One thing that left-wingers and right-wingers might agree upon?

[kentuck]

Barack Obama is our hero. The right-wingers hate him. But, there may be one thing in common for both sides. Neither of them believes that Barack Obama has the right to decide who is prosecuted and who is not. That is not part of the job of the Executive. He can pardon the individuals after they have been convicted but he cannot change the rule of law. President Obama is a powerful leader but he does not have the power to stop an investigation or decide that certain individuals cannot be prosecuted. Both sides can agree that he is not the "decider" in this torture investigation, even though the right-wingers might agree with the idea of torture in general?

[wyldwolf]

1. Bill Clinton and Barack Obama are evil?

The disagreement, of course, is whether they are evil socialists or evil corporatists.

[gamecock]

2. But...

As the leader of his political party, President Obama has the right to influence the actions of his party-members, i.e. Congress & Senate. If he sends Rahm Emanuel to the Hill to silence the politicians, they will be silenced.

[kentuck]

3. "...the right to influence the actions of his party-members..."

But that does not include the right to ask them to ignore the law of the land. This is not the Republican Party.

[MasonJar]

4. He certainly has the right to try to inluence both/either parties, but Congress is

an independent branch and is given the right of advise and consent. It should listen to the president, but it does not have to bend to his will. In fact Congress has the Constitutional mandate to do what is right for the people not the president.