Obama did not comply with the law requiring presidents to notify Congress 30 days before such exchanges. Politico can be cited about this not because among the media it is exceptionally, well, understanding of Obama’s exuberant notion of executive latitude but because it is not. Politico headlined a story on his noncompliance with the law “Obama May Finally Be Going Rogue on Gitmo.” Politico said Obama’s “assertive” act “defied Congress” — Congress, not the rule of law — in order “to get that process [of closing Guantanamo Bay prison] moving.” It sent “a clear message” that “Obama is now willing to wield his executive powers to get the job done.” Or, as used to be said in extenuation of strong leaders, “to make the trains run on time.”
The 44th president, channeling — not for the first time — the 37th (in his post-impeachment conversation with David Frost), may say: “When the president does it, that means that it is not illegal.” Already the administration says events dictated a speed that precluded complying with the law.
I can't even believe that Will is questioning President Obama. President Obama did issue a signing statement about that notice law that he didn't think it was constitutional, after all.
And like much else, actions that our left wing would have considered "shredding the Constitution" had the 43rd president done them are now understandable given that the 44th president is doing them.
As an aside, I appreciate the effort to avoid violating Godwin's Law by invoking Mussolini rather than Hitler. There's no Godwin's Administrative Rule, I assume.
