Organizing for America | Obama '08: Presidential Power

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Presidential Power

By alyce rocco - Jun 14th, 2008 at 1:28 am EDT

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Often see blog posts making demands on Obama or accusing him of planning to do things. Senator Clinton started all that by preaching: he is just words and has no plans. People, mostly her followers, would say, they want to hear his plans, what is he going to do about thus and such, or they want details. It is silly to me, because presidents have limited power to do anything. Basically a president presides or directs the action. The best info I came up with about what the US president does is this:

The president's chief duty is to make sure that the laws are faithfully executed, and this duty is performed through an elaborate system of executive agencies that includes cabinet-level departments.
Presidents appoint all cabinet heads and most other high-ranking officials of the executive branch of the federal government.
They also nominate all judges of the federal judiciary, including the members of the Supreme Court.
Their appointments to executive and judicial posts must be approved by a majority of the Senate (one of the two chambers of Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government, the other being the House of Representatives).
The president is also the commander in chief of the country's military and has unlimited authority to direct the movements of land, sea, and air forces.
The president has the power to make treaties with foreign governments, though the Senate must approve such treaties by a two-thirds majority.
The president has the power to approve or reject (veto) bills passed by Congress, though Congress can override the president's veto by summoning a two-thirds majority in favour of the measure.
The president can also grant pardons.

Nowhere in that do I see that a president can provide universal health insurance, raise or lower taxes, or do much about the economy. Except perhaps in using more care when commanding the military. Did Bush and Cheney ask: can we afford to invade Iraq? Bush said "it would be easier if this were a dictatorship" and added, as long as he was the dictator. He had to have Congress approve the invansion.

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