In each of these cases Congress passed a law and the Executive branch implemented it. But some in Congress, particularly the radical right, didn't like the execution. They thought that a minority in Congress (recall that the laws were passed by a majority) elected by a portion (recall that congressmen represent districts in individual states not the entire country) should exercise both legislative and executive authority in government.
Our Constitution explicitly provides for separation of powers. It explicitly provides for a legislative branch composed of representatives of relatively small segments of the country. In principle these representatives are to work together compromising to pass laws to address the needs of the whole country. Those laws, in turn, are to be implemented by the President elected by the whole country to head the Executive branch.
Congresses and the President are often at odds, particularly recently as some in Congress seek to impose their will on the entire government. It's time that Congress with a 9% to 10% approval rating understand that the country is beyond fed up with their unwillingness to compromise and effectively address the countries real needs. It's time that Mr Boehner and his radical colleagues in the House come to grips with the notion that insurance coverage for birth control is about, well, insurance coverage for birth control. The Catholic hierarchy and bishops continue to be free to hold a religious belief inconsistent with the vast majority of Catholic women. However, they are not free to impose that belief on their employees in businesses that are not essentially religious in nature. It's time that Mr McConnell and his radical colleagues in the Senate come to grips with the reality that the Consumer Protection Agency law was passed by Congress and it is patently unreasonable for a handful of Senators to block the appointment of a clearly qualified head because they don't like the details of a law that they do not have the votes to change. It's time that radical Republican elements in Congress understand that there are existing laws governing approval of projects such as the Keystone pipeline designed to protect the environment. No amount of money from big oil should change that.
The President's approval rating today is 53%. Congress's is 10%. Notwithstanding all the vitriol from the Republican nomination campaigns, it is radical "my way or the highway" politics that underlies the public's profound dissatisfaction with government. Common Sense thinks it's time to replace Congress. That's just common sense.
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