BYRON YORK: Obama On Unilateral Action: Lawyers? I Don’t Need Lawyers.
In an interview after his speech Wednesday in Galesburg, Illinois, President Obama was asked if he consulted White House lawyers before unilaterally delaying the employer mandate in Obamacare. Since Congress, in the Affordable Care Act, specified that the mandate is go to into effect at the start of next year, reporters from the New York Times asked if the president investigated whether he had the legal authority to put it off without going through Congress.
Obama didn’t exactly answer the question. But judging from what he said, his answer was: No, I didn’t consult White House lawyers because I know a lot more about the Constitution than the Republicans who are complaining about it. And besides, they don’t think I’m legitimately the president, anyway.
So take that, wingnuts. But does that last mean that President Obama thinks that James Taranto’s “President Asterisk” designation — suggesting that Obama’s re-election hinged on illegal government action neutralizing the Tea Party — is getting traction?