The Presidency

Americans tend to we focus on a president as the head of government. In chapters 11 and 12, e will emphasize (a) the presidency -- an institution -- which (b) needs the cooperation of other branches of government.

Two relevant stories to illustrate:
(a) Basrdes, et al. (394f) discuss executive organization. The EOP is introiduced ion 395, and the first office listed under it is the White House Office -- WHO. Turn over to 396, see the WHO discussed mre fully. Turn to
In 1st Major Shift of 2nd Term, Bush Looks to Inner Circle to see a stroy about Andrew Card, the chief of staff, resigning.

Calls for shakeups in the Bush Adminsitration have been louder in the past week; Elizabeth Bumiller had a story last week about the possiblity of bringing someone in to assist Karl Rove: Are Late Innings the Time for a Relief Pitcher?.

(b)From the LA Times:

High Court to Review Guantanamo Case
Challengers say military tribunals permit Bush to act as lawmaker, prosecutor, judge and jury. Congress has complicated the debate.

The Supreme Court is hearing argument today on the preident's authority to creat military tribunals:

It is an authority the president's lawyers say is part of his power as commander in chief. The challengers, including current and former military lawyers, say the tribunals are unfair and unconstitutional because they permit the president, acting through Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, to act as lawmaker, prosecutor, judge and jury.

But this momentous dispute over the role of law during wartime may well end in a non-decision, thanks to a late intervention by Congress.

In December, lawmakers heaped praise on themselves for outlawing the use of torture against prisoners. They did so by adding an amendment sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), a former prisoner of war, to a military spending bill. At the same time, they inserted a provision in the bill saying that detainees at the Navy base at Guantanamo Bay had no right to have their claims heard in federal court.