Richard Nixon and the Notion of Presidential Power "Actions which otherwise would be unconstitutional, could become lawful if undertaken for the purpose of preserving the Constitution and the Nation." The idea that certain actions are not illegal if used to preserve the best interests of a nation has drawn sharp criticism from the time of Lincoln through today. Presidents of the United States do take a solemn oath in which they promise to “ . . . preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States”, but the means which they have employed to accomplish these ends have greatly d