Speaking on ABC’s “This Week,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused to comment on whether the administration would consult Congress before invading Venezuela, saying “I don’t want to speak to that.”
Pompeo shunned all questions about the role of Congress in a potential
Venezuelan war, saying he is confident that President Trump has
sufficient authority that whatever he decides will be legal.
This is a serious question constitutionally. Lawmakers note that the
power to declare war lies exclusively with Congress. Fresh off of the
veto of the Yemen War challenge, there is reason to question if the law
matches up to the practical reality of US war-making anymore.
Pompeo would just insist that the US-imposed regime change in Venezuela
is an inevitability, with or without the invasion. Though he has talked
up the willingness to launch such an invasion, the administration seems
to prefer to be vague about the specifics.
That’s likely because Congress may feel that, if war is imminent, they
have a pressing need to pass legislation on the war, potentially
complicating a unilateral attack. The administration reportedly has split
on the matter of starting a war, though either way they seem securely
on the side of Congress not being involved in that conversation.
Pompeo must follow the Constitution, unlike Obama and hillary!
Sez Who?
And yet Pompeo had the opportunity to say just that and didn’t. Talking about Article 2 as though it implies it gives the executive the right to declare war is hardly following the constitution.
jg, Have you ever heard of Libya and Syria?? how about all the Drone strikes carried out by that evil duo..hmmm..
Drone strikes started under GW Bush, continued to expand under Obama, and have continued to expand further under Trump. But it’s Obama – and Hillary – who are the evil ones.
Why don’t you pull your head out of your partisan arsehole? Your random capitalization and punctuation leads me to believe you’re a True Believer, though.
Mork, I am glad you enjoy my style, can’t say the same for you, however.:) Again you are name calling, and added in vulgarity,,most telling about the person behind the keyboard. Trump 2020!
I think jgmoebus was replying to the part about you saying Pompeo must follow the constitution and was not, in any way, defending Obama or Clinton.
Those attacks were done under the war on terror authorization. In as much as that authorization is legal, so were other me attacks.
Dave, No they were not, but only in your mind…:)
Obama, Hillary, Bush, H.W. Bush, Clinton, Carter, Reagan, Ford, Nixon, JFK, LBJ, Truman, Eisenhower, Roosevelt, Hoover…..stop me if you see where this is going….NONE OF THEM GIVE A DAMN!!!
Right out of the Neocon playbook.
If the president attacks he will not win in 2020
If there is a War going on in that part of the world, my guess is that there will be no election in 2020.
Knowing the guy who’s President, if there’s a war going on in 2020, he’ll insist that any attempt to vote against him in an election is equal to treason, and his proud to be ignorant base will agree whole-heartedly.
The key is that the war must be in the balance so that critics can be denounced as traitors.
yah because the people who invented a war and then tried to depose a president for treason have the high ground on this issue, oh and libya, when did we invade syria?
Can you think of a president who didn’t get massive support for starting a war?
George HW Bush, however he was successful in the limited goals of the war. The opposite will probably be the case here.
His approval rating went through the roof during Desert Storm, it just didn’t have any lasting power. But not because people didn’t get behind him when he initiated the war.
he shouldn’t have tried to stop west bank settlements, “he was easily moved”
I wish.
Given this Congress, nothing is going to happen in Swampland to prevent Corporal BoneSpurs and His Band of ChickenHawks from doing just about anything they might want to do. Either in Venezuela or in the Persian Gulf. It was 55 years ago this coming August 4 that the so-called Tonkin Gulf Incident occurred. When something like that happens again, this Congress will do as much as that Congress: Nothing.
Pompeo believes he’s King David’s (Bibs thinks he is, and said so) disciple. A fanatic religious nut if there ever was one,right along with Pence.
There’s a scary movement afoot with these uber-right wing “Christians.” They feel that it’s their duty to usher us into their End Times. How do these deluded sociopaths make it to positions of power?
People vote gop….
I agree, Mork, There’s quite a scary movement afoot with these uper-right wing “Fake Christians”. They’re totally deluded sociopaths who feel it’s their duty to usher us into their End Times. However, we don’t want them destroying the whole world to achieve their delusions.
Trump recently had a long conversation with his Russian counterpart, and they came to the same conclusion that any war in Venezuela would be catastrophic and that it’s best to leave the decisions up to the Venezuelan people to determine their own destiny.
Mork, My O My,,how good you are at name calling! LOL!
Attacking “socialists” like it’s the 1950s, cutting high-end tax rates and invading Central and South America to install USA-approved right-wing dictators like it’s the 1980s…
These guys need to make up their minds how far back they’re willing to regress!
Going to war to bring democracy to Venezuela is so good and noble
That it transcends democracy here at home
Maybe not, with Mitch McConnell running the Senate. Anyone else prepared to accept the truth, that the Constitution has failed us by relying on Congress to uphold it ? The founders never conceived of total corruption.
It is simple. Recognise Cuaido as the President and get 50 vassal states to agree with you.
Declare Maduro government illegal. Shout about ‘Foreign’ (Cuban) troops occupying Venezuela and propping up Maduro against legitimate government of Cuaido.
Respond to legitimate President’s request to assist in restoring order and good government.
Perfectly legal. Is not a war.
Requires no authorisation beyond Trump’s agreement.
The only problem is that Russia and China won’t go along with the plan as they saw what happened in Libya and Syria.
Bad Russia, bad China, bad Cuba.
All you need is for Iran to be in Venezuela too and then USA can take on the world.
The US Desperately Needs a New Secretary of State
https://www.paulcraigroberts.org/2019/05/05/the-us-desperately-needs-a-new-secretary-of-state/
I wholeheartedly agree, Jim. The sooner the US gets a new Secretary of State, the better .. My choice, Calif. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher.
US State Department Publishes, then Deletes Sadistic Venezuela Hit List Boasting of Economic Ruin
https://www.globalresearch.ca/us-state-department-publishes-deletes-sadistic-venezuela-hit-list/5676707
Lee Camp roasting Pompus.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLHxeS_8Xxk
Many US oil companies not making it with US shale drilling. My guess is Exxon Mobil will get first selection on drilling sites. I’m assuming right now they’ve made a sizable contribution to President Trump’s campaign as have individual employees.
No bloody way they can attack Venezuela without first thinking retaliation from New Soviet Union alias Russian federation.
If they think Putin would do nothing, then they must be day dreaming.
Cuban / Venezuela missile crises would make Cuban crises like picnic.
” Go agead punks make my day ” Putin
Just add that attack to the growing list of war crimes Trump has committed (and will commit).