In fairness, not every one of the president's defenders believe he is powerless. Cruise missile liberals like Keith Oberman, Rachel Maddow, and Bill Maher accord him the powers of a super hero --- “the black ninja president” for dropping cruise missiles on the cars, relatives and wedding parties of whoever he designates a terrorist, enemy combatant or general nusiance. Eric Holder, the nation's first black attorney general and a man who says he has “a lot of power,” agrees. The lame “magic wand' excuse only seems to apply for things like stopping foreclosures, curtailing or forgiving student debt or shutting down unjust wars, things his voting constituents actually DO want.
-- Bruce A. Dixon, "Barack Obama, Democratic Expectations and the Magic Wand" (Black Agenda Report).