General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Obama vs Hersh [View all]H2O Man
(73,686 posts)I believe that it is fair to compare any US Presidents. More, the concepts of the growing power of the Executive Branch is well-documented. A great example would be presidential historian Arthur Schlesinger, Jr.'s classic book, "The Imperial Presidency." In it, Arthur showed how, especially in times of war, almost every US President expanded the power of his office.
Once power has been expanded, it has rarely been restricted. The sole example of restrictions based upon recent expansion was found shortly after Richard Nixon resigned.
The damaging impact of expanded presidential powers, as that dynamic has harmed the intended balance of powers between the three branches, was addressed in an insightful manner by Doris Kearns (Goodwin) in her outstanding biography, "Lyndon Johnson & the American Dream."
These issues are important, regardless of who the current president is. Of course, a crook like Nixon, or cowardly bully such as George W. Bush, will engage in far greater abuses of power than a Bill Clinton or Barack Obama. I suspect that every rational person would agree with that. But this doesn't change the fact that even good and decent people, once in the White House, have often unchecked powers when it comes to "national security" issues. And that should be concerning for all of us.