clothed with great power

The complaints about the methods Obama used to get the votes needed to pass the health care bill reminded me of a Lincoln quote. The setting was January, 1865. The measure had passed the Senate the previous fall and was before the House of Representatives. The prospects in the house looked bad as they were two votes shy of what was required. Lincoln sent for two of his supporters in the House and told them that he wanted them to obtain those two votes. The members asked him how they were to do that and he replied:
"I am the President of the United States, clothed with great power." He then explained why the measure was so very important and finished with: "I leave it to you to determine how it should be done; but remember that I am the President of the United States, clothed with immense power, and I expect you to procure those votes." --The Prairie and War Years, Carl Sandburg
By 119 to 56 with 8 abstaining they obtained the required 2/3 majority to send the Thirteenth Amendment banning slavery to the states for ratification.
Perhaps Lincoln chose those words because he was engaging in such a heavy handed use of that power. But I like how clearly he expressed that, though the power was great, it was also transient in nature. He did not "possess" power or "have" power but rather he was "clothed with" power.