[duk]

Then why are we groveling before the U.N.? As a former grunt, I would take a congressional declaration of war as a mandate from the people. My family and friends. A PERMISSION SLIP from congress does not carry the same weight. The DECLARATION should have been issued for the Afgan's INVASION/OCCUPATION.
Again, what we are doing is not hasty self defense. If we go to the U.N. for a resolution, why not send it and Iraq/Korea/Afgan, a true message of intent in accordance with our very plain speaking constitution?
The permission slip congress issued lacked the commitment and respondsibility of leadership. It was as if they did not want to stand up and say what really is going on. It's their job to declare war, so just SAY IT, and drive on.

[elfman2]

”A PERMISSION SLIP from congress does not carry the same weight. ”

You have no evidence for that. A “legal” declaration of war alone probably wouldn’t make the world any less willing to oppose us. It would only make interrogation of al-Queda in violation of treaties that we’ve ratified.

You don’t even have evidence that we’ve “groveled” to anyone. We’re not consulting the UN because we absolutely need them, but because we need Saddam to be courting them rather than threatening the world as we prepare.

Nevertheless, Support is nice to have. And getting it keeps the state department busy, rather than in our way. We want as much international support as possible so that we have some level of confidence that the bottom isn’t going to fall out from us somewhere else when we commit troops. We want to establish an overwhelming international consensus in support of our campaign so that some who’d like to see it fail (China) don’t dare actively work against us and then say, “Well, most of Europe is with us anyway”.