"In politics, never assume that because something is insane, it will not be done."  That is a very profound, very true statement by Dr. Thomas Sowell.  To wit:

Just when gasoline prices were getting reasonable, Dear Leader Barack Hussein Obama strikes: "The Obama administration will propose setting aside more than 12 million acres in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as wilderness, the White House announced Sunday, halting any chance of oil exploration for now in the refuge's much-fought-over coastal plain[.]  The announcement, according to individuals briefed on the plan, is just the first in a series of decisions the Interior Department will make in the coming week that will affect the state's oil and gas production."

Insanity.

Similarly, Obama "is set to roll out a series of climate and pollution measures that rivals any president's environmental actions of the past quarter-century[.]"  All of this because he says so, based on "proof" provided by Al Gore; the people who flew into Davos, Switzerland; and the often discredited U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.  Obama's environmental policies are clearly a case of my mind is made up; don't confuse me with facts.

More insanity.

And there's Obama's insanity about the Keystone XL pipeline, which he is blocking as a political payoff for one of his constituents.

And there's Obama's "green energy" or alternative energy policies.  In a January 17, 2008 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Obama said:

So if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can; it's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted.  That will also generate billions of dollars that we can invest in solar, wind, biodiesel and other alternative energy approaches.

His insane green energy policy turned out to be a convenient way to funnel taxpayer money to his backers.   Can anyone say "Solyndra"?  But maybe it wasn't so insane: those enriched backers' contributions paid for TV spots so that he got re-elected.

Obama announced, in September 2014, government and private-sector plans to buy more solar panels and promote the solar industry.  And in November he announced that 120 businesses and schools would buy electric vehicles and install workplace-charging stations.

Alternative energy insanity.  Like the Energizer Bunny, it just keeps going and going.

That Obama's immigration policy is an "open door" is beyond doubt.  He does this in order to get more Democrat votes.  Recently, Obama announced his plan of executive orders that "allow[] certain immigrants to apply for relief from deportation[.]"

Immigration insanity.

There has lately been wide coverage of the phrase "Black Lives Matter."  Well, if that's so, then Obama should stop abortion.  But he won't do it.  Instead, he criticizes police for doing their jobs.

Insanity continues.

Obama, in an effort to get control of more money, proposed taxing new 529 College Savings Plan contributions when used.  Barack and Michelle Obama made, in 2007, a $240,000 contribution to the 529 plans of their two daughters.  Their contribution was not new, therefore not subject to his proposed tax.

Insanity and hypocrisy.

Iran has called for the destruction of Israel.  At the same time, Obama promotes diplomacy and the benefits of peaceful "engagement" with Iran.  And he chastises Israel for advocating strengthened sanctions against Iran's nuclear program.  And he lets negotiations continue with no benefit or end in sight.  And he continues to pay ISIS.  And he insults Israel's prime minister.

Insanely naïve.

Obama insists that al-Qaeda is "on the run," that terrorism poses no threat to the U.S.  At the same time, he says that climate change poses the biggest threat.  And he sets U.S. policy based on his delusions.

Recent developments in Yemen represent a huge victory for Iran.  Yet Obama proclaimed Yemen to be a big success.  Obama said in September that his policy "is one that we have successfully pursued in Yemen and Somalia for years."  He recently doubled down on that policy by releasing Yemeni prisoners from Gitmo.

Even more insane naïveté.

In what has to be the most insane gambit ever, based upon "We can't wait!," Obama has repeatedly  bypassed Congress and issued a variety of executive orders.  While trampling the U.S. Constitution (that pesky separation of powers concept) he issued, in 2014 alone, more than eighty executive orders, many after the November election, that enabled policies that he could not get Congress to pass laws to enact.  Here are some of the areas for which executive orders were issued:

• Minimum Wage: Obama signed, on February 12, 2014, an executive order raising the minimum wage for federal employees and federal contract workers to $10.10 per hour.
• Police: Obama signed, on December 18, 2014, an executive order to create the "Task Force on 21^st Century Policing" in response to altercations with police in Ferguson, Missouri and New York City.
• Pay Discrimination: Obama issued executive orders in April and June to prevent gender pay discrimination among federal contractors, and to ban pay discrimination among federal contractors against anyone in the LGBT community.

Gun control is one of his favorite areas for issuing executive orders.  On a web page entitled "Now is the time to do something about gun violence," Obama brags about what he called a "plan" to curb gun violence.  The plan "combines executive actions and calls for legislative action that would help keep guns out of the wrong hands, ban assault and high-capacity magazines, make our schools safer, and increase access to mental health services."

Not having been able to pass gun control laws through Congress, Obama issued in January 2014 an executive order to have health care professionals violate privacy laws and submit medical data to the federal government.  The illegally obtained data is then used as justification for gun confiscation by the federal government.

By the way, none of Obama's gun-related executive actions were mentioned in his year-end report.

And in January 2013, with eight children surrounding him, Obama signed twenty-three gun-related executive orders.

Power-mad insanity.

Let's not overlook John Boehner's part in this insanity.  The American people clearly sent a mandate to congress in November.  The message to end "business as usual" was clear.  So what does Boehner do?  Conduct business as usual.  He promptly caved in to Obama.

Insane hubris.

So what are we to do?  First, know that, especially in politics, insanity rules.  Second, as illustrated above, expect insanity.  Third, be and stay informed, and stay vigilant about what insanity is proposed or enacted so that you can cry "b*******" every time insanity is rammed down our throats.

With the current president and Congress, we have to stay vigilant every day.

Vigilance works – sometime.  Obama tried to ram his insane 529 College Savings Plans tax scheme down our throats.  But enough people screamed about Obama's plan that he backed down.

Dr. Warren Beatty (not the liberal actor) earned a Ph.D. in quantitative management and statistics from Florida State University.  He was a (very conservative) professor of quantitative management specializing in using statistics to assist/support decision-making.  He has been a consultant to many small businesses and is now retired.  Dr. Beatty is a veteran who served in the U.S. Army for 22 years.  He blogs at rwno.limewebs.com.