Hack Newt Gingrich and why his impeachment comment of Obama and DOMA is wrong #p2

from http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/25/949842/-Newt-Gingrich-floats-impeachment-over-Obamas-DOMA-decision

Photo credit: John-paul Zajackowski/Dreamstime.com

Newt Gingrich, arguing President Obama's decision to stop defending DOMA is impeachable:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who plans within two weeks to announce if he will run for president, said today that if President Obama doesn't change his mind and order his Justice Department to enforce the Defense of Marriage Act, Republicans in Congress should strike back and even consider impeachment proceedings. ...

"Imagine that Governor Palin had become president. Imagine that she had announced that Roe v. Wade in her view was unconstitutional and therefore the United States government would no longer protect anyone's right to have an abortion because she personally had decided it should be changed. The news media would have gone crazy. The New York Times would have demanded her impeachment," said Gingrich

Leaving aside the fact that Roe v. Wade is a court decision and not a piece of legislation, Gingrich's argument is absurd. In his hypothetical, Palin actually would break the law as decided by the courts. Obama is merely saying that his administration will no longer defend the law's constitutionality. He's not saying he won't follow the law.

And as for his "principled outrage," Newt should consider this signing statement by his hero Ronald Reagan:

While I am signing S. 1192, it contains a legislative veto provision which the Attorney General advises is unconstitutional. ... The Secretary of Transportation will not, consistent with this objection, regard himself as legally bound by any such resolution.

Reagan was saying his administration would ignore the law before he even signed it. President Obama, as I wrote above, is saying his administration will no longer defend the law. Unlike Reagan, the Obama Administration will still enforce the law, until and unless the courts finally overturn it. They just aren't going to defend it. That's a huge difference.

Gingrich also said that President Obama campaigned in support of DOMA. That's also a lie. But what else do you except from a hack like Gingrich? Neither truth nor facts are his strong suit.

rest at http://www.dailykos.com/story/2011/02/25/949842/-Newt-Gingrich-floats-impeachment-over-Obamas-DOMA-decision