In War, It’s Power to the President:

The Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and the war in Afghanistan have dramatically accelerated a push by the Bush administration to strengthen presidential powers, giving President Bush a dominance over American government exceeding that of other post-Watergate presidents and rivaling even Franklin D. Roosevelt’s command…

David Walker, a Republican who is director of the General Accounting Office, the investigative arm of Congress, said: “There’s a feeling of some in the current administration that they want to draw a line in a different spot than previously has been drawn in the separation of powers. As a result of Watergate and the challenges [President Bill] Clinton had, Congress has been much more involved in a range of areas they don’t believe are appropriate.”

…Some in the legislative branch, particularly in the opposition party, detect a striking departure in public policy. “There’s just a philosophy in the administration that the public doesn’t have a right to know, which is counter to the trend of the last 30 years,” said Phil Schiliro, staff chief to Rep. Henry A. Waxman (Calif.), the ranking Democrat on the House oversight committee. “Now they can justify it with national security, but that’s more for convenience.” Washington Post