Tom McClintock, Republican, 4th District of California has thrown down the gauntlet in a letter to TheWinnerOfThe2010NobelPeacePrize, The One (Oprah? Anything to say?), The Only, The President, who decided to send America to war against Libya, and has declared war on the US Constitution.
The complete text:
Dear Mr. President:
I have read your letter to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate dated March 21, 2011 concerning your order that United States Armed Forces attack the nation of Libya. You cite the authority of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973 and your "constitutional authority to conduct U.S. foreign relations and as Commander in Chief and Chief Executive."
The Constitution clearly and unmistakably vests Congress with the sole prerogative "to declare war." Your letter fails to explain how a resolution of the United Nations Security Council is necessary to commit this nation to war but that an act of Congress is not.
The United Nations Participation Act expressly withholds authorization for the President to commit United States Armed Forces to combat in pursuit of United Nations directives without specific Congressional approval. The War Powers Resolution states that the President's power to engage United States Armed Forces in hostilities "shall not be inferred . . .from any treaty heretofore or hereafter ratified unless such treaty is implemented by legislation specifically authorizing the introduction of United States Armed Forces into hostilities..."
The War Powers Resolution unambiguously defines three circumstances under which the President as Commander in Chief may order United States Armed Forces into hostile action: "(1) a declaration of war, (2) specific statutory authorization, or (3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces." Your letter cites none of these conditions.
Nor can the power to order an act of war be inferred from the President's authority as "Commander in Chief and Chief Executive."
The Constitution's Framers were explicit on this point. In Federalist 69, Alexander Hamilton draws a sharp distinction between the President's authority as Commander in Chief as "nothing more than the supreme command and direction of the military and naval forces" and the authority of the British king "which extends to the declaring of war and to the raising and regulating of fleets and armies ~ all which, by the Constitution under consideration, would appertain to the legislature."
With all due respect, I can only conclude that your order to United States Armed Forces to attack the nation of Libya on March 19, 2011 is in direct violation of the War Powers Resolution and constitutes a usurpation of Constitutional powers clearly and solely vested in the United States Congress and is accordingly unlawful and unconstitutional.
Sincerely,
Tom McClintock
Member of Congress
This is succinct, unemotional, clear, respectful, and essentially irrefutable.
The White House, having begun an illegal war, are thrashing about now, attempting to disengage, hoping that Europe will come to his rescue before Congress reconvenes.
Even if they do (and they won't), McClintock's letter remains to be answered. It is the basis of an impeachment resolution.
OS hopes his readers will distribute the letter to all their family and friends. The link above takes you directly to the letter, posted on the Congressman's official site.
Showing posts with label War With Libya. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War With Libya. Show all posts
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Best Business Model Ever Invented: European Arms Sales To Libya
(Sound of hand slapping forehead...'Damn, why didn't I think of that!')
It's ingenious, really! Sell all sorts of military hardware to mad despots, wait for the serfs to rebel, watch him use his toys to murder the citizenry, then in a fit of righteous indignation (with UN approval of course of course of course), go blow all that stuff to kingdom come.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
From Deutsche Welle-just a sample of the tale:
Could European-made arms technology have been used by authoritarian regimes to silence their own citizens? Analysts say that's hard to prove but reports that governments both in Bahrain and Libya may have done just that have sparked angry debates and accusations of double standards in some European countries.
In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron this week revoked licenses for arms sales to Libya and Bahrain after fears surfaced that British tear gas or riot equipment may have been used against political demonstrators.
In Belgium, YouTube footage showing alleged semi-automatic FN 303 anti-riot guns recently seized by anti-Gadhafi protesters has sparked a political controversy. Belgian defense company FN Herstal is said to have sold Libya arms worth 11.5 million euros. That included rifles, pistols, rifle grenades and ammunition cartridges.
In Germany, there are worries that its electronic exports to Libya could have possibly been used by the regime to jam internet and GPS services.
Of course, the good news is: If somehow Gadhafi and his homeboyz are sent on their way, then the tribal despots that succeed him will need new toys. And building materials and architects and engineers to rebuild all those cities blown up the last time around.
(Sound of hand slapping forehead...'Damn, why didn't I think of that!')
HT Miller-McCune
It's ingenious, really! Sell all sorts of military hardware to mad despots, wait for the serfs to rebel, watch him use his toys to murder the citizenry, then in a fit of righteous indignation (with UN approval of course of course of course), go blow all that stuff to kingdom come.
Lather, rinse, repeat.
From Deutsche Welle-just a sample of the tale:
Could European-made arms technology have been used by authoritarian regimes to silence their own citizens? Analysts say that's hard to prove but reports that governments both in Bahrain and Libya may have done just that have sparked angry debates and accusations of double standards in some European countries.
In Britain, Prime Minister David Cameron this week revoked licenses for arms sales to Libya and Bahrain after fears surfaced that British tear gas or riot equipment may have been used against political demonstrators.
In Belgium, YouTube footage showing alleged semi-automatic FN 303 anti-riot guns recently seized by anti-Gadhafi protesters has sparked a political controversy. Belgian defense company FN Herstal is said to have sold Libya arms worth 11.5 million euros. That included rifles, pistols, rifle grenades and ammunition cartridges.
In Germany, there are worries that its electronic exports to Libya could have possibly been used by the regime to jam internet and GPS services.
Of course, the good news is: If somehow Gadhafi and his homeboyz are sent on their way, then the tribal despots that succeed him will need new toys. And building materials and architects and engineers to rebuild all those cities blown up the last time around.
(Sound of hand slapping forehead...'Damn, why didn't I think of that!')
HT Miller-McCune
Monday, March 21, 2011
The Libyan Intervention: The Ground Shifts Under Our Feet
The Huff Post headline says it well: This could take awhile. No kidding? Really?
There's a good live blog stream running there, for those who wish to follow.
The announcement of the beginning of hostilities came during Saturday afternoon during one of the NCAA basketball tournament games. The WinnerOfThe2010NobelPeacePrize just started hisself a war, without consulting Congress. TheOne ordered our Navy and Air Force to bomb the bejeezus out of a country that has not attacked us, just because its leader is a murderous thug, and the UN sez it's OK.
He then boarded the plane to Brazil. Sweet.
This is patently in contravention of the US Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973. Congress never never never ever ceded to the President the power to make war in our name, just because it suits him.
The ground has shifted under our feet. We're now at war with Libya, 'cuz staging air raids and missile attacks on a sovereign nation, even if the leader is a thug, is an Act of War.
Kucinich and his posse and the Tea Party GOP freshmen now have common cause--it is now time to introduce and debate a resolution to impeach Barack Obama.
It's also time for the GOP freshmen to stage a ComeToJeeeeezus meeting with John Boehner, to see if he thinks the Constitution is a good idea or not.
OS has a question: If it's OK to bomb the bejeezus out of countries we disapprove of, howz-about we flatten the bits of Havana that Castro hangs out in? How about a cruise missle or two, fired from Florida, at Chavez's pad outside Caracas? Or a B-2 raid from Missouri on Zimbabwe? Or Mynamar? Or North Korea? If we don't need to check in with Congress, or declare war, or need any other reason than our own disapproval of a particular regime at a particular moment, why not?
Moral Hazard/Shmoral Hazard!! We know better than them, so let's get to it, ya'll.
Or, perhaps, the framers of the Constitution had a better idea, to constrain the actions of a President posessing unlimited ego and no conscience.
There's a good live blog stream running there, for those who wish to follow.
The announcement of the beginning of hostilities came during Saturday afternoon during one of the NCAA basketball tournament games. The WinnerOfThe2010NobelPeacePrize just started hisself a war, without consulting Congress. TheOne ordered our Navy and Air Force to bomb the bejeezus out of a country that has not attacked us, just because its leader is a murderous thug, and the UN sez it's OK.
He then boarded the plane to Brazil. Sweet.
This is patently in contravention of the US Constitution and the War Powers Act of 1973. Congress never never never ever ceded to the President the power to make war in our name, just because it suits him.
The ground has shifted under our feet. We're now at war with Libya, 'cuz staging air raids and missile attacks on a sovereign nation, even if the leader is a thug, is an Act of War.
Kucinich and his posse and the Tea Party GOP freshmen now have common cause--it is now time to introduce and debate a resolution to impeach Barack Obama.
It's also time for the GOP freshmen to stage a ComeToJeeeeezus meeting with John Boehner, to see if he thinks the Constitution is a good idea or not.
OS has a question: If it's OK to bomb the bejeezus out of countries we disapprove of, howz-about we flatten the bits of Havana that Castro hangs out in? How about a cruise missle or two, fired from Florida, at Chavez's pad outside Caracas? Or a B-2 raid from Missouri on Zimbabwe? Or Mynamar? Or North Korea? If we don't need to check in with Congress, or declare war, or need any other reason than our own disapproval of a particular regime at a particular moment, why not?
Moral Hazard/Shmoral Hazard!! We know better than them, so let's get to it, ya'll.
Or, perhaps, the framers of the Constitution had a better idea, to constrain the actions of a President posessing unlimited ego and no conscience.
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