A picture is worth a thousand words, but the value of this video should probably be measured in troy ounces. Peter Baker of the New York Times joins John King on the Sunday morning chat circuit and is asked about about the legitimacy of Barack Obama using executive action on immigration given some of his previous statements on the subject. The answer is too perfect for words.

Actually, the debate is between President Obama and President Obama. A couple of years ago President Obama actually had to deflect pressure from immigration activists and from his left and said, I don’t have the power to do what you guys want me to do. And now he’s coming around two or three years later, he’s got fresh legal opinions from the Justice Department saying, actually I do have the power to do it. They’re going to go forward. I think at this point, within the White House, there is a consensus that he does have this power. And he’s gonna go ahead. Probably as early as this week.

The video:

We are talking about the same constitutional law professor here, aren’t we? I believe it was the same one who said in 2010:

“I Believe Such An Indiscriminate Approach Would Be Both Unwise And Unfair. … This Could Lead To A Surge In More Illegal Immigration.”

In March of 2011:

“With Respect To The Notion That I Can Just Suspend Deportations Through Executive Order, That’s Just Not The Case….”

In September of that same year:

“I Just Have To Continue To Say This Notion That Somehow I Can Just Change The Laws Unilaterally Is Just Not True. We Are Doing Everything We Can Administratively.”

And just in March of this year…:

“Until Congress Passes A New Law, Then I Am Constrained In Terms Of What I Am Able To Do.”

That must have been one heck of debate around the Oval Office desk, eh? He stuck to his guns consistently through his entire administration, right up to the spring of this year. But somehow over the course of the summer the debate took a turn and he’s now able to do pretty much whatever he likes.

Who was this new debate partner… Marshall Sylver?