Well, since Stan as usual is unwilling to do any actual research to back
his claim, (like when he described Walter Cronkite as a loud drunk,) and
Ed is simply too lazy to do any research either, I did 20 seconds of
research, (by typing "Obama signing statement" into Google, and I found
the article below.

I don't like it that this attachment was jammed into a war spending
bill, and I especially don't like it that Obama has said he doesn't have
to abide by this attachment.

He could have simply demanded the attachment be removed, the same way he
did with the F-22 pork spending attachment.

Democrats irked by Obama signing statement

By ANNE FLAHERTY (AP) - 6 hours ago

WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama has irked close allies in Congress
by declaring he has the right to ignore legislation on constitutional
grounds after having criticized George W. Bush for doing the same.

Four senior House Democrats on Tuesday said they were "surprised" and
"chagrined" by Obama's declaration in June that he doesn't have to
comply with provisions in a war spending bill that puts conditions on
aid provided to the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

In a signing statement accompanying the $106 billion bill, Obama said he
wouldn't allow the legislation to interfere with his authority as
president to conduct foreign policy and negotiate with other
governments.

Earlier in his six-month-old administration, Obama issued a similar
statement regarding provisions in a $410 billion omnibus spending bill.
He also included qualifying remarks when signing legislation that
established commissions to govern public lands in New York, investigate
the financial crisis and celebrate Ronald Reagan's birthday.

"During the previous administration, all of us were critical of (Bush's)
assertion that he could pick and choose which aspects of congressional
statutes he was required to enforce," the Democrats wrote in their
letter to Obama. "We were therefore chagrined to see you appear to
express a similar attitude."

The letter was signed by Reps. David Obey of Wisconsin, chairman of the
House Appropriations Committee, and Barney Frank of Massachusetts,
chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, as well as Reps.
Nita Lowey and Gregory Meeks, both of New York, who chair subcommittees
on those panels.

Obama needs Obey and Frank in particular to push through Congress key
pieces of his agenda, including health care and financial oversight
reform.

The White House said Tuesday the administration plans to implement the
provisions of the bill and suggested that Obama's signing statement was
aimed more at defending the president's executive powers than skirting
the law.

"The president has also already made it clear that he will not ignore
statutory obligations on the basis of policy disagreements and will
reserve signing statements for legislation that raises clearly
identified constitutional concerns," White House spokesman Ben LaBolt
said in a statement.

Bush issued a record number of signing statements while in office as he
sparred with Democrats on such big issues as the war in Iraq.

Democrats, including Obama, sharply criticized Bush as overstepping his
bounds as president. In March, Obama ordered a review of Bush's
guidelines for implementing legislation.

"There is no doubt that the practice of issuing such statements can be
abused," Obama wrote in a memo to the heads of executive departments and
agencies.

At the same time, however, Obama did not rule out issuing any signing
statements, which have been used for centuries. Rather, he ordered his
administration to work with Congress to inform lawmakers about concerns
over legality before legislation ever reaches his desk. He also pledged
to use caution and restraint when writing his own signing statements,
and said he would rely on Justice Department guidance when doing so.

Two days after issuing the memo, Obama issued his first signing
statement exerting executive power after receiving a $410 billion
omnibus spending bill. He said the bill would "unduly interfere" with
his authority by directing him how to proceed, or not to, in
negotiations and discussions with international organizations and
foreign governments.

Obey and the other House lawmakers said this week that Obama's signing
statement on the war bill will make it tougher in the future to persuade
other lawmakers to support the World Bank and IMF.

If Congress can't place conditions on the money, "it will make it
virtually impossible to provide further allocations for these
institutions," they wrote.

Copyright (c) 2009 The Associated Press.

--- Xnews/5.04.25