Who do think is really in charge, in Washington, the President, or nancy pelosi/harry reid?
Really, all the President does is sign the spending bill or not. Thus, Pelosi’s power is actual. Obama’s power is more influential. He definitely has more fame + acceptance with the people (who vote for Pelosi and every other Congressman every two years), so he can do an end run ’round Congress and go to the electorate and have them pester their Congressmen/women to vote for this or that program. That works often enough, too. But Constitutionally, the President has a lot of power that all hinges on Congress agreeing to pay for it. Thus, the Vietnam War ended when Congress voted to stop paying for it. The Iraq War will likely end the same way, in both cases, in spite of whatever the President might want.
