Presidential Prerogative Quotes

Unless a president can protect the privacy of the advice he gets, he cannot get the advice he needs.

The issues that cross a president's desk are never easy. The easy questions don't even get to the president.

When a President asserts constitutional powers he needs to be pretty certain he has those powers.

The Senate are a branch of the treaty-making power, and by consulting them in advance of his own action upon important measures of foreign policy which may ultimately come before them for their consideration, the President secures harmony of action between that body and himself.

Unfortunately, since its passage in 1973, the War Powers Resolution has been stripped of its original purpose and has instead served as a temporary, de facto authorization for the executive branch to use military force whenever it deems it necessary.

Obama must scrutinize and disassemble the post-Sept. 11 imperial presidency, even if he reduces his own power in the process.

Here's a more controversial idea: In general, Democrats and progressives ought to allow Trump considerable room to choose his own employees - far more room than Republicans allowed during the Obama administration. Tit-for-tat is a dangerous game.

Despite a campaign that was based on a very powerful promise of transparency, President Obama, and again in my view quite correctly, has used the state secrets argument in a variety of courts, as much as President Bush.

The President has the power to wage war but not against U. S. laws…. He is a President; not a king.

The President is entitled to keep secret those conversations which a President may have had with his aids for the purpose of advising him in his Constitutional duties. Executive privilege cannot cover crimes, for they are not Constitutional duties.

It's hard to say what the Founding Fathers would think of the modern presidency.

Presidents always interpret things as they wish to.

Even the country's first president chafed at the limits placed on him by the writers of the U.S. Constitution. From the nature of the Constitution, ... I must approve all the parts of a bill, or reject it in toto.

Making choices is what the Presidency is about.

That's the good thing about being president, I can do whatever I want.

Before I was elected President I thought the chief pleasure of it would be to give honors and offices to old friends. But you know you can't do that when you're President of the United States; you have to get the best men.

The roots of power in the White House are often bourbon and branch water taken with the President at the end of the day.

The Constitution provided an invitation to the President and Congress to struggle for the privilege of directing American foreign policy.

[Martin] Van Buren says he considers it as a misfortune when any office to be filled by him becomes vacant, and thinks patronage rather a burden than a benefit.

The word of the president is a national asset not to be trifled with.

No man has the right to use the great powers of the Presidency to lead the people, indirectly, into war.

The President cannot be disturbed. [The reporter quickly replied, "Well when he wakes up, just tell him he isn't President.

The Founders of this Nation entrusted the lawmaking power to the Congress alone in both good and bad times … the President's power to see that the laws are faithfully executed refutes the idea that he is to be a law-maker.

Time and time again, the Obama Administration has shown the American people it's willing to abuse the power of the Oval Office. Congress should absolutely not relinquish more power.

Making recess appointments when the Senate isn't in recess is neither rational nor moderate. It's a raw misuse of executive power by a president whose love of government is his most vulnerable spot with the electorate.