Lieberman Warns of Potential Constitutional Crisis over Iraq

Joe Lieberman ^ | 2/16/07 | Joe Lieberman

[nutmeg]

Connecticut ping!

Please Freepmail me if you want on or off my infrequent Connecticut ping list.

[ken5050]

FYI..on Chris Matthews' Sunday show a few weeks ago, one of his guests predicted that soon Lieberman will leave the Dems and caucus with the GOP..

[gobus1]

Stunning and disturbing that these words have been removed from the speech by Disney. A very prescient warning.

[geopyg]

"it is unlikely we can undertake any successful war in the future"

Forgot your history? Back in the early 70's Congress basically did the same thing and we "lost" in Vietnam. But 20 years later we were back in play after the first Gulf War.

Of course, the Muslims will have defeated us by 2026 at this rate.

[mountainfolk]

Thank you for posting Senator Lieberman's speech. It certainly spells out very clearly the far reaching ramifications of this vile and treasonous and cowardly 'non binding resolution' that the RATS and their new best friends in the Republican party have initiated. The fourth paragraph from the bottom is warning the RATS that in two years time one of their own may be President and then they will be bound by the results of their efforts to take over presidential war powers. The trouble is that the RATS know that when push comes to shove, the Republicans will not respond in the same aggressive way that the RATS will to get the upper hand in any situation, regaardless of harm to this country. I think Senator Lieberman's plea for sanity, or perhaps just common sense, from his former RAT party mates, is an exercise in futility. He must be a really good person at heart to still believe that these cowardly defeatists have an ounce of patriotism left in their treasonous persons.

[jwparkerjr]

I want to find a recording of the original speech, before it was changed. There's more to it than just that, but it was an outstanding speech about our country!

[OldPossum]

Sometimes one has to think that Sen. Lieberman is the only senator with an ounce of sense. Definitely is the only Democratic senator with said attribute.

[Vicomte13]

"These little snivelings wll run to France when the going gets tough."

Why do you think France would want them?
If they have a lot of money, sure, but otherwise, France is not a country of immigration.

[4integrity]

'..lesson ...' taught by those who sat out 06...

exactly. Even after seeing the debacle that has occurred since the Dems "won" the House and Senate, some R's still say they just won't vote if the candidate is Giuliani or Romney. IMHO, they are then surrendering our country to the Democrats. And, based on today's actions of the House Dems, they have no problem giving comfort to our enemies. If we wind up with a Dem Pres, conservatives will end up with the same issues they resent Giuliani for but, they'll also have a President who will be weak on defense.
God help America.

[palmer]

Rather, it's going to be a rather bloody civil war, and if we're lucky, this time we'll come out of it without any more Democrats.

I assume nonbinding resolutions from politicians who were elected to do that are ok? If there is a binding resolution cutting off funding for Iraq would you propose starting a civil war over that? I'd like to know where you draw your line. Personally I draw it when someone suggests violent response to political processes.

[windchime]

Found here:

Lincoln's Lyceum Address

Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois
January 27, 1838

 

[palmer]

Arm your self

The reason we have republican government and a Senate that can filibuster is so that important issues like defense are not left to a mob like those who voted in the last election. At least give it a chance.

[muawiyah]

Look, like with the first civil war, you can depend on the Democrats to actually start firing on the US Army as soon as possible.

They're just crazy that way.

Hope that satisfies your need for assurance that I am not going to go out there and shoot Jim Moran or anything like that ~

[palmer]

Good thing the Libs are against gun ownership. Sort of guarantees there won't be dems left.

And your tagline says "choose life"?

[muawiyah]

Lieberman knows that Israel is at issue in this deal and he, as a Jew, doesn't want to be responsible for their destruction.

However, as long as he caucuses with the Democrats he takes the risk that he will end up at fault for allowing the Democrats to destroy Israel and all its people.

Time for Joe to pull the plug on this nonsense and switch parties.

[palmer]

I think such a democratically fired shot can easily be avoided, or made completely ineffective, with the right kind of political leadership. That's a case where I might actually vote for Giuliani.

[billbears]

"Whatever our opinion of this war or its conduct, it is in no one's interest to stumble into a debilitating confrontation between our two great branches of government over war powers. The potential for a constitutional crisis here and now is real, with congressional interventions, presidential vetoes, and Supreme Court decisions.

Actually I think it is. It's about time the Legislative branch put itself back onto equal footing where it belongs. The Executive Branch, under control of both parties, has been running roughshod over the Constitution (and the Legislative Branch) in some ways for over a century and a half. Instead of the Judiciary lightly smacking the Executive Branch on the hand when it goes wrong (as it has in the past), if we're to return to a true Constitutional Republic, let's have at it once and for all. If not now, when? First step require the President to go before Congress and formally request a Declaration of War. Not a mish mash of resolutions as has been the standard for the last half century. A formal Declaration of War with the Constitutional reasoning for asking for it as well.

[Publius]

Fighting Under World War II Rules

[muawiyah]

Er, Billbears, who is this war to be against?

[billbears]

Try selling it however you want but the facts remain. The Executive Branch is much stronger than the Framers intended. The Legislative Branch has not stepped up for many years. It's time to return the balance. This isn't 'WWII rules', this is a Constitutional issue that has been sometime coming. Lieberman doesn't want to fight it and most of the other worthless politicians probably don't even know it's there. But it is something that has needed addressing for a long time