President has "near-dictatorial powers," says McCain official

[Echo In Light]

President has "near-dictatorial powers," says McCain official
Newest McCain official: President has "near dictatorial powers"
Glenn Greenwald Monday June 2, 2008 08:31 EDT

Newest McCain official: President has "near dictatorial powers"

Bill Kristol today proudly announces that one of his Weekly Standard staff members, Michael Goldfarb, was just named the Deputy Communications Director of the McCain campaign. Last April, this newest McCain official participated in a conference call with former Senator George Mitchell, during which Mitchell advocated a timetable for withdrawal from Iraq. Afterwards, this is what Goldfarb wrote about what he thinks are the powers the President possesses in our country:

Mitchell's less than persuasive answer : "Congress is a coequal branch of government...the framers did not want to have one branch in charge of the government."

True enough, but they sought an energetic executive with near dictatorial power in pursuing foreign policy and war. So no, the Constitution does not put Congress on an equal footing with the executive in matters of national security.

As I noted at the time:

Until the Bill Kristols and John Yoos and other authoritarians of that strain entered the political mainstream, I never heard of prominent Americans who describe the power that they want to vest in our political leaders as "near dictatorial." Anyone with an even passing belief in American political values would consider the word "dictatorial" -- at least rhetorically, if not substantively -- to define that which we avoid at all costs, not something which we seek, embrace and celebrate.

http://markcrispinmiller.blogspot.com/2008/06/president-has-near-dictatorial-powers.html

http://www.salon.com/opinion/greenwald/2008/06/02/goldfarb/index.html?source=newsletter

[MrScorpio]

1. Since when has America become a "Near Dictatorship"?

Did Bush phone this in?

[ixion]

2. See: "Circumventing the Constitution with Signing Statements"

apparently, the power of the dictatorship has always been in reach of the executive branch. :sarcasm:

[treestar]

3. What about the clause that only Congress can declare war?

Oh, that's right, let's not read the thing. :sarcasm:

[lonestarnot]

4. Another in your face with it corn kernel smile.