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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...

"We're actively looking at the various legal angles that would inform a decision." That is what an anonymous administration official told the Washington Post this week about President Barack Obama's deliberations on whether he will personally involve the United States in another Middle Eastern war by ordering military action in Syria. But the only law that ultimately matters here is the one Obama swore to preserve, protect and defend: the Constitution of the United States. As recently as six years ago, Obama exhibited a clear understanding of the power the Constitution does and does not give the president in using...

Greta was in for O'Reilly tonight. One of her guests was John Bolton. Greta asked Bolton if Obama had the authority to strike Syria without Congressional approval. Bolton didn't hesitate for a second. He said Obama absolutely has that authority.

Speaker of the House John Boehner called on President Barack Obama Monday to make a decision on the Syrian conflict, but not without the approval of congress first. "The Syrian regime has blatantly crossed President Obama's red line, the White House has acknowledged, by using chemical weapons on its people," the Ohio Republican wrote in a statement. "The options facing the president are complicated, have far-reaching ramifications, and may require significant resources." "That's why, if he chooses to act, the president must explain his decision publicly, clearly, and resolutely," he added. "The president is commander-in-chief. With that power comes obligations,"...

The answer to that question is … probably not. Despite all of the handwringing by Democrats in the last administration about “imperial presidencies,” Barack Obama has exercised military powers unilaterally, especially in Libya, which was a war against Moammar Qaddafi in all but name. Based on the responses from the White House late yesterday, we can expect more of the same regarding Syria: Carney also downplayed a role for Congress in reviewing or approving any strike plan. “I’m not going to speculate about a [presidential] decision that has not been made,” he said.“I’m not going to itemize calls … [but]...

A Republican lawmaker is rallying support to pressure President Barack Obama into seeking congressional authorization for military strikes against Syria. Rep. Scott Rigell of Virginia is asking colleagues to sign a letter to Obama that urges him to reconvene Congress and seek approval for any military action. …

US President Barack Obama has the authority to launch air strikes against Syria. But he has to notify lawmakers in Congress -- a process which has begun, according to both sides. "The administration is actively consulting with members of Congress, and we will continue to have these conversations in the days ahead," Kerry said Monday in a strongly-worded statement on Syria.

A new Reuters/Ipsos poll has finally found something that Americans like even less than Congress: the possibility of U.S. military intervention in Syria. Only 9 percent of respondents said that the Obama administration should intervene militarily in Syria; a RealClearPolitics poll average finds Congress has a 15 percent approval rating, making the country’s most hated political body almost twice as popular. The Reuters/Ipsos poll was taken Aug.19-23, the very same week that horrific reports emerged strongly suggesting that Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad has used chemical weapons against his own people, potentially killing hundreds or even thousands of civilians. If there...

We noted last month than Congress is less popular than North Korea, cockroaches, lice, root canals, colonoscopies, traffic jams, used car salesmen, Genghis Khan, Communism, BP during the Gulf oil spill, Nixon during Watergate or King George during the American Revolution. The Washington Post notes today that a Syria intervention is less popular than Congress. So that means that the American people would much rather get a root canal or a colonoscopy than bomb Syria. Indeed, while John Kerry announced today that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, Reuters noted: The polls suggest that so far, the growing crisis in...

“Congress doesn’t have a whole lot of core responsibilities,” said Barack Obama last week in an astonishing remark. For in the Constitution, Congress appears as the first branch of government. And among its enumerated powers are the power to tax, coin money, create courts, provide for the common defense, raise and support an army, maintain a navy and declare war. But, then, perhaps Obama’s contempt is justified. For consider Congress’ broad assent to news that Obama has decided to attack Syria, a nation that has not attacked us and against which Congress has never authorized a war. Why is Obama...

President Barack Obama should not necessarily wait for Congress to return from recess before taking action in Syria, two lawmakers said on "Fox News Sunday." "We have to move, and we have to move quickly," said Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. "Congress needs to be involved, but perhaps not initially." The U.S. can and should act to respond after reported widespread chemical attacks in Syria, using cruise missile strikes but not "boots on the ground" to destroy Bashar al Assad's runways, munitions and fuel, Engel added. "I think we have to respond,...

Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.) predicted Sunday the U.S. will take military action against Syria. Corker, the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he had been in discussions with the administration, and that he believed it would ask Congress for authorization to take military action. Corker suggested the action would be limited to air strikes and that U.S. forces should not be involved on the ground. "I think we will respond in a surgical way and I hope the president as soon as we get back to Washington will ask for authorization from Congress to do something in...

Are we, the people, going to allow yet another unlawful military action to take place? Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel suggested Friday that the Pentagon was moving naval forces closer to Syria in preparation for a possible decision by President Obama to order military strikes. Hagel declined to describe any specific movements of U.S. forces. He said Obama asked that the Pentagon to prepare military options for Syria and that some of those options "requires positioning our forces." I don't seem to recall a Declaration of War by Congress. And there is certainly no exigent emergency that requires an immediate response...

80 years ago the Marx brothers unknowingly parodied the Obama brothers - Barack, John Kerry, John McCain, Lindsey and the acquiescent Congress.

As President Barack Obama weighs military action in Syria, it remains unclear whether he will first seek congressional authorization. It is clear, however, that Obama once thought such authorization was necessary. “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,” candidate Obama told The Boston Globe in late 2007. He added that the president can only act unilaterally in “instances of self-defense.”

Beyond troubling considerations in regards to the rebels, there are serious questions on the constitutionality and appropriateness of President Obama's military options. While mainstream media outlets are busy getting all worked up for the potential ratings bonanza a new war will bring, dolling out all the typical military analysts to give us tantalizing speculations on how cruise missile and drone strikes on Assad's forces could play out, no one seems to be asking if President Obama even has the authority to launch a strike in the first place. How far have we fallen into the abyss of an unchecked executive...

President Obama dismissed criticism of his Libya policy last week, saying, “A lot of this fuss is politics.” Regardless of action on Senate Joint Resolution 20, the McCain-Kerry plan to authorize the limited use of force in Libya, the more important issue is Mr. Obama’s unwillingness to own up to his decisions in his role as commander in chief. Mr. Obama took the country to war in Libya, and he should admit it. The fuss goes beyond politics, beyond whether Mr. Obama’s policies are in the U.S. national interest and even beyond whether American military action has been effective. The...

When asked about his personal war against Libya and criticism about ignoring congress in a blatant disregard of the War Powers Act the President brushed both aside as just “noise”. Obama has no intention to seek congressional approval as required by law. The President wants Americans to ignore the fact that the incursion into Libya was supposed to be a US Lead effort to establish a UN mandated “No Fly Zone” and no more. He wants us to overlook the fact that this “kinetic military exercise” which started as a NATO air operations is now an overt effort to assassinate...

I asked Intrade to open up this contract so that anyone who knows they're right can make money on that certainty. Politics - US Congress Will Congress limit funding for military action in Libya? Contract Bid Ask Last Vol Chge LIMIT.FUNDING.LIBYA.JUL2011 House of Representatives to pass any measure to limit funding for Libyan actions before midnight ET Forum entries http://bb.intrade.com/intradeForum/posts/list/492453.page Author Message 16/06/2011 05:15:35 Subject: Whether or not Obama will be Subject to the War Powers Act over Libya ko Sage Joined: 03/11/2007 19:01:54 Messages: 1530 Offline I suggest we open a contract that would expire if Congress passes a...

Congress has the duty to curb presidential warmakingThe absurd argument that there is no war in Libya should not stop Congress from defunding it. Moving against this unnecessary “limited kinetic action” using the power of the purse will return Congress to first principles that have been obscured by the arcane debate over the meaning of the War Powers Resolution. Conservatives have questioned the propriety of the resolution since it was passed over President Nixon’s veto in 1973. The law’s “legislative veto” provision is probably unconstitutional, though it has not been tested in court. In June 1995, the Republican Congress nearly...