[Laissez-faire capitalist]

What say you?

[dfwgator]

The fix is in, Obama is going to get his war.

[wideawake]

The Commander-in-Chief gets to command US forces.

If he wants to command them against a sovereign state recognized by the US as legitimate, then Congress has to declare a state of war.

Otherwise, the President is in charge of the armed forces as long as Congress decides to keep paying for them.

[C. Edmund Wright]

I disagree that Bolton is GOP-e - as the author says. He may be in agreement with the GOP e in this particular case, but that’ a bit of a gratuitious swipe at a guy not afraid to call it the way he sees it.

[skeeter]

There are no republicans and democrats, no liberals and conservatives.

Only statists and liberty loving americans.

[kidd]

First of all John Bolton is hardly an establishment republican.

Second, what he said is precisely what the Constitution provides. Congress, and only Congress, can declare war. The Congress can put whatever limitations they want on their declaration. The POTUS, as the CIC, is responsible for the conduct of the war.

There is the War Powers act (of dubious Constitutionality), in which the Congress has given its right to declare war to the POTUS in certain cases and with some restrictions and reporting requirements. It does not apply to Syria.

If Congress refuses to declare war, and Obama proceeds with an attack on Syria, then Obama is exceeding the powers granted to him.

Are you under the belief that it is the role of Congress to both declare AND conduct war?

[ballplayer]

The American people voted to give Obama the keys to the kingdom,so stop the complaining,he obviously is so far above the rest of the world,according to Valerie Jarrett,that he can foresee the future,just have faith FOLKS,stop the obstructions and let the man rule.After all what could possibly go wrong,our country will be stronger,more respected,and most important of all FEARED.They will all understand there is a LUNATIC in the White House

[publana]

I disagree with Bolton on this issue, but I would never call him derisive names such as “fossil” as I personally admire the man. Bolton is no fossil.

[Regulator]

Bolton's a thug statist.

Lotta people on this forum think he's a tuff guy but all I see is a blustering loudmouth, always spoiling for a fight in some irrelevant buttsore of a country, probably where one of his friends owns a ranch.

Only the Congress has the power to declare war. That was put in the Constitution by men who knew that Kings were always looking to use the citizenry as fodder for some fight that would benefit the King and his buddies. Those who don't want to be fodder are supposedly represented in the Congress. Thus the requirement.

The War Powers Act of 1973 codifies what the President can do without Congress. It is power they ceded to him to be practical - things happen that supposedly just can't wait. But this one can.

[capt B]

War Powers Resolution 1973 gives presidents some lee way

[Zhang Fei]

Bolton is the kind of guy who sees every skirmish we're not involved in as the second coming of Munich, a sign of weakness that will lead to another iteration of some variant of the Third Reich. He knows a lot about the region, but is overly apt to think in neocon terms, that every foreigner is a blank slate waiting for us to write on. The reality, however, is that Syrian Sunnis don't want freedom for all - they want the freedom to step all over the Christians, Druze and Alawites in Syria, the way other Sunni Arab states do.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Bolton is a war hawk. He will always be in favor of demonstrating America’s status as a super-power. He, Cheney, and others do not believe the War Powers Act is constitutional. They believe the POTUS, whomever it is, as CIC, has the power to direct the use of force by the American military for a short period of time without authorization from Congress. (i.e. a stong Executive)

[Jane Long]

. for later...

[hummingbird]

"As if the president (be it Nixon, GHWB, or Clinton) sits on the throne and Congress' job is to merely place the crown on their heads and the scepter in their hands."

No kidding; with B. Hussein O.'s propensity to enact Executive Orders, why even consult Congress?

Why even have a Congress - just let them sit in their little chairs and Big Daddy (and Valerie Jarrett) will shoot a few EO's out there and his job is done.

Then, if it goes south, blame the Congress for not stopping him, as if they had any power/will to stop an EO.

Laissez-faire capitalist --->.

Love your name!

[Robert DeLong]

Umm, just exactly whom do you believe it is that has the authority to order troops to engage in military strikes? It is not Congress, not Generals, not the Vice President, not the Speaker of the House. It is the President, Commander in Chief. Congress merely declares war and funds them

By the way this is not Obama's first military strike without Congress declaring war. He sent planes to bomb Libya.

There have been 11 Declarations of War by Congress, 2 were issued at the start and during WWI, and 6 were issued at the start of and during WWII, for a total of 5 wars.

Declaration of War with Great Britain, 1812
On June 17, 1812, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Great Britain. The Senate approved the resolution by a vote of 19-13.

Declaration of War with Mexico, 1846
On May 12, 1846, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Mexico. The Senate approved the resolution by a vote of 40-2.

Declaration of War with Spain, 1898
On April 25, 1898, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Spain.

Declaration of War with Germany, 1917
On April 6, 1917, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Germany. The Senate approved the resolution by a vote of 82-6 on April 4, 1917.

Declaration of War with Austria-Hungary, 1917
On December 7, 1917, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Austria-Hungary. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 74-0.

Declaration of War with Japan, 1941
On December 8, 1941, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Japan. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 82-0.

Declaration of War with Germany, 1941
On December 11, 1941, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Germany. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 88-0.

Declaration of War with Italy, 1941
On December 11, 1941, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Italy. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 90-0.

Declaration of War with Bulgaria, 1942
On June 4, 1942, Congress approved a resolution declaring war with Bulgaria. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 73-0.

Declaration of War with Hungary, 1942
On June 4, 1942, the Senate approved a resolution declaring war with Hungary. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 73-0.

Declaration of War with Rumania, 1942
On June 4, 1942, the Senate approved a resolution declaring war with Rumania. The Senate unanimously approved the resolution, 73-0.

[tupac]

You can trust John Bolton on this one, whatever he said. Let me see, your perception about what he said against whatever John Bolton said. Hmm.. You must not have heard right. There. Settled.

[autumnraine]

What is wrong with these people?
Bolton qas decent for a time.

[Arthur McGowan]

The power to declare war is relevant only in cases of aggressive war. In the 18th century, defensive wars were not declared. Aggressive war is now illegal.

The Constitution is poorly worded. It should have specifically referred to the power to wage war, not merely to declare it.

The Second Amendment should be stripped of its first clause, incidentally.

[fatnotlazy]

Not sure if it's the same interview, but I caught a clip of Bolton on Fox where he said this country shouldn't be in any war until we get a stronger president in the White House.

I happen to think he's right on that point. Obama is no commander-in-chief.

[Innovative]

You totally misrepresented the Bolton interview on FoxNews.