What are his Constitutional duties?

A conservative friend of mine recently expressed dismay that President Obama hasn't submitted his own bills to Congress for consideration, relying instead upon Congress to write bills. He said,

"Every President before him has sent bills to the Hill, including the annual budget. Obama didn't. Granted, there have been years when a President's budget was considered DOA as the Congress was controlled by a contrary party ... but still, they've submitted one."

This brings up a good question: why isn't our President doing it the way it's always been done? And IS this the way it's always been done?

I decided to go back to the Rule Book - the Constitution of the United States of America. I looked up the responsibilities of the President. The Constitution says, "He shall from time to time....recommend to Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient."

It doesn't seem to say that the President should pen detailed bills. It sounds like our founding fathers expected the Executive Branch to propose issues and ideas for the Legislative Branch to consider and flesh out.

It might help to clarify this by looking at the responsibilities of the Congress.

The constitution says, All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States. Among its duties: To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.

In other words, legislative powers rest in Congress, not in the Presidency. But wouldn't it be nice if the President made their job easier by writing a bill himself?

I would argue that this is - and has been - a colossal waste of taxpayer money. I do not want the executive branch spending time doing the work of the legislative branch - they have their own Constitutional tasks. Besides, as my friend noted, many former President's bills are dead on arrival. Why would I, as a taxpayer, want man hours (and money) spent on something that has no chance of success?

Doesn't it make more sense for the legislature to write the laws? Our beloved 16th president, Abraham Lincoln, believed this. He agreed with the Whig theory of the presidency, in which it was the responsibility of Congress to write the laws. Our first president, George Washington, wrote no bills. So it appears that 'every President' has NOT submitted detailed bills to Congress - in fact, some were philosophically opposed to the idea.

It is the opinion of this humble moderate that Abraham Lincoln & George Washington are better role models than George Bush & Bill Clinton.

Let each branch of government do their own job, as envisioned by the Constitution.