"To call this an imperial presidency is unfair to emperors"

Chicago Tribune columnist Steve Chapman joins the growing list of conservatives angered and unnerved by Bush's executive power grab. "To call this an imperial presidency is unfair to emperors," he wrote yesterday. His piece concluded, "What we have now is not a robust executive but a reckless one. At times like this, it's apparent that Cheney and Bush want more power not because they need it to protect the nation, but because they want more power. Another paradox: In their conduct of the war on terror, they expect our trust, but they can't be bothered to earn it."