I'm not happy about it, but only because the fact that he needs to do it means Congress isn't doing its job. The example he mentioned, climate change, is an extremely clear-cut issue. There's only one right answer, and I don't really mind if Obama takes matters into his own hands with regard to it.I'm not happy with the executive adopting more and more authority and then blatantly stating they aim to use it in spite of the legislative branch.
The problem is, politicians use things like climate change feet dragging as a means by which to justify asserting new powers. Once climate change is no longer the cause at hand, the precedent for these powers exists for executive abuse.
I've never bought into the slippery-slope-to-1984 argument. Also, Nah. He's just talking executive orders or some such, which are old news and have various drawbacks. There won't be any "new powers"; I feel that's sensationalism of sorts.a means by which to justify asserting new powers