In 1787, when our Constitution was written, Edmund Randolph's seventh proposal was for our president to be elected by Congress for one seven-year term and would be removed by Congress for misconduct. He was essentially a figurehead.
He was given limited power and had no leadership role. Why? Because they did not want the Republic they established by evolve into a dictatorship or a monarchy. The Congress was given the power to govern and provide leadership for our country.
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But what we have had since Barack Obama became president is a do-nothing Republican Congress that has nothing Republican Congress that relinquished its leadership role, dictated by our Constitution.
There are people like feature writer Richard Cohen along with others who do not know their American history and would empower the office of the president by giving him a leadership role.
This is what our Founding Fathers did not want for fear that our Republic would evolve into a dictatorship or monarchy. So they gave Congress the power to govern and provide leadership for our Republic.