Posted on 09/11/2013 9:58:49 AM PDT by jazusamo
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) argued Wednesday that President Obama should consider bombing Syria without congressional approval, because the credibility of the White House is now on the line.
McCain said that if Obama acts before any vote in Congress, he could argue that he has acted in conformity with past administrations, including President Reagans invasion of Grenada in the 1980s.
He notified everybody the next morning, McCain noted at a Wall Street Journal breakfast roundtable.
The senior Republican acknowledged the decision would be a difficult one, but he said he did not think members of his own party would try to remove President Obama from office if he acted in the vital national interest.
Theyre not going to impeach the president. Theyre not that crazy, he told reporters after the event.
McCain said he has been wrestling with the question of whether Obama should ignore Congress.
There are times when the president of the United States has to act in the national interest and that clashes with my view we are a nation of laws, governed by the Constitution and the separation of powers, he said.
I do believe there are times, particularly prior to World War II, we have the example of Franklin Roosevelt taking actions that Congress would never have approved Abraham Lincoln acted unilaterally in the Civil War, he added.
McCain said the world should know within as little as 48 hours whether a Russian proposal to put Syrian chemical weapons under international control is merely a rope-a-dope stalling tactic.
The best way to test the Russian proposal, he said, is to bring it to the United Nations Security Council and see if the Russians veto a resolution that is backed by the threat of force and which authorizes international weapons inspections on the ground in Syria.
If the Russian proposal is a ruse, Obama will have a stronger argument in favor of military action.
I think that, one, that the president of the United States should go back, if this fails, this Russian initiative, and convince the American people again, McCain said. "Then I think the president has to decide whats in our vital national interest.
If he launched an attack on Syria without the endorsement of Congress, it would be vastly more complicated if Congress had already acted. If he acted without the agreement of Congress, you could make the argument before the resolution was passed that he is acting as other president have.
It he is a very, very difficult situation, McCain said.
He said that a failed vote in Congress would be catastrophic and could damage future presidential power. Failure to act could embolden Iran, threaten Israel and diminish the White House in the eyes of the world, he said.
McCain acknowledged that the congressional GOP has emerged as the chief obstacle to acting in Syria. He said a battle is raging for the soul of the Republican Party and internationalists must prevail over isolationists, whom he called wacko-birds.
He said he would be having dinner Wednesday with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), a leading opponent of involvement in Syria.
McCain acknowledged that missteps by the Bush administration in Iraq have fostered a renewed isolationism.
The American people and the world were not told the truth about weapons of mass destruction, he said. I understand why they are skeptical.
McCain said Obamas Tuesday night speech, overall, was good, but Obama should have shown more support for the rebel movement and tried to dispel any idea they are Muslim extremists.
They must have been dispirited last night by presidents failure to mention that they deserved our support, he said.
Dimwit nitwit mclame should be involuntarily committed by his family for the good of their family and the good of the Country.
Whether or not there is a recall in Arizona, it is time to RECALL THIS STUNTED FREAK FROM OFFICE.
McCain is hitting both ditches these days.
The old Maverick has finally shown his true colors. He is a follower of the Lord of rebellion old Beezelbub himself and has become a Jezebelian Eunuch in King Obamas court. Lord save us from these apostates to the American Will and Way!
Freegards
LEX
So.... an act of war, just not a real war. Sorta like rape, rape?
McCain is officially senile. IF O does it, he will be the kiss of death for several election cycles to come for the Dem’s in both the House and the Senate. I think. \
Our military deserve more respect than O or McCain or Lindsey are giving them. Their lives are not pawns in some chess/war game.
As much as I despise Obama, I will still say, Thank God McCain didn’t win in 2008.....we very well may have been a radioactive heap of ash if he’d won.
How many times does this nincompoop have to jump the shark before his constituents recall him?
Time to recall McCain, Arizona voters.
McCain is plumb ate up with terminal Dumb Ass.
Absolutely!
Syria isn’t Grenada
In Grenada Reagan rescued dozens of American medical students before they could be taken hostage or caught in middle of a coup
How many Americans will barry be rescuing from Syria?
More than he rescued form Benghazi?
So.... an act of war, just not a real war. Sorta like rape, rape?
I HATE this POS McCain. He's just like Brennan, a convert to Islam?
John McCain
..or maybe he's just a brainless scarecrow?
Wow. This McCain is really bomb happy, isn’t he?
The guy wanted to Nuke Belgrade during Kosovo.
He isn’t going to be happy until we start bombing something.
As much as I despise Obama, I will still say, Thank God McCain didnt win in 2008.....we very well may have been a radioactive heap of ash if hed won.
BTW, I moved to that property in August of 2011 from my home of 45 years, Seattle. Heaven on earth, even if the S doesn’t HTF.
He can use Meghan as a bunker buster.
Amen...Not even close.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.