Reclaiming the Balance of Power
This is the title of the October 2008 Washington Newsletter published by the Friends Committee on National Legislation. It's about how Congress needs to step up and reclaim the power that they have ceded to the executive branch over the last eight years.
Combined with the Newsweek cover I saw this weekend about The Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue, I've been thinking about the difficulties that will face our next President.
In order to do what needs to be done, we are going to need a President with a huge amount of self-discipline.
The temptation to maintain the powers that have been usurped by the current President will be strong. Like so many who have gone before him, he'll think, "Just think of all the good we could do..." But one of the good things that needs doing is to voluntarily, peacefully, give up some of the undeserved, unconstitutional powers that the current administration has claimed for itself.
Power corrupts; we've heard that before. I pray for our next President, not just that he sticks to his agenda, but that he is able to resist the temptation to believe the ends can justify the means.
It's a little ironic that Bush has been the poster child for "by any means necessary."
[Update 12/9/08: This guest post on Barbara Ehrenreich's blog confirms that I'm not crazy to worry. ]
Combined with the Newsweek cover I saw this weekend about The Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue, I've been thinking about the difficulties that will face our next President.
In order to do what needs to be done, we are going to need a President with a huge amount of self-discipline.
The temptation to maintain the powers that have been usurped by the current President will be strong. Like so many who have gone before him, he'll think, "Just think of all the good we could do..." But one of the good things that needs doing is to voluntarily, peacefully, give up some of the undeserved, unconstitutional powers that the current administration has claimed for itself.
Power corrupts; we've heard that before. I pray for our next President, not just that he sticks to his agenda, but that he is able to resist the temptation to believe the ends can justify the means.
It's a little ironic that Bush has been the poster child for "by any means necessary."
[Update 12/9/08: This guest post on Barbara Ehrenreich's blog confirms that I'm not crazy to worry. ]
Labels: politics/economics
posted by Robin M. at 11:02 PM
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4 Comments:
I join you in your prayer. Obama's going to need all the Light he can get.
Stephanie, so will we all.
I too, pray for the President and all the leadership!
Great post. I pray the same thing.
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