Posted on 06/05/2011 4:08:12 PM PDT by MinorityRepublican
House Republicans have made much of their devotion to the Constitution, and on Friday they showed how wise the Founders really were. The House debate on Libya was a fiasco of evasion and posturing that vindicated the Founders for not trusting Congress with the power to run a war.
The most remarkable spectacle was the emergence of the Kucinich Republicans, who voted for Ohio Democrat Dennis Kucinich's resolution that would stop U.S. military action in Libya within 15 days. At least Mr. Kucinich is consistent in opposing U.S. force against dictators and other enemies no matter who sits in the Oval Office.
But what is the explanation for the 87 Republicans, including the likes of Indiana's Dan Burton and Wisconsin's Jim Sensenbrenner, who transform themselves into isolationists when a Democrat takes over the White House? Michele Bachmann, the Minnesota tea party favorite, also voted for the Kucinich retreat, which means she will start her campaign to become Commander in Chief by running to the left of President Obama and Nancy Pelosi. Teddy Roosevelt or Ronald Reagan, Mrs. Bachmann is not.
The Kucinich resolution failed, 265-148, but only after Speaker John Boehner offered his own alternative resolution that demanded no deployment of ground troops and rebuked Mr. Obama for failing to provide "a compelling rationale" for the Libyan conflict and giving him 14 days to provide one—or, well, nothing. Mr. Boehner's resolution passed 268-145, but it is little better than Mr. Kucinich's as a demonstration of House commitment to U.S. forces in the field.
As a spokesman for Secretary of Defense Robert Gates put it during the Libya debate, the vote "sends an unhelpful message of disunity and uncertainty to our troops, our allies and, most importantly, the Gadhafi regime."
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Teddy Roosevelt was a progressive and a statist!
I thank God that Michele is not anything like him.
I just wanna see some new pics of his wife!
There once was a twerp named Kucinich
Whose campaign I’d like to unhitch
His first name is Dennis,
but he’s known as The Menace.
And how did he marry that hot redhead, it’s drivin’ me crazy, I can’t understand it! Oops! Sorry!
In Cleveland he’s known as a dip switch!
This reads like “curve fitting”. There is no satisfactory explanation that I’ve heard why we should be in Libya. So it’s not really Republicans who want us out. It’s anyone with some desire to have some underlying values to our going to war.
Not impressed with the WSJ on this one.
But I gotta wonder where the anti war kooks are right now? I don’t see any “no war for oil” signs out there in front of the WH.
I congratulate those 87 Republicans. Gaddafi had given up his WMD and his sons were opening to the West. He may still be corrupt and brutal to his own people, but Gadaffi was no longer a threat to his neighbors or the USA.
The USA is not running an Empire and we can’t afford to be the world’s policeman.
“...how wise the Founders were....for not trusting Congress with the power to run a war....”
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The “founders” did not “trust” congress to run ANYTHING!
That is why all of the checks and balances were built in...
(and now ignored)
All the Loyalists have to do is to wait and allow the clock run out. When the West is forced to pull out of Libya, the Loyalists and the Mercenaries will be able to crush the rebellion in the country.
Isolationists? For not wanting to get involved in what is clearly a civil war in a country where neither side would be friendly to the US?
This editorial is totally delusional. What makes the WSJ editorial writers think this is a good war? Obama hasn’t even bothered to explain why we are involved.
Sure, Kucinich is a kook, but he just happens to be right on this one. This war is stupid. This war is AGAINST our national interests. This war is illegal and unconstitutional. So why the hell should anyone support it?
The Kucinich resolution was far better than the weak bill put forward by Boner—which he only put forward at all because he wanted to block the Kucinich bill. Kucinich would have stopped the war. Boner just wants to kick the ball down the road and then go play golf with his pal Obama.
Failing to care about that. There was no cause for us to go into Libya especially considering how cooperative they have been in recent years regarding terrorism.
I don’t care what happens to Libya. It could sink into the sea and I wouldn’t care. Liberals want to spread “democracy” and “human rights” in that dump of a country.
Why is that my problem?
Now we see the Wall Street Journal joining that parade.
One does imagine the WSJ opinion writers would like to murder some Republicans.
Republican Presidents go to Congress to get a blessing befor starting a prolonged "kinetic military action" or whatever the euphemism now is. Democrats don't follow the law.
I hate the War Powers Act-- but until it is repealed by Congress or nullified by the federal courts-- then it is the law, dammit.
Obviously, they are adrift in the sea of Gov't over each.
Congress and a State are the only legitimate powers that can engage in War.
This myth of Presidential powers has got to go. He serves the dictates of Congress, not the other way.
They are in favor of a war for the Caliphate.
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