Friday, June 30, 2006

Do We Want More Power? (Interesting Juxtaposition)

Tony Snow during today's White House press briefing:

QUESTION: Is this [Supreme Court decision] a setback in terms of the broader goal of this administration to expand executive authority?

SNOW: I don’t think it’s ever been the goal of the administration to expand executive authority. In a time of war, the president has tried to act in a way that meets the needs and obligations of a commander in chief against a dispersed and highly unique kind of enemy.

But we don’t have expand executive power sessions. So nobody thinks in terms of, How do we expand executive power?

Cheney on 12/20/05:

I believe in a strong, robust executive authority. And I think the world we live in demands it…I think you’re right, probably the end of the next administration, you had the nadir of the modern presidency in terms of authority and legitimacy, then a number of limitations that were imposed in the aftermath of Vietnam and Watergate. But I do think that to some extent now, we’ve been able to restore the legitimate authority of the presidency.