Four Ways to Rein in the Imperial President

The administration of the last eight years harmed our country in many ways, but one of its worst offenses was the aggressive (criminal if you ask me) pursuit of presidential power. Dick Cheney cut his teeth in the Nixon White House. He hated the way Congress limited the power of the executive branch after Watergate. Ever since those dark days, he’s been trying to find a willing stooge to restore what he considers the god given right of the president to act like a king. He found just the guy in our last president.

Thankfully, our national nightmare is almost over. The present occupants of the White House will leave office soon. As soon as the door closes behind them, Congress must reassert its rightful place as the most powerful branch of government.

Number one, the ability to declare war and dispatch our troops must be restored to our elected legislators-no one else. That’s whom the Constitution gives that power to, so that’s who should have it.

Number two, Congress has to fulfill its constitutional duty and oversee the next administration, no matter which party wins the White House. There’s a good chance the next president will be a Democrat and that both houses of Congress will be controlled by Democrats. The last time we had one party rule like that, we got soaring deficits, tax cuts for the rich, the Iraq War, Abu Ghraib, Guantanamo Bay, warrantless wiretapping, the firing of U.S. attorneys for political reasons, the debacle of Hurricane Katrina … do I really need to go on? If you don’t think those kinds of abuses will happen with the Democrats in power, you haven’t been around long enough.

Number three, Congress must ban presidential signing statements. The idea that a president can sign a law Congress sends him, but simply choose not to follow the parts he doesn’t like, is outrageous. More importantly, it’s unconstitutional. The way the Constitution spells it out is very clear: Congress writes and passes laws, the president either signs them-and in so doing, agrees to follow them-or he or she vetoes them. End of story. Anything else should never have been tolerated by Congress or the American people.

Number four, why shouldn’t presidential candidates be forced to name their cabinets before we elect them? That way, we the voters can see what kind of administration they’d really run if they got to the White House. While he was still a candidate, George W. Bush talked a good game about working with Democrats and avoiding things like nation building. If we’d have been able to see just whom he planned on tapping for his close advisors, maybe we could have seen through some of those mistruths.

NEXT: Presidential Question Time?