Those who turn a blind eye to injustice perpetuate injustice. If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.”

Dr. King, said “the ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”

You are still on the fence between justice and injustice choosing political comfort and convenience? Really?

I have issues with a lot of the policies that have been supported and implemented by the Obama administration but I have even bigger issues with hatred, bigotry, and oppression. I can’t sit by as an African American man and allow bigots like Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) to say “you lie” or former Speaker Gingrich and Dinesh D’Souza to   say,  “What if (Obama) is so outside our comprehension, that only if you understand Kenyan anticolonial behavior can you begin to piece together (his actions)? Just as an aside, why shouldn’t the Kenyan’s and all colonial subjects oppose colonization?”

One must never underestimate the blindness that attends hubris and arrogance. Hence, those like Boehner and his ilk will blindly ignore established protocol and violate the Constitution that they have sworn to protect in order to insult the first African American President and support an apartheid regime like Israel’s. Failing to speak out with a unified voice and for the right reasons will only lead us further down the rabbit hole of hatred, bigotry, ignorance and eventual annihilation.

 

Dr. Wilmer Leon is the Producer/Host of the Sirius/XM Satellite radio channel 126 call-in talk radio program “Inside the Issues with Wilmer Leon” Go to www.wilmerleon.com or email:[email protected]. www.twitter.com/drwleon and Dr. Leon’s Prescription at Facebook.com  © 2015 InfoWave Communications, LLC

 

 

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