The President Commands Our Armed Forces

[BeatleBoot]

Because the United States Constitution says that he/she is the Commander-in-Chief.

Bush still owns Iraq. It's his baby.

Iraq is Bush's War of Choice.

Too many posts lately that forget that fact.

[aquart]

1. I don't. Not ever.

[johnaries]

2. But Congress holds the purse strings. nt

[Trajan]

3. I disagree ....

And here is why :

First : Yes, the President commands the Armed Forces as CIC .... But war is not just about tactics and strategy .. it is about policy and due process of law (in a Constitutional government) ...

The IWR was the congressional assent for the executive branch to conduct war operations in Iraq ... Per the US Constitution; declarations of war are the province of congress, NOT the executive branch ....

It is the responsibility of the CIC to EXECUTE war that is declared by congress .... He is a General of Generals ... He who conducts war that is declared by congress ....

I dont know enough about any precedent that involves the reversal of a declaration of war by a congress that originally declared war, but certainly it is worth looking into how such actions can be reversed legally ...

Second: The American electorate are tired of this war nonsense .... they see a CIC that needs reining in ... one who has perhaps overstepped his lawful bounds, and who has mired the nation in a pit of abject negativity through lies, manipulation, poor planning and execution of strategy and tactics. That electorate has voted into power the party that REJECTS the policies that lead us to where we are now ...

Doesnt it behoove that party, now voted into power, to do ALL they can to salvage their nation's honor and treasure, and try to induce a little sanity into our foreign policy ? ....

Doesnt it behoove the Democratic Party to do WHATEVER IT CAN DO; from holding hearings and news conferences, to pressing the WH and the State Department to pursue diplomatic avenues, to use the powers of congress to pursue those avenues themselves; to TRY and find a common ground and consensus for the cessation of violence in that region ? ...

Really: does it befit a great nation, and a great political party, with MANY good and decent supporters, like us, to sit around, ignoring the harsh realities of the current situation, while our sons, daughters, aunts, uncles, mothers and fathers and nephews and nieces are either killing or getting killed in this wrongheaded ideological exercize in futility ? ....

Why would we, an enlightened populace who JUST voted to change course in our nation, allow the newly empowered party to sit back and do nothing ? ....

What is the whole point, then ? ....

No : George W. Bush and his PNAC idiots FUCKED UP, and they cannot be expected to do anything different .... they are NOT interested in peacemaking, but only more and more war war war ... It would be foolish to leave this situation in THEIR hands, and expect a different, better outcome ....

No .... WE have to make it happen .... OUR PARTY must stand up and do WHATEVER THEY CAN to bring sanity to this heartrending mess, and find a way out ....

The 'Its Not My Job' argument dont fly ...

As an enlightened human being .. it IS your job to stop needless war ....

It is our Party's job .....

I expect them to do that job ....

The fact is that YOU are better than they are ....