Compare and Contrast

He assured us, as tens of thousands of gallons of oil belch out of the hole each day, he intends to hold people ... accountable! No mention of the 48-hour deadline -- now come and gone -- that he gave BP to, well, do more.

Poor President Obama -- this isn't a bit like community organizing. He must find it very frustrating.

Larry Elder, "Obama Learns Limits of Government -- Oil Spill Kicks His Hope and Change"

The other day, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs was asked what will happen if the people running BP decline to go along with everything the administration demands of it. "The president," he replied with chilly menace, "has the legal authority to compel them to do so, and if they don't, he will."

As a matter of strict truth, Barack Obama may not have all the legal authority he would need. But punctilious adherence to the law is rarely the hallmark of American presidents.

Steve Chapman, "As the Spill Expands, So Does Presidential Power"

So is the President powerless or overly powerful? Hard to tell.