Level with us, Mr. President (the hero of chappaquidicks op ed)

boston globe ^ | 2-8-03 | mary jo's killer

[Straight Vermonter]

You do realize that the "declarations of war" in WWII were Joint Resolutions of Congress? Whether the Joint Resolution includes the words "declaration of war" is irrelevent.

You are right DD. An authorization of force is all that is required. The Constitution does not lay out guidelines for how a declaration of war should be written.

Section 8. The Congress shall have power to...declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

More on declarations of war here.

[cloud8]

Let Fat Boy know what you think.

Kennedy, Edward - (D - MA)

317 RUSSELL SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
E-mail: senator@kennedy.senate.gov

[AnAmericanMother]

Motion to drop the Hon. Sen. Kennedy on Iraq during the first wave of bombing...

Hey, won't that violate the Geneva Convention or something?

[WorkingClassFilth]

LEVEL WITH ME, TED, DO YA' POUND MORE THAN A QUART A DAY OR DO YA' REIN IT IN UNTIL THE WEEKENDS? ENQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW, YOU HAMHEADED PARADE BLIMP!

[AnAmericanMother]

Good analysis there.

Of course, it's obvious that several of his staff wrote it, given the variation in writing styles and the internal inconsistencies (where do they GET these loons that work in the Congressional offices?)

All Teddy Bare did was hiccup over it once and initial it.

[Kip Lange]

Of course, it's obvious that several of his staff wrote it

Oh, I know, but that makes it all the more fun (and easy) to rip apart. ;-)

The unfortunate thing is this means that most likely he's looking at polls showing he's perfectly safe coming out and making those remarks...which means where I currently live is further left than Feinstein's constituency...now WHY am I here, again? :-)

[DugwayDuke]

Exactly, those that claim we need a "declaration of war" are uninformed or they are looking for another excuse. They sound so much like the democrats who want another vote or the French who want another UN resolution.

[AnAmericanMother]

Well, as Donn Byrne put it when somebody asked him why he didn't just GO back to Ireland, it could be family, or a grave, or even the unutterable vulgarity of money matters . . .

I actually lived for four years in New Jersey. Don't know how I stood it . . . but I was young and foolish.

[fuzzthatwuz]

"Hey, he left out all the Ah's and err's."

Helen Thomas is phlegmatic Teddy's ghost writer.

[aculeus]

The Count of Chappaquiddick has spoken.

[Catspaw]

I don't know about you, but it's good to start off the day with a laugh.

[jqpublic]

Kennedy resigned under pressure in 1940, when war became inevitable.

Here's hoping that his son follows in his footsteps.

J.Q.

[jqpublic]

And I just live here in MA but man oh man, do I apologize to everyone here for the fact that this guy keeps getting re-elected...the horror, the horror.

It's not your fault. Of course, I come from the great state of Minnesota - known for Humphrey, Mondale, Wellstone and Ventura.

I just prefer to think that I am surrounded by fools!

J.Q.

[Kip Lange]

Anyone remember the incident where Teddy smashed up a Mister Donut with Chris Dodd or am I mixing people up here? I coulda sworn that was Teddy...

[Kip Lange]

I just prefer to think that I am surrounded by fools!

Hey, wait, I have relatives in MN!

Hey...wait...they voted for Perot. And still stand by it. ;-)

Never mind. ;-) Hehehe.

[SMEDLEYBUTLER]

[geedee]

[Petronski]

Can you imagine what it might have been like in 1942 if such handwringing had been practiced then?

"Tell us, Mr. President, how can we engage ourselves in the Pacific while the far greater evil ravages Europe?"

"Who are we fighting, Mr. President? Is it Japan? Or is it Germany? Or is it Italy?"

Or in 1944:

"We cannot land on the Normandy coast, Mr. President! Think of the innocent Frenchmen who will be killed! Innocent French babies and elderly women!"

[MamaLucci]

[Kip Lange]

There never would have been a 1942 to hand-wring about had Neville & Co. not appeased (and skimped on the military budget) for so many years, is the further point, I think...hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved if someone had called Hitler's bluff in his first early, emboldening gambits.