While a declaration of war is ideal, conservatives know their history. Accordingly, they know that military action between the United States and foreign powers have been undeclared since John Adams and the Quasi-War with France. Innumerable examples of the same are rife throughout American history. Secondly, the case was made to the American public. The link between the anti-western tyrannies of the Middle East, be they jihadist or pan-Arab secularist, is a story as old as most of the countries involved (for example, see former Lebanon CIA officer Robert Baer's "See No Evil" on how these terrrorist groups and nations work together on a regular basis). It was a linkage rejected only by those who expected the administration to produce a hand-written note reading, "Dear Saddam, I love working with you and Assad to kill Crusaders and Zionists. Hugs & Kisses, Osama"
The denial of this linkage undertaken by administration critics reminds one of Dr. Samuel Johnson demonstrating to Boswell how Boswell could not prove the existence of Canada to Johnson if Johnson chose not to believe him.
Otherwise its just a political scheme hatched up by Ivy League tea sippers willing to put their neighbour's kids in harm's way.
Having graduated from an Ivy League, and grown up in a town with an Ivy League university, I can assure you that there aren't enough militaristic Ivy Leaguers to fill a mini-van. To ascribe malign intent to such a non-existent cabal is little more than a profession of ignorance and desperation. As for Rummy, he was a US Navy pilot, so I think he was willing to put his ass on the line for others. I bet you if you asked the men and women in today's military, they would be more than happy to put their asses on the line for him.
Moreover, the libertarian line that anything done by the government is something done by "the Establishment" with other people's lives and money is getting stale. If Bush's team finds war easier because it is fought by other people's kids, then you find pompous moral posturing to be easy because you hide behind the courage and bravery of others. So it goes.
I understand where you are coming from, as I am a registered Libertarian. I voted Libertarian since coming of voting age until the 2000 election. The end of the Cold War meant a more dangerous world, and the Libertarians have not been realistic about the tough measures that must be taken to protect this nation. Our good buddies in the Islamic understand two things: Cold steel and hot lead. Anything else is interpreted by them as cowardice, and only encourages them to further acts of violence. Murdered American innocents are the unacceptable result of passivity and petty moralizing. It ain't pretty, but it is reality.