From today's Wall Street Journal:

At a news conference Wednesday, Ms. Waters (Congresswoman Maxine Waters) suggested the caucus (the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC)) would oppose other White House priorities on the House floor. Caucus members will "use our power and our influence" to change policies on foreclosures and unemployment, as well as boost credit and federal-contracting programs for minority-owned businesses, among other things, she said.

.....A key clash between the caucus and the administration came during the Nov. 16 meeting between Mr. Geithner, Mr. Emanuel and members of the caucus. Caucus members grew increasingly frustrated at the 90-minute meeting, feeling their concerns weren't registering. Several times, Mr. Geithner told the members he couldn't do what they were asking.

At one point, Ms. Waters cited the example of Inner City Broadcasting. Messrs. Geithner and Emanuel interpreted the exchange to mean CBC members were pressuring them to lean on the bank to help a specific company, people familiar with the situation said. This led to a tense exchange between both sides.

In case it's been a while since you have read the U.S. Constitution, here is how the powers of the Legislative Branch are clearly defined:

Section 8 - Powers of Congress

The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises, to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States; but all Duties, Imposts and Excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes;

To establish an uniform Rule of Naturalization, and uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;

To provide for the Punishment of counterfeiting the Securities and current Coin of the United States;

To establish Post Offices and Post Roads;

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries;

To constitute Tribunals inferior to the supreme Court;

To define and punish Piracies and Felonies committed on the high Seas, and Offenses against the Law of Nations;

To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water;

To raise and support Armies, but no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years;

To provide and maintain a Navy;

To make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces;

To provide for calling forth the Militia to execute the Laws of the Union, suppress Insurrections and repel Invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the Militia, and for governing such Part of them as may be employed in the Service of the United States, reserving to the States respectively, the Appointment of the Officers, and the Authority of training the Militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten Miles square) as may, by Cession of particular States, and the acceptance of Congress, become the Seat of the Government of the United States, and to exercise like Authority over all Places purchased by the Consent of the Legislature of the State in which the Same shall be, for the Erection of Forts, Magazines, Arsenals, dock-Yards, and other needful Buildings; And

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.

I am very much struggling to find the clause that lines up with Congresswoman Water's interpretation of this section of the Constitution. And if you think the reference to "General Welfare" is an all encompassing phrase the Founding Fathers secretly stuck in the Constitution to make sure modern day liberals could do anything they deemed necessary and proper for the "general welfare" of the United States, please heed these words from James Madison, the Father of the Constitution:

"If Congress can employ money indefinitely to the general welfare, and are the sole and supreme judges of the general welfare, they may take the care of religion into their own hands; they may appoint teachers in every State, county and parish and pay them out of their public treasury; they may take into their own hands the education of children, establishing in like manner schools throughout the Union; they may assume the provision of the poor; they may undertake the regulation of all roads other than post-roads; in short, every thing, from the highest object of state legislation down to the most minute object of police, would be thrown under the power of Congress.... Were the power of Congress to be established in the latitude contended for, it would subvert the very foundations, and transmute the very nature of the limited Government established by the people of America."