A Monumental Land Grab In The Land Of The Free?

"In January, 109 members of Congress — all Democrats — argued in a letter to the president that he has no choice but to use his power to name national monuments to protect treasured lands before they’re gone. The 2010-2011 sessions of Congress had been the first in four decades not to set aside a single acre of wilderness, the members noted. "Some initiatives require presidential leadership," they wrote, "and should not be bogged down by political infighting and paralysis, increasingly common characteristics of Congress."