Setting the stage for what may literally be the biggest constitutional crisis in American history, the White House is continuing to insist that President Obama has the “right” to attack Syria whenever he wants, regardless of the circumstances.
That position was a controversial one when the talk centered around starting a war with Congress in recess. Now, having sought Congressional authorization and facing a defeat in the House, the White House is refusing to rule out attacking Syria over the explicit objections of Congress. Obama continues to demand Congress authorize the war, saying it would set the stage for military intervention in Syria and beyond.
In practice Congress has been abrogating its foreign policy clout to the executive branch for generations now, and has recently been willing to look the other way on aggressive wars started by presidents. But being asked, rejecting the war, then seeing it happen anyhow would be many steps farther than any president has ever attempted to go, and would oblige Congress to respond forcefully.
Aide Tony Blinken seemed to downplay that prospect, saying there was “no intention” to do so, but with officials continually insisting they don’t expect to lose the House vote, that’s nowhere close to ruling it out.
Likewise, US Ambassador to the United National Samantha Power continued to talk of war as an inevitability, declaring today that the US has no alternative but to attack Syria at this point, seemingly in spite of broad public opposition and an impending Congressional rebuke.
Open Letter to The President Of The United States (with Copies Furnished to The Congress and Supreme Court of The United States)
Subject: The Proposed, Planned, Prepared For, and Inevitable Attack Upon, and Invasion, “Liberation,” and Occupation of Syria
Dear Sir,
In accordance with and as specified by the Constitution of the United States of America, you WILL NOT attack, invade, “liberate,” and occupy Syria without a formal Declaration of War from the Congress of the United States.
Also in accordance with and also as specified by the Constitution of the United States of America, no further money will be authorized for or be spent on an attack, invasion, “liberation,” or occupation of Syria UNTIL you ask for and get a formal Declaration of War from the Congress of the United States.
Who says so? WE say so. We, The People of the United States of America.
To put it in Chicago-speak that maybe even you might understand, Mr President: your predecessor obfuscated, prevaricated, and otherwise lied (with a lot of help from his colleagues in the media) his way past the Congress and the American people into Afghanistan and Iraq. Just like you tap-danced your way sufficiently “out” of Iraq and enough “on-the-way-out” of Afghanistan to serve your purposes for the 2012 elections.
But, you WILL NOT bulldance your way past the American people into Syria. OR Iran.
Not again. Not this time.
And please understand Mr President, that this is not a Threat. This is a Promise.
Sincerely Yours,
/signed/
A VETERAN AGAINST WAR
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The Core Operating Principle of VETERANS AGAINST WAR is as follows:
“Memorial Day remembers America’s War Dead. Unless and Until we remember that there are other War Dead (both military and, increasingly, civilian and non-combatant) besides just American, there will be new American War Dead to be remembered with every new Memorial Day. And more non-American War Dead to be forgotten.”
vaw.sitka@gmail.com
Thank you for your contribution to the cause of peace and justice, which in my opinion are above the law.
9999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999999 % + CORRECT…ret us army
Hubristic jungle bunny. Can anyone take this fool seriously ?
You better start taking him seriously, (and quit with the racial slurs), or else you're never going to get rid of him. He is smarter and more ruthless than any of his predecessors.
I agree with you Robert. bryd's racial slurs have no place in intelligent discussion and totally hurt the antiwar cause.
Absolutely correct. The #1 basic problem with Americans is that they have gotten accustomed to the idea that sitting on their haunches and being sarcastic is the ideal way to exercise their rights and their citizenship. The world hovers on the brink of a nuclear showdown between the FedGov and the Russians, and all many people can think of to do is to come up with with witticisms. That is why Obama and the rest of the warmongers are so contemptuous of Americans. What a different attitude those swine would have if, for example, John McCain at his hostile "town hall meeting," had been loudly reminded of the example of Nicolae Ceaușescu, instead of having to deal with polite pleas not to engage in war crimes.
The thing is..it's not Obama that's making those decisions….
just say it-it's Israel.
Yes Stevieb, Obama is under orders and he is obedient, just as was Baby Bush, who took orders from the same bosses. To understand this is to understand exactly where America stands today.
Wow…Antiwar blocks every comment I make but you call your black President a — “jungle bunny” — and there it is. Well I guess it’s not critical of Jews or Israel so I guess that’s just fine.
Well done, Antiwar..
[moderator’s note: It’s not nice to lie about Antiwar.com, stevieb – TLK]
If Obama attacks Syria above the disapproval of Congress and gets away with it, he will have then effectively anointed himself emperor.
If this happens Shula, and he is not then impeached, it will prove that democracy is dead in the US and that we have become a dictatorship.
Impeachment must be done if Obama defies Congress.
Otherwise we have a dictator or emperor, not a president.
Ther is no longer any choice.
2009 Nobel Peace prize for 'his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples'. Even the Nobel Committee takes us for morons. High time we changed this impression.
At the G20 summit he have said: I was elected to end wars not to start one. Later and after all the lies one need to remember that Obama is not different then any other american president, they all started a war and they stamped their approval sooner or later, Obama had to have a war in his name, Syria is his war and being defeated is not a option for a president.
Libya already, let's not forget that. One could argue he's also responsible for Cast Lead. If we could keep the jerk down to 'only' one war…
Well, yes, one could argue that he's also responsible for Cast Lead … if one didn't notice that Cast Lead ended before he was even inaugurated.
Killing people enhances the "legacy" in their minds. After all, the wartime Presidents are the ones held high – e.g., Lincoln, Roosevelt, etc. Absolute power of life and death over the people of other countries gives them that sought after "gravitas". This is more an action of "the Lobby", than the military industrial complex. And they claim, we're still evolving from tribal apes.
Sounds like the money in the brown envelopes has been spent and now they must deliver.
if this war criminal clown defies congress washington needs to burn. we the people can no longer tolerate the criminals who sh*t all over our republic with impunity. this insanity has to end before we are all facing a nuclear armageddon.
im still of the opinion that we may see an attack on Lebanon before any war in syria starts, aside from the Syrian army the most competent fighting force in the area is Hezbollah, and Israel would like to see the united states destroy Hezbollah more than it cares about who is the victor in this mess.
Why did the Kerry say that Assad will not retaliate because Syria fears an Israeli attack ? Is that the back up plan if Congress does not authorize an attack?
If there has to be war let the Saudis and the feudal monarchies in the gulf states do the fighting but without US help. .
Actually, Israel'si interest in Syria dates back to 1954,put into operation in 1967. Unfortunately Antiwar censors or else I would provide details.
the US attack on Syria is the signal for Israel to attack southern Lebanon so as to grab land up to the Latani River.
These people are completely mad and thoroughly insane! The Samantha Power, Susan Rice and the Obama are an unrivaled ship of fools as pathologically cocked up as drunk on their own power as the Bolton, Perle, Wolfowitz, Rumsfeld, Cheney and the entire retinue of shrub-like unmentionables. They simply need to be taken away in straight-jackets and locked up as soon as possible as otherwise they remain as a frightfully malevolent and terrifyingly ominous menace to humanity and the future well being of the planet!
Well, the Senate tacitly agreed that The Unitary President can do as he likes…
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/…
— Even what seems like a step back for executive power may actually be a retreat for Congress's shared responsibility. For an example, look at the language of the Senate joint resolution approved this week by the Foreign Relations Committee to authorize a military strike in Syria. Hidden among the "whereas" boilerplate in the document — mostly discussing the villainy of Assad and the danger of chemical weapons — is this short clause: "Whereas the President has authority under the Constitution to use force in order to defend the national security interests of the United States …"
Glides right past the eye, doesn't it? Good old Constitution, empowering the president to protect us all!
The only problem is it's not true, and it represents a two-century high-water mark in claims of executive power. Having been consulted by the president, Congress is poised to respond by throwing back at him not only the current decision but sweeping new powers he didn't have before."
And this little tidbit might be the crux of the biscuit – rather than the ruse of Israeli land-grabs and proxy wars with Iran. If this resolution should pass then what they've really done is codify the transfer of war powers from the Congress to the Executive, regardless of what the Constitution clearly states. On top of the power grab by Bushco (mainly Cheney and Addington and the rest of their lawyers) passage of this would cement precedent and Congress would most likely never get that power back – it would in effect be a Constitutional Amendment without all the messy passage requirements. But, that's just this old Curmudgeon's opinion…
The writing is on the wall doesn't matter which way congress vote, Obama is going in. Defense contractors are already in line just like the good old days of Iraq.
The dark shades of the 1930's are coming to light.
Please remember to contact senators and representatives and scream No. Can't hurt. Might help in some cases.
Well that would be nice…we might be treated to something that should have happened along time ago…the arrest of a sitting U.S President…
Nice sentiment, stevieb, but, in the totally corrupt USA, I can't see it happening. Even if congress somehow summoned the courage to impeach Obama (a one in a million chance imho) he would immediately be pardoned by Biden, just as Nixon was pardoned by Ford. Plus if Obama were impeached there would be riots in the streets.
Silly rabbit…they don't arrest and perpwalk the elites…once impeached and found guilty, they're sent home (with appropriate gov't supplied protection no doubt) to live out their lives, making millions in speaking fees… they have no shame.
Obama is a criminal. Under the Constitution he doesn't have the right to make a "Kill List" and kill anybody he likes, also American citizens (so far 4 I think). So, he is a war criminal. Kidnapping, torture, killings. He believes himself to be Godfather, above the law. Hybris will be punished by the Gods(esses).
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Don't become part of the DIVERSION…………….~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We can sort out the legal stuff further down this road…… We can't do anything to stop them by any "legal" means. Our best bet is to go at their "evidence" which it seems has to be fake …… AS IN:
why would Assad gas the "rebels" almost immediately after UN inspectors arrive and also use the gas only a few kilometers away from those inspection teams……….. It's a no-brainer…..
Let's see their evidence right now!!!
The way OUR empire is playing this: The whole world is going to turn into a terrorist state…………!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Want to see the evidence………??? Go here, Alan Greyson gives a tour. It starts at 9:30
McCain taken hostage by woman at Arizona town meeting………………..
Impeach
The arrogant, dictatorial son of a ***** ought to be impeached and removed from office if he defies Congress and the war authority in the constitution, but I doubt it would happen unless the military strike created a disaster.
You want to know how to have a relatively peaceful revolution against a tyrannical government? (Relative because the government would turn violent any chance it got.) You would need to do it the way Eastern Europe did it: by general strikes organized by independent labor unions. Not only are unions the creators of the middle class, they are the ONLY lobby for the non-wealthy. There is no other way to organize and mobilize masses of people. That's why the Taft-Hartley amendments that allow right-to-work laws are a much greater threat to your freedom and prosperity than any imagined national gun registry.
"These are the values inspiring those brave workers in Poland … They remind us that where free unions and collective bargaining are forbidden, freedom is lost."
Ronald Reagan, Labor Day 1980
The man is totally rogue at this point. So unhinged he makes Dubya seem almost quaint in comparison. Impeach this rat before it's too late for the rest of us. To think he'd tangle with the Russians over this is the height of arrogance.
What a joke !
An "antiwar" website distributes smiling pictures of their loved war criminal who already killed 60,000 Libyans and over 100,000 Syrians !
see http://08oo.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/key-reasons-…
Check http://www.globalresearch.ca for the real story about Syria and the real users and suppliers of poison gas
The refrain we keep hearing is, "There is a plan" and Sammy Powers insists there is no alternative to attacking Syria.
Kerry has now declared the "Red Line" is goblal, so time for "The Plan."
The President will give another pep talk in favor of bombs away.
If "The Plan" is executed is there any alternative to Impeachment?
If Obama ignores the Congress then he does so knowing that neither party will do anything about it. The Democrats won’t turn against “their” president and *IF* Republicans vote in mass against what will be a textbook war crime it is only because their constituents forced them to it. Republicans want this as bad as their Democrat organized crime partners. Republicans will sit back and allow the precedent to be established in order to use the same tactic when their guy has the power.
Who care about the whore power? If people pour into the street and destroy these war criminals, then they would not DARE to kill thousnads of people. We are fed up, fed up, fed up, angry. These fuckers must get the same fate as Gaddafi, a peice of their own fucking medicince. We don't have patience any more, any mone, any more. Destroy these whores NOW.