Thank You, Sen. Robert Byrd

In the Dept. of Credit Where Credit is Due:

U.S. Robert Byrd, D-West Virginia, deserves praise.

Sen. Robert Byrd (D-W.Va.), the longest-serving Democratic senator, is criticizing President Obama’s appointment of White House “czars” to oversee federal policy, saying these executive positions amount to a power grab by the executive branch.

In a letter to Obama on Wednesday, Byrd complained about Obama’s decision to create White House offices on health reform, urban affairs policy, and energy and climate change. Byrd said such positions “can threaten the Constitutional system of checks and balances. At the worst, White House staff have taken direction and control of programmatic areas that are the statutory responsibility of Senate-confirmed officials.”

While it's rare for Byrd to criticize a president in his own party, Byrd is a stern constitutional scholar who has always stood up for the legislative branch in its role in checking the power of the White House.

Byrd is right. If all the people who accused George W. Bush of trampling on the Constitution were consistent, they would be marching in the street against what is happening now. (And particularly during the end of his presidency, Bush made a mockery of several constitutional provisions).

Mr. Obama has thus far shown no sign of restoring Constitutional balance. He is not alone, however. Congress appears hell-bent on granting statehood privileges to the District of Columbia without amending the constitution. (See discussion of this HERE and HERE.)

Or as I remember hearing from some movie or another, "The last vestiges of the old Republic have been swept away ..."