Hail Caesar--Oops, I Mean Hail to the Chief

The NYT reports that Obama intends to force BP "to create an escrow account reserving billions of dollars to compensate businesses and individuals if the company does not do so on its own."

Yes, according to White House spokesman Robert Gibbs, "The president will use his legal authority to compel them."

Hmm. Since the president has no legal authority to do so, I guess Gibbs meant to say the president will use illegal or unconstitutional authority to compel them.

Folks, it doesn't matter if you sympathize with the intent of what Obama's trying to do here. The powers he is assuming are the powers of a dictator, not a president. If we keep letting him and other federal officials slide, we will find ourselves in a bad situation.