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Mitch McConnell Ready To Give President Unlimited War Powers (Cleared for Senate Vote)
HuffPo ^ | Jan 21 2016 | Michael McAuliff & Jennifer Bendery

Posted on 01/25/2016 12:58:48 PM PST by Whenifhow

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) caught nearly everybody off guard late Wednesday by quietly clearing the path for new legislation to declare war on the self-described Islamic State -- an issue he'd signaled for months he had no interest in touching.

McConnell introduced a sweeping authorization for the use of military force, or AUMF, that would give the president new authority to take action against the militant group also known as ISIS or ISIL. It wouldn't put any limits on the duration, geography or use of U.S. ground combat troops in the war, or on the means by which the U.S. military could act. It also would keep in place a broad AUMF from 2001 that never expired and that allows the president to take military action against anyone, anywhere, connected to the terrorists behind the 9/11 attacks.

In other words, it's a war authorization that's as wide open as it gets. (Read the text of McConnell's proposal below.)

[ ]

McConnell used a procedural rule to waive the requirement that his bill go through the committee process and instead have it ready for a floor vote at any time. He already has four co-sponsors on it: Sens. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Or¬rin Hatch (R-Utah) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who introduced a nearly identical AUMF last month.

It's a change in tack for McConnell, who until now has dismissed the idea of setting up an AUMF debate. He told Roll Call last month not to expect action on the issue in the first half of 2016. Two weeks ago, he said he wanted to wait until Obama is out of office to deal with the issue. He and other Republicans accuse Obama of having no strategy for defeating ISIS.

(Excerpt) Read more at huffingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Foreign Affairs; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: chinlesswonder; isis; mcconnell; senate; turtleboy; warpowers
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"Look, I don't want to tie the hands of the next president. The next president may want to actually defeat ISIL," McConnell said on ABC's "This Week." "I think an AUMF ... that ties the president's hands behind his back is not something I would want to do to a new president who's going to have to clean up this mess, created by all of this passivity over the last eight years."

snip

"The AUMF that was filed yesterday is NOT the weak sauce the president proposed last year."

1 posted on 01/25/2016 12:58:48 PM PST by Whenifhow
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To: MarchonDC09122009; Jet Jaguar; Nachum

The text of the bill is on the page.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mitch-mcconnell-war-authorization-isis_us_56a115eae4b0404eb8f083d0


2 posted on 01/25/2016 1:00:09 PM PST by Whenifhow
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To: Whenifhow

Sheer lunacy.


3 posted on 01/25/2016 1:00:33 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to to God!)
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To: Whenifhow

Far better to wage unlimited war on McDorkell.

May he assume room temp NOW and burn in hell, Detroit, or New York.


4 posted on 01/25/2016 1:01:58 PM PST by Da Coyote
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To: Jim Robinson

War powers against who? American and Israelis?


5 posted on 01/25/2016 1:03:06 PM PST by blackdog (There is no such thing as healing, only a balance between destructive and constructive forces.)
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To: Whenifhow

And, we were worried about martial law.


6 posted on 01/25/2016 1:04:01 PM PST by moovova
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To: Whenifhow
Mitch McConnell Ready To Give President Unlimited War Powers (Cleared for Senate Vote)

Because Mitch McConnell just can't get his tongue far enough up Obama's butt.

I told you Kentuckian Freepers he would be worse than a Democrat.

7 posted on 01/25/2016 1:04:18 PM PST by DiogenesLamp ("of parents owing allegiance to no other sovereignty.")
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To: Whenifhow

Of course he is /smh


8 posted on 01/25/2016 1:04:21 PM PST by RIghtwardHo
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To: Whenifhow

Like giving matches to a baby.


9 posted on 01/25/2016 1:05:15 PM PST by CMB_polarization
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To: Jim Robinson

He won re-election with Trumps’ contributions though...sigh. and is SUPPORTED by Trump.
I wish someone would question Donald Trump on this move and see if he agrees with Mitch.


10 posted on 01/25/2016 1:05:44 PM PST by pollywog ( " O thou who changest not....ABIDE with me")
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To: Whenifhow

Yes, Mitch, the next president might ... Might want to defeat Isis PLO pa hezbellah al queida hamas Abbas and the Muslim brotherhood and cair and all our deadly enemies. But as you’ve noted, the current occupant of our White House has no such interest ( just the opposite!!). So, you should wait until we see what kind of president — loyal American or another enemy agent — we get.


11 posted on 01/25/2016 1:08:30 PM PST by faithhopecharity ("Politicians are not born, they're excreted." Marcus Tullius Cicero (106 -- 43 BCE))
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To: pollywog

Yup. Trump is dead now. He’s gone. Belly up. That’s all she wrote. The fat lady is singing now. It’s oooooover. Sob.


12 posted on 01/25/2016 1:09:09 PM PST by Jim Robinson (Resistance to tyrants is obedience to to God!)
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To: Da Coyote

“May he assume room temp NOW and burn in hell, Detroit, or New York.

No kidding, or wander into a crime scene and catch a stray. Just an absolutely reprehensible POS. Several of our MId South States (notably Tennessee and Kentucky) have an electorate who’ve spent too much time in their outhouses. or double-wides, or they’re loaded up on hog jowls or chitlins and it’s caused a wave of abject stupidity! BTW, Corker is as bad as Mc Scrotum Neck, but he’s not “leader” yet!


13 posted on 01/25/2016 1:11:53 PM PST by vette6387
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To: Whenifhow

Refuse to give HuffPo any clicks, so I didn’t read the article. But IMHO, the repubs should have called Obama’s bluff on the ISIS situation with not some use of force authorization but an outright Declaration of War specifically on ISIS, ISIL, Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and any organization that provides funding or assistance to these groups. The declaration should also specifically state that any assistance or coordination provided to these groups would be considered an act of war against the United States — or if committed by a US citizen — an act of treason.

Anything short of this simply gives Obama a pass.


14 posted on 01/25/2016 1:11:58 PM PST by VRWCmember
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To: Whenifhow

McConnell HAS TO BE A SECRET DEMOCRAT. Obama already has all the Congressional “clearance” he needs based upon the Bush era Congressional authorization for the “War on Terror”.


15 posted on 01/25/2016 1:14:56 PM PST by House Atreides (Cruzin' [BUT NO LONGER Trumping'] or losin'!)
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To: House Atreides

I am convinced that McConnell is a “bottom” for the Dems, now the only question is, who and how many “tops” does he have!!


16 posted on 01/25/2016 1:21:16 PM PST by MagUSNRET
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To: Whenifhow

the president wants to rejoin the coalition to kill ISIS that he abandoned in a cowardly hissy fit

He will be allowed to join but not lead


17 posted on 01/25/2016 1:23:41 PM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;+12, 73, ....carson is the kinder gentler trump.)
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To: Whenifhow

Mitch has a dark and clouded view of reality.

That’s because he has his head stuck far up Obama’s nether regions where the sun never shines.


18 posted on 01/25/2016 1:23:57 PM PST by Iron Munro (The wise have stores of choice food and oil but a foolish man devours all he has. Proverbs 21:20)
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To: pollywog

You might want to ask Rand Paul as well.


19 posted on 01/25/2016 1:28:21 PM PST by bimboeruption (Nothing imtimidates evil more than when the redeemed become fearless.)
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To: Whenifhow
He already has four co-sponsors on it: Sens. Dan Coats (R-Ind.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who introduced a nearly identical AUMF last month.

I will do whatever I can to help make sure Joni Ernst never holds an elected office again. Fool me once...

Mr. niteowl77

20 posted on 01/25/2016 1:36:26 PM PST by niteowl77
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