You and what army?

When I heard about Barack Obama's speech "directing" BP to set up a $20B account to pay people affected by the Gulf Oil spill, this is what I thought BP should say: you and what army?

I realize that BP probably agreed to the account terms before Obama gave the speech, and that they might just have made a quick calculation with their lawyers and accountants and decided that this was actually a good thing to attempt to limit their financial damages. (Although I note that this account is viewed only as a "good start" by some.) Stockholders may respond better to a number on the damages rather than letting their imaginations run wild.

However, we have something called due process in this country. No one can be parted from their money or property without it (unless you are a Geneva Convention violating terrorist, as all the people in Guantanamo are). It means that BP is entitled to a court trial and then they should pay up if found guilty. The fact that the White House thinks they can order BP to do this (they have no authority to do so) and that BP agreed scares the living daylights out of me.

This is only one of many things the White House and our other elected leaders have done without any authority to do so. What is next? How will it affect me? Where does it stop? Please, before we find out, let us toss these people out of office and put in some people who have a respect for the idea that we are a nation of laws and not men.