POWIP Piece of Work In Progress

Oh My! House votes to restrict US role in NATO Libya operation to non-combat operations only

Say What!?!

Dude, when House Democrats are accusing President Obama of, "acting like an absolute monarch", with respect to his ability to order sustained military action in Libya without consulting congress,  It's On!

House Democrat warned Friday that the U.S. president is becoming an "absolute monarch" on matters related to the authority to start a war.

The White House argues the U.S. role in Libya does not constitute "hostilities" and is therefore not covered under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which requires the president to seek authorization from Congress 60 days after notifying lawmakers of a military action.

Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) said Congress must act to limit funding for military operations in Libya in order to correct that trend.

"We have been sliding for 70 years to a situation where Congress has nothing to do with the decision about whether to go to war or not, and the president is becoming an absolute monarch," Nadler said on the floor. "And we must put a stop to that right now, if we don't want to become an empire instead of a republic."

Members of Congress have been clashing with the White House over the Libya mission. Many Republicans and some Democrats argue that President Obama does not have the authority to continue involving the U.S. in the NATO-led mission without congressional authorization.

Now I am of mixed thinking on this.  I don't like to see anyone, of any political persuasion, playing games with military missions overseas to score some cheap political points back home.  And I personally think the War Powers act of 1973 is unconstitutional, but I'm no attorney.  Still, if anyone is playing politics with this it is the President himself, in his refusal to give Congress the courtesy of consultation when the action is expected to be protracted like in Libya.

Instead, he's made asinine assertions that the NATO campaign somehow isn't a war, at least for the US component of the force, since by and large they're not regularly involved in the shooting.  But someone needs to tell DoD that, since our warriors taking part are being paid combat pay...

Senator McCain believes this sophistry is what forced the House into laying down this marker:

In a last-ditch effort Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with rank-and-file Democrats to explain the mission and discuss the implications if the House votes to cut off funds. The administration requested the closed-door meeting.

In the Senate, backers of a resolution to authorize the operation wondered whether the administration had waited too long to address the concerns of House members.

"It's way late," said McCain, the top Republican on the Armed Services Committee. "This is one of the reasons why they're having this veritable uprising in the House, because of a lack of communication. And then the icing on the cake was probably for them when he (Obama) said that we're not engaged in hostilities. That obviously is foolishness."

I personally believe Mav's correct, and for that reason lay this whole matter at the feet of the President. Had he done what W. Bush and Bush the elder had in the past and asked for a Congressional resolution, there is little doubt in my mind that the House Republicans would have passed it in a near unanimous vote.

Of course, I predict OUTRAGE! on the part of the administration's supporters, who will suddenly see the wisdom in following through on military commitments.  Predictably, the New York Times is leading the way in providing the talking points du jour.  Old and busted: War is bad for children, other living things, and the economy.  New hawtness; Stay The Course! Baby!

It is hard to view this bill as anything but a partisan play to embarrass the president. The one sure victor would be Libya’s strongman, Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi, who would see it as a sign that NATO’s resolve is faltering and another reason to keep brutalizing his people.

Like Hillary, they seem to have had a change of heart regarding whether Dissent! is still the highest form of patriotism as well as the relative merit of an Imperial Presidency!  Of course, that's because Chimperor BusHitlerBurton = eeeeevollll, but Barack "l'etat c'est moi!" Obama = transcendent goodness.

Once again, for our friends on the left, all that matters is which suffix follows the person's name.

[Cross posted at The Conservative Commune]

Rocketman