Total Authority?

   The president claimed his authority is total in deciding when and how to reopen the individual states for business as the corona virus sweeps across the country taking thousands of lives.
   That implies that the nation has a single, all-powerful ruler making decisions that affect all the individual states. It's useful here to remember that the term "monarch" has two elements: "mon-" meaning one, and "-arch" meaning ruler.
   America declared its independence from a single ruler 244 years ago, with a declaration that the country is made up of several "free and independent states."
   Moreover, the Constitution says that any powers not specifically given to the federal government remain with the separate and individual states.
   The president's pronouncement of his total authority immediately brought virulent protests from governors and from major media outlets challenging that claim, with several political leaders warning of a constitutional crisis if the president tries to carry that attitude forward.
   Meanwhile, major television outlets are limiting their coverage of the president's almost daily prime time "news briefings," pointing out that his comments amount to re-election campaign efforts.
  The most egregious example occurred on Monday, when he displayed a selectively edited collection of video clips showing government officials praising his efforts.
   In addition, he regularly attacks any reporter who asks a question that he doesn't like. He demands that journalists ask only "positive" questions, as if news media people are part of his team.
   Note this well: Journalism is called the Fourth Estate for good reason. We are not part of any political, clerical or business team. Reporters ask tough questions because they need to be asked, and they ask them on behalf of all the people.
   Reporters' opinions are not relevant to what they do. They leave opinions to the editorial page writers.