Where were you when we needed you?

Don't get me wrong. I think it's great that the House pushed back against Obama's signing statement seeking to hold the World Bank and IMF accountable. Certainly the wording of the statement sounds like something straight out of the Bush White House.

The conditions on World Bank and IMF funding were part of the $106 billion war supplemental bill that was passed last month. Obama, in a statement made as he signed the bill, said that he would ignore the conditions.

They would "interfere with my constitutional authority to conduct foreign relations by directing the Executive to take certain positions in negotiations or discussions with international organizations and foreign governments, or by requiring consultation with the Congress prior to such negotiations or discussions," Obama said in the signing statement.

..Senior Democrats and Republicans railed against the notion that the president could ignore a law they had passed and he had signed.

Great. We need this kind of pushback on executive over-reach, not to mention the long overdue checks on IMF and World Bank. But I really wish they could have drummed up some of that outrage during any one of the 800+ times Bush did the same thing. For instance, it would have been really nice if they had used this trick to prevent Bush's declaration of an open license for torture.

[More posts daily at The Detroit News]