Sounds like we just launched missiles into Libya. Guess we are not going to really just provide support and encouragement. We are deeply involved. And Obama is initiating offensive military actions and engaging in acts of war without getting any sort of congressional authorization. Not good.
From RM via Facebook:
Not certain he was required to get auth from Congress. 1) no formal declaration of war. 2) part of a multi-lateral offensive by Security Council of UN. I don’t feel sad about what happens to Gadafi! He’s been a brutal pig of a dictator longer than Mubarak. Its clear he has billions stashed all around Tripoli and elsewhere under multiple family names. He has seen this coming for years. My hope is that we get through this and outside of Iran the rest of the unrest in the region should be much more reasonable. Can you imagine the President of the US bringing in mercinary troops against our citizenry?
19 hours ago
From JS via Facebook:
Hey, what good is being president if you can’t fire off a few missiles once in a while. His only mistake was not going live on TV to announce it as it was happening to milk the coverage. How long do we need to wait for those cool POV videos of the missiles hitting their targets?
18 hours ago
From RM via Facebook:
OK Jon put your hawk on a leash. I take no pleasure in the very real amount of collateral damage that will surely occur. But I see a ray of hope spreading across the Middle East that if only the people are truly allowed to set up their own type of government regardless of if it is Democracy or not that maybe just maybe peace will break out in the region. Maybe a bit of my John Lennon showing. Imagine!
16 hours ago
From JS via Facebook:
I’m with you – sorry if the irony wasn’t showing through. : )
16 hours ago
From RM via Facebook:
‎2d problem with FB I get misinterpreted all the time.
15 hours ago
From SM via Facebook:
@RM: In terms of “required” it is a very debatable point. These are clearly acts of war, and thus one might argue a declaration of war would be necessary to make the acts “legal” as the UN can’t declare war for us. However, the War Powers Act of 1973 modifies things somewhat. But, even there, there is argument over if that law is itself constitutional based on how it modifies the separation of powers defined by the constitution. This comes on both sides, with the president always arguing that they don’t really need to do even the things defined by that law, and by others saying that congress can’t give up its responsibility to declare even if it wants to…
2 seconds ago
From SM via Facebook:
Even that is a moot point though. Presidents have argued since the founding of the country that they can do this kind of thing without congress, and they have done this kind of thing without congress, and congress has shown little if any will to fight for their prerogative. So the precedent has pretty well been set that regardless of if they SHOULD, Presidents get away with doing things like this without congress all the time.
2 seconds ago
From SM via Facebook:
All that though is different from the question of if it is WISE to do so. I’m a big fan of the Powell Doctrine when it comes to military engagements, and this violates nearly all of those tenets. (And going through the exercise of getting congressional buy in would help with one of them, which is maying sure you have strong domestic support for the action.) Anyway, Ivan is waiting for me to start the podcast, so I gotta go. Oh, and one more thing, yes, the potential wave of good things in the middle east has the potential to be a very good thing, but that is very different than the question of if we should be involved and if so how much.
2 seconds ago