Obama to Republicans: 'So sue me'
(CNN) - President Barack Obama dared Republicans to follow through on their threats to bring a lawsuit against his administration over his use of executive action.
"Middle-class families can’t wait for Republicans in Congress to do stuff. So sue me," Obama said Tuesday at an event in Washington.
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"As long as they’re doing nothing, I’m not going to apologize for trying to do something."
Obama’s defiant attitude comes as House Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from Ohio, plans to propose legislation that could bring a lawsuit against him for implementing executive actions that the GOP contends amounts to a breach of his constitutional power by side-stepping the legislative process.
Obama: Boehner's lawsuit is 'a stunt'
Recently, Obama has ramped up his use of executive authority as a way to bypass a deeply divided Congress, avoiding inaction on issues the White House has made hallmarks of the President's second term agenda.
On Monday, Obama said he would start "a new effort to fix as much of our immigration system as I can on my own, without Congress."
Poll: Can Obama get the job done?
At Tuesday's event, Obama continued to harp on congressional Republicans to pass legislation - this time pushing them to invest in transportation.
Standing in front of Key Bridge, which connects the city's Georgetown-area to Virginia, Obama continued his stepped-up rhetoric hammering Republican for obstructing action in Washington.
Obama proposed a long-term highway construction bill earlier this year that he says would spur job growth.
"It’s not crazy, it’s not socialism," Obama said of his transportation proposal. "It’s not the imperial presidency - no laws are broken. We’re just building roads and bridges like we’ve been doing for the last, I don’t know, 50, 100 years. But so far, House Republicans have refused to act on this idea."
CNN's Mike Ahlers and Rene Marsh contributed to this report.
Related: Obama’s ‘day in life’ offers opening to tout message and slam Republicans
This is THE problem, this is the role of CONGRESS to fix the issues and he needs to use DIPLOMACY to work out compromises. He doesnt have that skillset. He doesnt understand that.. He's lost plenty of cases recently at the Supreme Court level and many now believe that this problem with the immigrant children was his plan all along.. He's trying to be a tyrannical dictator. He is supposed to be educated in constitutional law, clearly he isnt. A failure.
Worst president ever. Can't ever forgive myself for voting and believing you the first time around.
The audacity of arrogance!
I simply don't know what to say other than our political system is irreparably broken.
Obama is right. the Republicans, led by the delusional out of touch Boener, are exactly that. And they are stars when it comes to obstruction and doing nothing. the people who continue to send Boener to Washington need their heads examined as this guy is not working for them or any of us. Maybe Boener is still crying about Cantor's loss, that is why he cannot do anything.
But I am sick and tired of the GOP, Fox News, Limbarf, Rove, Palin, and all the rest of the right wing wackos including the KOCH bros doing their darnedness to run this country into the ground.
Vote Hillary in 2016
It's time for the People of the USA to sue The Speaker of the House too for his worthless no work on the behalf of the People. He's a shame to this nation.
The do nothing president that is allowing the world and US relations to degenerate into chaos and instability continues to make pompous speeches for those who are uninformed and inclined to denial of the obvious and wishful thinking. The nightmare scenario now unfolding in Iraq and Syria is emblematic of a president of trivial, parochial and narrow interests and not of a world leader.
This is just another example of President Obama trying to shift the blame from himself to Republicans in Congress...a very different approach from the "buck stops here" attitude of former Presidents.
Boehner complains, Obama is sidestepping the legislative process? What legislative process? Important issues are politicized by the Tea Party and NOTHING happens. They don't even support Republicans. They want gridlock. Boehner doesn't have the guts to challenge the mouthy brats of the Republican party. I don't blame the president for taking action. The Tea Party wants to prevent Obama from doing anything and then blame him for not doing anything.
Unfortunately he can say that because he's untouchable as the President, he can do and say anything he wants like a spoiled child, but you can't sue him to bring him back in line. What a shame.
Thank you Mr. Obama. You are the man. Denver
Typical from this President. It's his way or no way. No debate. Period.
These kinds of projects have received bi partisan support in the past but the Republicans just don't want to help the President. My guess is let's just say a Republican is elected President in 2016. Come January 2017 the Republican would propose the same jobs bill and the Republican house would agree with it.
The adolescent president continues his reign of incompetence.
Yes, building roads and bridges for illegal immigration...
What a child.....
GOOD FOR YOU MR. PRESIDENT. You have tried your best to work with Congress, but since their main agenda is to oppose you at the expense of the American people, what have you got to lose. They can't talk about you any worse than they already are. I am currently reading Profiles in Courage by JFK, and he talk about political figures who try to do the right thing despite opposition from so many of the opposite party. Your action brings to mind so many of the people he talk about. GOOD FOR YOU!!!
Standing Ovation! About Time!!!!!!!!!!!!
Come out from behind the teleprompter tough guy.
I like the attitude! – they'd appreciate it too if they had guy like you.
I have always said the Prez Lite was like an overgrown middle school kid; inflexible and stubborn, in spite of his inferior ideology. Unable to learn. Unable to be a statesman and find constructive compromise that benefits this nation, but rather doubles down on his ideologically-driven wrong roads. Criticizing Congress for doing their jobs and preventing him from radicalizing this nation, as if he'd never heard of checks and balances. This cavalier attitude of his about the Constitution begs the question: whose transcripts has he claimed as his? This man is NO Constitutional scholar, and certainly no professor.
I hope people realize real soon that Obama has no interest in in helping the middle class. Everything he does is targeted toward degrading the security of this country.
Both parties need to be crashed.
Obama: Lip service to the Middle Class, while continuing their extermination. Nice going, Prez Lite...
Is the President ready to except going 0-15?