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President's executive order raises eyebrows

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    Was Obama action a power grab?

  • Duration 2:18
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-- dictatorship.

These are all the kinds of orwellian vision is being discussed by some on Twitter and elsewhere since President Obama did something unexpected Friday.

Chief national correspondent Jim Angle has -- it's.

President Obama quietly signed an executive order Friday night that extends for one year a string of executive orders going back to President Clinton in 1994.

This White House however has been known to release embarrassing documents on topics such as -- -- -- on Friday -- so the move immediately generated suspicions the president was trying to.

-- his powers the problem is there's an appearance of expansion here.

And I think this is for the White House -- congress and the American people.

A bit more of an explanation of why now the White House says it was nothing out of the ordinary I cannot explain that reaction to it I think it was a fairly.

Standard and routine.

Piece of business one person Steve in the legal basis for such orders puts it this way.

All they're stuck in the news is a plan.

To make a plan.

In case of emergencies.

National defense other kinds of emergencies.

Some think it's a reference to Iran Carney would only say this we are aggressively pursuing a policy focused on tightening sanctions against Iran.

Increasing the pressure on Iran and increasing isolation -- the Iranian regime nevertheless part of the executive -- -- some critics wondering.

The president can direct.

Private.

Companies private elements of our infrastructure.

To give things up or to do things without regard to.

Due process legal experts however say it's simply planning for emergencies using powers originally granted by congress.

The roots of it maybe go back to World War II when.

Who have government essentially ordered the industry to shift from making things like cars and refrigerators -- -- airplanes boats tanks ships.

Rothstein says even if this story the other presidents ought to expand his powers he would face huge jobs to.

-- congress would act.

Private industry or private citizens could take it to court the congress could take it to court.

Our system rob Stein says has lots of safeguards built into it.

In Washington Jim Angle Fox News.

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