News flash: They invented the "imperial presidency" back in the 50's, when they were waiting impatiently for a chance to push the Republicans and that doddering old Ike out of the way (after all, all he ever did was liberate Europe and destroy the most powerful and hateful military empire the world had ever seen), so they could smooth the way for a young liberal prince like, say, Jack Kennedy.
Richard Nixon took the powers the toadies like James Macgregor Burns and Arthur M. Schlesinger had oohed and aahed over when they were Kennedy's to wield, and shoved up up the liberals' you-know-what. Sideways. Tricky Dick gave everyone a five-year clinic on what happens when you act like a slavish dork and give vast, unaccountable, criminal powers to the Executive.
Nixon was one of our best Presidents for keeping everybody honest and teaching young people a lesson. He made the liberals puke up their own garbage. They're still resisting the lesson and hoping for another Imperial Prince to come and reintroduce them to sweet subservience.