The Patriot Post® · Obama's Reg Zone

Government by nature likes to set the rules. In fact, it is this reality that makes government so powerful — that and the ability to enforce those rules. The problem arises not with the power of government to create laws, but whether or not those created laws are just, fair and constitutional. Over the past eight years, Americans have witnessed an unprecedented level of disfunction in their government. Such a strong spirit of polarization has developed between the two parties that bipartisanship has become a dirty word. Barack Obama’s own method of dealing with political gridlock has been to seek unilateral workarounds rather than reaching out to the Republicans with sincere efforts of true compromise.

One result of his politicization is that Obama’s time in office has seen him stretch his executive powers beyond what is constitutionally permissible. Under his watch some 25 new regulatory rules have been established costing taxpayers billions. In a recently released report, Senator John McCain took issue with Obama’s establishment of these new regulations and highlighted their burdensome nature. McCain’s said, “Over the last eight years under the Obama administration, and especially since the president’s 2014 State of the Union address when he committed to using his ‘pen and phone’ to circumvent Congress, the American people have been hit with a barrage of federal regulations that are saddling Arizona’s economy, hurting small business, strangling middle class families, and robbing taxpayers — to the tune of $348.7 billion.” All regulations are a form of taxation, and Obama’s burden has been especially large, which belies his claims to be looking out for the little guy.