What conservatives have long known - that President Obama has no respect for the law - is clear to the broader American people. His illegal amnesty executive order was perhaps a coup de grace (literally!), but his propensity for ignoring the U.S. Constitution is long established. (See, e.g. Holder’s Justice Department; IRS under Lois Lerner; the “Pen and a Phone” offensive; etc.) The president cannot be trusted to respect the law.

However, in the echo chamber of our nation’s capital, Republicans are convinced that they can trust Mr. Obama with the ability to make fast and secret trade deals. “We trust Obama,” they say insanely, “Because we will get to give him suggestions on the deal and maybe even correct it.”

On every level, trusting Mr. Obama on this makes no sense. Conservatives know that trade deals are a refuge of the lawless. (I’m looking at you China!) And they know that secret deals that run hundreds of pages in length are the refuge of bureaucratic scoundrels. And we know that we cannot ever - not ever - trust Mr. Obama.

​Now, we hear that Mr. Obama won’t even allow amendments that might improve the bill. For example, Sen. Rob Portman, Ohio Republican, has an amendment that tries to curb the currency manipulators. (This time, I’m looking at you, Japan!) The currency manipulators violate the law and Mr. Obama refuses to stop them. Why? Lawless Obama to the rescu​e.

The time has come for conservatives to make clear to both parties: No more power for Obama. None.

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