Clinton Considers Giving Up Some Powers

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks at the annual Washington state Democrats Warren G. Magnuson award ceremony Monday, Oct. 22, 2007, in Seattle. Clinton was launching her Washington state campaign Monday with the appearance at the state party's largest gathering before the February caucuses. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton reacts as she is introduced at the annual Washington state Democrats Warren G. Magnuson award ceremony Monday, Oct. 22, 2007, in Seattle. Clinton was launching her Washington state campaign Monday with the appearance at the state party's largest gathering before the February caucuses. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

Leave it to the Republicans to defend their own..by attacking Hillary.....funny there was no denial that Bush and Company acted more like a dictatorship than a democracy all in the name of national defense and security.....hell no...let's ignore that....in fact..Hillary will do the same thing once she gets in..right??? errrrrrrrrrrr not...........andy

NEW YORK (AP) — If elected president in 2008, Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton would consider giving up some of the executive powers President Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney have assumed since taking office.

In an interview published Tuesday in Guardian America, a Web site run by the London-based Guardian newspaper, Clinton denounced the Bush Administration's push to concentrate more power in the White House as a "power grab" not supported by the Constitution.

Asked if she would consider giving up some of those powers if she were president, Clinton replied, "Oh, absolutely ... I mean, that has to be part of the review that I undertake when I get to the White House, and I intend to do that."

Since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Bush and Cheney have taken steps to expand presidential authority and diminish the role of Congress and the federal judiciary. Among other things, they have pushed for warrantless wiretapping of terrorist suspects and the use of "signing statements" to justify ignoring or defying laws enacted by Congress.

In the interview, Clinton noted that other presidents, including Abraham Lincoln, had taken on new presidential powers but had gone back to Congress later to ratify their actions.

Bush and Cheney had taken a different course, she said.

"There were a lot of actions which they took that were clearly beyond any power the Congress would have granted, or that in my view was inherent in the Constitution," Clinton said. "There were other actions they've taken which could have obtained Congressional authorization but they deliberately chose not to pursue it as a matter of principle."

Republican National Committee spokesman Danny Diaz doubted Clinton would give up any power.

"The reality is that Hillary Clinton, much like Bill, will say and do anything to win political office and will conveniently forget their promises in short order," he said.