Not Much of an Imperial Presidency

Dana Millbank says the oft-leveled accusation that President Obama is running an “imperial presidency” is a bit silly.

“As imperial rulers go, this president has about as much oppressive might and raw dictatorial clout as Prince Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein. Republicans have never respected Obama’s authority. And now, as his popularity slips, he seems to be losing his ability to influence foreign allies, congressional Democrats and some of his previously loyal supporters.”

“Both the puny executive action and the criticism from erstwhile allies on Monday showed why the Obama presidency these days is falling a good bit short of imperial on the Alexander the Great scale. Education was the White House’s message du jour — lunch with teachers on the South Lawn was the only item on Obama’s publicly released schedule other than his intelligence briefing — but it didn’t have a chance of wresting the national narrative away from less pleasant affairs.”