"power"

[Benjamin Barrett]

I think it's well understood (or at least argued) that the office of
US president has gradually gained more power since 1789 through a
variety of means such as the need to declare war, cabinet powers and
executive [sorry, not sure what they're called: laws, rules,
regulations--something like that]. BB

On Jan 12, 2009, at 2:27 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> CNN has just reported that (and I quote)  "Obama is tightening his
> grip on
> power ahead of the inauguration."  The "tightening" is evidenced
> mainly
> by Obama's acceptance of  Bush's offer to release remaining "bail-
> out" money
> on the day he takes office.
>
> Now in the old-time dino days, the only people described as
> "tightening
> their grip on power" were newly-minted "Communist Bloc" heads of
> state and
> the odd leaders of coup d'etats in Latin America and elsewhere.
>
> There's something a little disturbing to me about this extension of
> the
> meaning of "power" to include "a term of national office gained
> through
> democratic election" as though everyone "knows" there's "really no
> difference" between a U.S. President and someone who forcibly seizes
> power
> with the presumed intention of becoming "President for Life" (or
> beyond
> life, as is the case of North Korea's Glorious Leader Kim Il Sung,
> who,
> though long dead, is still named right there in the Constitution of
> the
> Democratic [sic] People's Republic as the country's "Eternal
> President.")

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