Arthur L. Liman Quotes

It is the President upon whom the Constitution devolves, as head of the executive department, the duty to see that the laws be faithfully executed; but as he cannot execute them in person, he is allowed to select his agents, and is made responsible for their acts within just limits. So complete is the presumed delegation of authority in the relation of a head of department to a President, that the Supreme Court of the United States have decided that an order made by a head of department is presumed to be made by the President himself.

Making the bureaucracy accountable to the President in any comprehensive and enduring way is impossible. Making it alert to his preferences is possible in those cases where Presidents put loyal and competent subordinates in charge of making decisions.

That is the way it is in America and it is what makes us a great nation. True leaders must handle difficult situations or have competent people who handle those situations. Sources did give information of a general nature to the Administration and it is obvious that an attack still occurred. This is a more 'impeachable' offense than what was brought before the Congress. Fortunately, George W. Bush will in just a few days become our President. I can assure you that such situations will not be mishandled by his Administration. However general the information might be, the President-elect will act with authority to prevent such tragedies

We need a presidency which acts and protects us.

Congress has a constitutional right to an authoritative voice in declaring and proscribing the foreign policy of the United States ... and it is the constitutional duty of the President to respect that policy ...

Presidents ought to get the appointments they want for the cabinet and then be responsible for them.

The President is responsible to the public for the conduct of the person he has nominated and appointed.

I've had to learn to understand Presidents.

The nature of the Presidency is such that you are always asking yourself what else could you be doing?.

The actions of our president systematically provide both the legal and political justifications for similar initiatives undertaken by later presidents.

Ultimately, what we want to do is see the president follow the laws.

In a way I never did with George W. Bush or Barack Obama or Bill Clinton, I will write about the actions of the Trump presidency with the working assumption that our nation must be protected both by and from the president.

One of the most solemn responsibilities of the president and it's set out expressly in the Constitution is that the president is to take care that the laws are faithfully executed, and that means the Constitution. It means statutes. It means treaties. It means all of the laws of the United States.

You don't go to war with the President you want, you go to war with the President you have.

Our Founding Fathers created the Executive Branch to implement and enforce the laws written by Congress, and vested this power in the president.

I have one president at a time. I only work for you.

We need a president who is willing to uphold the law.

I respect the office of the presidency, but I never worship at the shrines of our public servants... The Washington press corps has the privilege of asking the president of the United States what he is doing and why.

The executive power is better to be trusted when it has no screen. Sir, we have a responsibility in the person of our President; he cannot act improperly, and hide either his negligence or inattention; he cannot roll upon any other person the weight of his criminality; no appointment can take place without his nomination; and he is responsible for every nomination he makes…. Add to all this, that officer is placed high, and is possessed of power far from being contemptible, yet not a single privilege is annexed to his character; far from being above the laws, he is amenable to them in his private character as a citizen, and in his public character by impeachment

It’s hard for a President to make case for more powers when he has not used the powers he already has.

The key question is who determines if a President is unable to perform his duties?

The notion that it is desirable to have a President who can give his full attention to the "presidency" and not worry about reelection is quite a mistake.

Executive Privilege

The most difficult issues—the toughest decisions—are the ones that invariably end up on the President’s desk.

Anytime this President [George W. Bush] says he didn’t know something, I believe him. He’s got the benefit of the doubt on that.