The executive branch has always had the power to prioritize the enforcement of laws, and executive orders do not override statutes. If an executive order conflicts with a duly enacted statute, the statute wins.
If Congress thinks that the president is acting unlawfully they have the ability to take this to the courts, btw. They rarely choose to do so. If you want to talk about 'erasing' the legislative branch, Congress is choosing to let it happen.
The discussion going back to the original topic of this thread, is based on courts tending to refusing to listen to lawsuits of the legislative branch against the executive branch.
But it goes back to the big issue - it is the executive branch's job to enforce the laws the legislative branch creates, it is also the executive branch's job to enforce the judgments the judicial branch makes. If the executive branch doesn't pay attention to the legislative branch, why would they pay attention to the judicial branch?
The only think left is our power to vote, but even that is highly neutered by us only voting for a few key positions while the larger bureaucracy stays in place.
Hmm, not really. I wish Congress would take a more assertive role today and 'my guy' is in the White House. Sadly, Congress prefers to hand more and more of its power to the executive in practice because it allows them to escape unpopular decisions.
The issue here is the cowardice and craven nature of Congress, IMO.
This goes back to my original point, that our system is played by convincing people the other side is your enemy. All you need to do is turn on wither Fox News or MSNBC for any 10 minute stretch to see this in action. I also know several personally who are politically active and absolutely cheer on the Democrats ignoring Republicans, they prefer a Democrat President doing what he wants versus the alternative of letting Republican lawmakers have influence in the federal gov't.
Someone created an atmosphere where it is nearly impossible for the two sides to get along. A split congress can only function if the two sides get along with each other. I don't see that happening.
I've tried to distance myself from politics, because I'm convinced little good comes from someone not in the game being informed. Politics is poison. Most issues, I hear the conservative argument and think it is a logical, reasonable argument, and I personally know some people who are an example of the argument. I hear the progressive argument and think it is a logical, reasonable argument, and I personally know some people who are an example of the argument. But the conclusions of each are opposites of each other, they cannot co-exist. How does one rationalize this without taking a leap of faith in one side over the other? How does one stay informed without being partisan?
Do you personally know of anyone who keeps up to date on political news and is not partisan?
An example, S&P is claiming the federal government is suing them as payback for downgrading the U.S.'s credit rating - a guy at S&P is claiming Geitner contacted him with a threatening call, Geitner says he did not. At least one of them is lying. How is it possible for any of us to know the truth? The only option we have to stay informed, is to pick a side to believe and consequently take on the belief the other side is full of lies. What is the alternative?