By Zalman Shoval, ISRAEL HAYOM
On Dec. 31, The New York Times’ Michael D. Shear wrote: “Only two days after the election, President [Barack] Obama sat by President-elect Donald J. Trump’s side in the Oval Office and declared that the No. 1 priority in his last days in the White House would be ensuring a smooth transition of power. What Mr. Obama did not say was that he also intended to set up as many policy and ideological roadblocks as possible before Mr. Trump takes his oath of office on Jan. 20.”
The New York Times may have endorsed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton during the race, and it has attacked the Republican president-elect at every opportunity, but Shear proves it still abides by journalistic ethics.
Obama knows that Trump’s win was not just a victory over Clinton but also a rebuke of his own presidency. That explains his administration’s conduct since the election. His decision not to exercise his veto power when the anti-Israel U.N. Security Council resolution came up for a vote, and Secretary of State John Kerry’s speech on the peace process two weeks ago, are both part of this effort to hamstring the Trump administration. Moreover, Obama wants his successor to fail spectacularly, to ensure that his own legacy will outshine Trump’s.
But those efforts are not limited to Israel-related issues. As Shear points out, Obama has made a whole host of decisions to prevent an orderly transition of power, and some have been implemented, making it that much harder for Trump to take his first steps as president.
Some of those measures deal with domestic matters that could have a significant and long-term impact on the future of the country. For example, Obama designated certain areas on the Atlantic coast as off-limits for oil drilling and signed several executive orders aimed at conserving the environment.
Whatever the merits of those decisions, they are going to hamper Trump’s efforts to get the economy back on track and create more jobs.
Obama also pardoned dozens of prisoners and commuted the sentences of many others, and announced more funding for certain health care clinics.
But that is not all. Obama named a large number of people to positions that do not require congressional approval. It is unlikely that those people will support Trump when he is sworn in.
The fact that Obama has chosen to take these step only now, after eight years in office (including the two years the Democrats had control of Congress), underscores the fact that he is trying to pull a fast one on Trump, because he wants him to fail. Trump may be able to roll back those measures, but this will be a complicated and painstaking process.
Obama’s actions are not just aimed at tying Trump’s hands. They are also aimed at tying the hands of Democrats in Congress, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, lest they be tempted to strike deals with the Republican majority on certain issues. Obama is essentially doing the work of the American Left, led by Sen. Bernie Sanders, and further eroding the more mainstream elements of the Democratic Party that are associated with the Clintons.
No other lame-duck president has acted this way. It is also highly unusually in most democracies around the world, including in Israel. After Menachem Begin won the 1977 election, a prominent figure on the Israeli Left refused to accept the results, but the government handed over power in an orderly fashion.
Obama’s lack of respect for tradition and continuity is very much in line with how he conducted himself when early in his term he decided to ignore the pledge made by his predecessor, President George W. Bush, to support Israeli settlement blocs. This lack of respect was also part of what motivated him to abandon the traditional American stance on the peace process and let Israel be isolated at the United Nations.
of course my speculation on the info is the opposite of what they want me to believe.
first, I am aware of intelligence agreements between the UK and USA where the MI6 is allowed to spy on US citizens and vice versa. This allows the intel agencies to skirt the law. Taking into account the proven serial criminality and lying of the obama political appts to head the agencies I would say it is disinformation or minor baloney which is kept secret because it is trivial.
Second, assuming I am right it is one more demonstration of the extreme corruption of our security services by the clinton obama soros network.
Third, if trump associates were talking to the russians prior to election I laud them… it is exactly what I would do when confronted with the dangerous game that obama was playing with the russians… by probaly informing the russians that he will hold serious honest discussions with them he may have diffused a dangerous situation. It is obvious that all the hits at the russians arose after the election and that anything they were doing would have been going on for years… like our cia does to them. Hence, had I observed the lunatic erratic behavior of obama it appeared to me to be a desperate ploy to create crisis.
The current makeup of the intelligence services is untrustworthy and politicized and therefore whatever they say lacks credibility. We have seen how they operated with lynch and comey… thats enough to come to conclusions as to their credibility
It is likely that the sanctions issue with the uk and french are part of this whole can of worms. The UK and french govs need bringing down also. there has obviously been close collusion between obama and the UK on the UN resolution.
http://www.timesofisrael.com/uk-top-diplomat-admits-to-helping-draft-anti-settlement-un-resolution/
now they are admitting it to try and clear obama, but it just affirms that obama and they are working together… so what did he give them… the eu and obama are anti israel, one hand washes the other.
I have said here before that rudy might have been left out in order to be called back as special counsel(prosecutor). The special counsel must not be a member of the current administration. He has wide sweeping powers of subpeona and investigation, must be experienced, competent and with integrity. Rudy fits the description. However, the dems will revolt because of his participation in the campaign BUT I beleive the SC is appointed by the AG.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/28/part-600
@ WoolyMammoth:
This looks photo-shopped. Funny because Obama has given enough evidence of his loyalties that photo-shopping is really not necessary.
Notice in the photo above:Obama both crossing his fingers with the left hand and at the same time flipping Trump off, with “the finger”, this confirms a lot. No surprise. He knew the abstention in The UN would result in terrorist attacks in short order. Personally, those who voted for him especially The Jewish ones are personae non grate, never to be forgiven, never.
Trump needs to keep his physical distance from this terrorist.
get rid off the 2 month Passover period. pres fuzzy wuzzy should have been dethroned (as in brit and canada) out of the dark house within 72 hours. his reign over once the results declared.