His Fulltime Job

And last month, the White House spread the word about its need for executive action to govern, as the New York Times put it, “in the face of Congressional obstructionism.” This is a straw man. Obama is eager to create the illusion he’s been forced to rely on executive orders because Republicans are blocking his agenda.

But it’s the Senate, controlled by Democrats, that has become the graveyard of legislation. It has refused to pass a budget for the third straight year, and Reid has said he’ll call as few votes as possible this year. Rather than a do-nothing Congress—in other words, Republicans—there’s a do-nothing Senate, led by Democrats.

In running for reelection, Obama has already set records. As of March 6, he’s held more fundraising events (104) than the previous five presidents combined (94). And I suspect Obama has set the record for blaming his predecessor for his own troubles. If he hasn’t, there’s still time. The election is six months away.

Fred Barnes is executive editor of The Weekly Standard.