Posted on 08/31/2013 12:38:55 AM PDT by Freedom of Speech Wins
Obama May Be Walking Into an Impeachment Trap
Posted on Aug 30, 2013
Beth Rankin (CC BY 2.0)
By Kevin Zeese, PopularResistance
This article originated with PopularResistance.org.
The irony of the Obama presidency may hinge on whether he attacks Syria. He began his presidency prematurely winning the Nobel Peace Prize and could end it being impeached for starting an illegal war without congressional or UN approval – violating both domestic and international law.
Yesterday 163 Members of Congress sent letters to President Obama telling him that under the US Constitution he is required to get congressional approval before beginning a military attack. The letter drafted by Rep. Scott Rigel (R-VA) had 140 signatures, 119 Republicans and 21 Dems. Rep. Barbara Lee also circulated a letter that had 53 signers, that calls on the president to seek congressional approval.
The Rigel letter warned Obama that engaging in military action “would violate the Separation of Powers Clause that is clearly delineated in the Constitution.” They also note that the justification for war in Libya also violated the Constitution. The Lee letter warns that “we all swore to uphold and defend” the Constitution; and that we should not engage in an “unwise war – especially without adhering to our own Constitutional requirements.” In their concluding paragraph they warn “Before weighing the use of military force, Congress must fully debate and consider the facts and every alternative . . .”
President Obama knows the limits of his powers. In fact, if there is an impeachment proceeding his own words will be quoted. When he was running for president, Obama told the Boston Globe: “The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation.”
Vice President Biden, in a 2007 campaign event in Iowa, went further, not only stating clearly that the president does not have unilateral power to conduct military attacks but threatening impeachment of President Bush if he did so.
The Green Shadow Cabinet of the United States was explicit calling on President Obama to seek congressional approval before going to war, noted that under Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the US Constitution, it is the Congress that determines whether the United States goes to war. They also highlight the potential of impeachment writing: “If President Obama launches an attack without prior explicit authorization by Congress, he will have committed an offense worthy of impeachment.” [Disclosure, I serve as Attorney General in the alternative cabinet.]
If impeachment proceedings are held all of the doubts about the war will come out. People in the military have protected themselves by telling President Obama that they have serious doubts about a military attack. The have warned Obama about potential blowback, misusing the military to send a message with no clear strategy, drawing the US into a vexing war when they are already burdened by a complicated withdrawal from Afghanistan. Some have used words like “potentially devastating consequences” Reportedly, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Martin Dempsey, has warned in great detail about the risks and pitfalls of U.S. military intervention in Syria, warning “deeper involvement is hard to avoid.”
If the war goes wrong, and wars almost always go wrong, President Obama will see the memorandums of various members of the military who warned him. And, they will be called to testify and tell the world that President Obama was warned but went ahead anyway – without congressional approval in violation of the Constitution.
What could go wrong? Syria has the ability to defend itself and attack US military vessels. Iran and Russia have already indicated they will be drawn into the conflict. Threats of retaliation are already being made and troop movements are occurring. Russia is moving two additional naval ships, a missile cruiser and a large anti-submarine vessel, into the Mediterranean to strengthen its presence in case of a US attack. Russia and Saudi Arabia have exchanged threats over Syria. Russia threatening an attack on Saudi Arabia if the US attacks Syria with President Putin ordering a “massive military strike” against Saudi Arabia in the event that the West attacks Syria. Saudi Arabia is threatening Chechen terrorist attacks on Russia at the Olympics.
Iran, Syria and Hezbollah have threatened to retaliate against Israel and other US allies in the Middle East in the event of a US attack on Syria. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, chief of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, told the Tasnim news website, that an attack on Syria “means the immediate destruction of Israel.”
Agree with you there. Want them out of New York City and our country.
Good grief, giving Boehner, McConnell, Cantor, et al, that much credit? What planet are we on? Is this still Earth?
Know it isn't something impossible, but that isn't what they are saying now.
They are not going to impeach half a Negro in this country.
Dreams of impeachment are just that Dreams.
It’s worse than the Cuban missile crises.
Double Bump.
When the Democrat delegates booed the decision to revise the God-less platform stance of the Democrat party, I thought it was a Biblical moment, still do. Nothing could have distinguished the Democrat party from the Republican party more. There should have been ads running in 15 second spots both in English and Spanish.
And, why the heck can't the Republicans run ads that will counter the upcoming onslaught pro-Obamacare propaganda? For Pete's sake, they just have to tell the truth.
So Assad is the new Archduke Ferdinand?
Last I heard yesterday, even Obama was saying “limited, narrow” attack.
Maybe he’ll work out a side deal with the Russians that will let him back down gracefully. With all of the warning he’s given Assad, a few bombs in the desert will make him look tough and principled, but not do any damage.
535 members of Congress — 163 members sent letters because they believe in the Constitution. It’s at least a beginning. Thank you.
He can be impeached, all right, but he would never be convicted in the Senate, which is what is necessary for his removal.
Can we totally blame obama? He’s only doing what the GOPe CONgress is allowing him to do. They keep erasing their lines in the sand. CONgress is the parenting equivalent of telling children that they better stop misbehaving before mom counts to three. The kids then get three seconds to misbehave, which tells them that their actions aren’t really that bad, and mom ends up doing nothing in the end.
Obama is a sick fantasizing thug. He blames whites for colonizing, yet like all liberals, would love to subjugate himself other nations to feed him free icdcream like that moron in NorthKorea.
Accomplishes a couple of important things.
All these investigations by congress on all the bs this asshat has been doing ties up obammy and many of his psycophants.
If their time is taken up by this crap they can’t be ruining other things
Now impeachment has to be taken seriously. Lot of Klintons time was wasted on his impeachment even though he was not convicted in the senate,
I say tie this bastard up any way possible.
Also let him bomb Syria and God forbid they capture an American serviceman or woman.Maybe even our pathetic press would start turning.
I could see it: “Republicans want to impeach because they want to colonize the world and not let us”
I certainly "wish" Obama would be impeached...but as they say..."Wish in one hand and crap in the other and see which gets filled up first"
There is no chance, none, not going to ever happen of Obama getting impeached...
He could rape little boys and eat live kittens on the White Hut lawn and it will not happen
First of all the House doesn't have the balls, the Senate even if in GOP hands won't have the votes to convict
Why do they pretend it's possible...?
Obama is dangerous because he is foreign and uprooted. He has no home an hates that. He won’t be bothered when unkinned Americans get destroyed, and he won’t be bound as a colonizer to home politics or international politics of me vs. you.
“Nucular combat, toe-to-toe with the Russkies!”
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