Imperial Presidency

Today Bill Clinton will go from being the governor of a Southern state to president and commander-in-chief of the world's only superpower. Unlike the pure celebration of election night, the inaugural ceremony is a unique mix of exhilaration and high purpose. From now on the whole world will listen to Bill Clinton's every word and watch his every move.This year's inauguration is the first for a Democratic president since January 20, 1977. I remember well that afternoon, when the new president shocked everyone (including me)

Washington -- JOHN SUNUNU'S overuse of his prerogative to fly on military airplanes became a flap largely because of his ugly, front-row personality, but its significance runs deeper.Had he been less unlovable, the whistle would not have been blown by some underling he'd knowingly or unknowingly snubbed -- nor inflated with so much media attention -- but that's miles from the point.Inner Washington has difficulty dealing with the true nature of this problem because it unconditionally embraces the cause, which is the imperial presidency.