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During an interview on CNN, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) laid the groundwork for impeaching President Obama by claiming that the president is abusing his powers and violating the Constitution with executive orders.

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Ryan said,

There’s a difference between effectively using the bully pulpit to encourage good things in America and doing an end run around Congress. Look, everytime a president or a member of congress is sworn in, they swear an oath to protect and uphold the Consitution.

It sounds like to me the president looks like he is willing to circumvent the Constitution. The presidents do not write laws. That’s what Congress does. That’s Congress’ job, and if presidents try to circumvent congress by writing their own laws, then he is circumventing the Constitution. That is not our form of government.

….

I think he’s already done that. That’s what’s concerning to us. In 2013, he did that in healthcare. He unilaterally waved and delayed the employer mandate. He unilaterally waved other mandates, which the law doesn’t allow him to do. So he’s already shown that he’s prone to circumvent the legislative branch and abuse the powers of the executive branch with these executive orders, so he’s already shown he’s willing to do that, so I see this as just more of the same.

Paul Ryan accused the president of abusing his executive branch powers and violating the constitution, and for some reason CNN’s Jake Tapper just let it slide. The logical followup to Ryan’s claims would have been to ask him if he was advocating for the impeachment of the president, but Tapper ignored Ryan’s answer and moved on to chatter about 2016.

If Rep. Ryan really believes that President Obama has abused his powers, why doesn’t he try to impeach him? The reality is that Ryan and his fellow Republicans are trying to have it both ways. They want those Fox News watching Republicans to be rabid with the belief that President Obama is a criminal in office, but they don’t want to have to put their money where their mouths are and take an unpopular vote to impeach the president.

Make no mistake about it, Paul Ryan was laying the groundwork for articles of impeachment against President Obama. He was dancing around impeachment without ever saying the word. Impeachment is the Republican talking point in response to these executive orders. Just a few days ago, John Boehner threatened the I-word, but like Ryan, he was too afraid to say it.

Republicans are trying to criminalize doing something for the American people, and they would rather impeach President Obama than do their jobs.