Lawmakers rarely make good executives. Oh, sure, there are exceptions. As a rule, however, the job requirements are just different. So all three current contenders for the presidency -- John McCain, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton -- would move into the Oval Office next January with unique handicaps. But let's take a look at Hillary Clinton, because she's in the news.

Anybody looking for a five-minute overview of presidential power in the United States -- and how the Bush-Cheney administration has expanded it in alarming ways -- should check out this interview with the Boston Globe's Charlie Savage: