Republican Congressman Steve King says President Obama has lost the “moral authority to govern” because Obama repeatedly promised Americans if they liked their health care plan, they could keep it.
“Nixon lied and was severely punished for it,” King says. “That set a standard. We severely punish presidents for lying.”
King says modern presidents have paid a price for lies or statements that were perceived as lies, like George Bush’s assertion that Iraq was trying to buy nuclear material in Iraq to his father’s decision to break his “no new taxes” promise.
“There’s been a very, very harsh criticism of presidents who were accused of lying whether they told the truth or not,” King says. “This one you can’t peel it off. The ObamaCare brand is branding on Barack Obama dn not only did he sell us ObamaCare with a series of big lies, but he retained…his place in office by repeating them over and over again.”
King backed the recent partial government shutdown and has accused the president of being a “narcissist” by closing National Parks and public monuments in Washington, D.C. during the 16 day impasse with congress. King says over the past 72 hours he’s come to the realization that Obama “had to know” he was lying when he said Americans would be able to keep their insurance.
“I think he is a smart guy. I don’t think he was duped. I think he was part of the duping. If he was willing to dupe the people on ObamaCare and dupe the American people to get reelected and take this vindictive, spiteful, narcissistic position when we call him on it in congress, I think that brand sticks hard and I think that the next three years of his presidency he can’t lead with moral authority any longer,” King says. “He can lead, perhaps, with presidential edict until the people refuse to follow, but he can’t lead with moral authority any longer.”
King says Obama’s lying would have more political impact today if Obama hadn’t given employers another year to meet the health insurance mandate in the Affordable Care Act, as that affects far more people than are being impacted by the individual mandate.