The Imperial Presidency

 In a radical decision yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court expanded the powers of the president to an as yet undetermined level. As some have written, in an unconstitutional manner the president is now above the law!

That is frightening, especially given the potential repercussions. 

The decision highlights the very different views of the presidency. 

The conservative right, apparently, view the president as the supreme power, almost but not quite a king or emperor. The left view the president as a servant leader. Justice Sotomayor summed the situation up aptly:

We are entering a very dangerous period. Throughout our history we have sought to codify and ensure that the powers of the president are limited to the guidelines established by George Washington through his words and actions. Now, apparently, the Supreme Court is tossing out 240 years of history and Constitutional interpretation to create an imperial presidency. I am reminded of Julius Caesar who effectively ended the Roman Republic and created the Roman Empire.

President Biden responded to the ruling by saying:

“There are no kings in America. Each, each of us is equal before the law. No one, no one is above the law, not even the president of the United States,” Biden said in a speech from the White House.

“(With) today’s Supreme Court decision on presidential immunity, that fundamentally changed. For all practical purposes, there are virtually no limits on what the president can do. It’s a fundamentally new principle and it’s a dangerous precedent because the power of the office will no longer be constrained by the law even including the supreme court of the United States.”

Be afraid, be very afraid. We live in dangerous times.

We the People must make our voices heard in November. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL