Do we treat drug-law offenders the same way? We have an alleged "War on Drugs."
Under what conditions can we legitimately say we are at war? Does Congress have any say? If we don't formally declare war, do we allow the Executive Branch to apply wartime rules when it's convenient, and ignore them when not?
It's our responsibility to hold our leaders to some degree of consistency and adherence to the rule of law. The Constitution is quite explicit as to what must happen before we are at War.
SEC. 2. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.I feel he has to play the card game with what he has been dealt. He may have helped shuffle back 3 days after the event, but talk of non-authorization leaving him out on his lonesome without a formal declaration flys in the face of what he was authorized by Congress to do, and to do in preety broad terms.(a) IN GENERAL- That the President is authorized to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations, or persons he determines planned, authorized, committed, or aided the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, or harbored such organizations or persons, in order to prevent any future acts of international terrorism against the United States by such nations, organizations or persons.
(b) War Powers Resolution Requirements-
(1) SPECIFIC STATUTORY AUTHORIZATION- Consistent with section 8(a)(1) of the War Powers Resolution, the Congress declares that this section is intended to constitute specific statutory authorization within the meaning of section 5(b) of the War Powers Resolution.
(2) APPLICABILITY OF OTHER REQUIREMENTS- Nothing in this resolution supercedes any requirement of the War Powers Resolution.