Kucinich To Sue Obama For Violating War Powers Act In Libya

[Cali_Democrat]

Kucinich To Sue Obama For Violating War Powers Act In Libya
By Jennifer Bendery

WASHINGTON –- President Barack Obama spoke passionately in 2007 about the need for Congress to challenge the Bush administration over violating the War Powers Act -- the very charge he is now facing from lawmakers in both parties over U.S. military involvement in Libya.

Back when Obama was a senator, he talked tough on the need for Congress to find "a backbone" and keep then-President George W. Bush in check regarding the legality of the Iraq War.

<snip>

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) and Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.) announced Wednesday that they are suing Obama in federal court over the constitutionality of leading the U.S. into war with Libya without seeking Congressional approval. Specifically, their lawsuit challenges the executive branch’s circumvention of Congress and its use of international organizations -- namely, the United Nations and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization -- to authorize the use of military force abroad.

"With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated," Kucinich said in a statement. "We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies."

Read the whole article...http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/15/kucinich-obama-war-powers-act-libya_n_877396.html

It warms my heart to see Congress keep the pressure on Obama to end the war in Libya. :applause:

[Hardrada]

1. Yay Dennis!

Go after the big phony!

[Very_Boring_Name]

2. Does this mean he's done with his "I found a seed in my sandwich" lawsuit?

On to the next frivolous lawsuit.

[emilyg]

3. Good for Dennis.

[BluegrassDem]

4. Kucinich is a joke

I hope Ohio redistricts him out. I'm surprised he hasn't sued Obama for not releasing any detailed government UFO documents. :eyes:

[eridani]

6. The whole New Deal was a joke, and so are representatives who still advocate for it

:sarcasm:

[Tarheel_Dem]

15. But he's gonna carpetbag to WA State, or so I hear. I'd love to see his

demagoguing ass drummed out of politics forever, but I just don't have that kind of luck. :thumbsup:

[CakeGrrl]

5. The impeachment dog didn't hunt?

Once again, I suspect the WH has done their homework and is a step or five ahead of Kucinich.

[ProSense]

7. Why didn't Kucinich and Paul

sue Bush?

Answer: Ron Paul wouldn't have been on board. After all, his vote against the Iraq resolution was because he didn't get his way.

The Iraq war was completely illegal. Bush lied to Congress.

Here is Ron Paul's response to 9/11: September 11 Marque and Reprisal Act of 2001 (PDF)

<...>

(b) The President of the United States is authorized to place a money bounty, drawn in his discretion from the $40,000,000,000 appropriated on September 14, 2001, in the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Recovery from and Response to Terrorists Attacks on the United States or from private sources, for the capture, alive or dead, of Osama bin Laden or any other al Qaeda conspirator responsible for the act of air piracy upon the United States on September 11, 2001, under the authority of any letter of marque or reprisal issued under this Act.

<...>

While some continue to be fooled by his demagoguery, he continues to introduce the bill in Congress, 2007

To authorize the President to issue letters of marque and reprisal with respect to certain acts of air piracy upon the United States on September 11, 2001, and other similar acts of war planned for the future.

<...>

The President of the United States is authorized and requested to commission, under officially issued letters of marque and reprisal, so many of privately armed and equipped persons and entities as, in his judgment, the service may require, with suitable instructions to the leaders thereof, to employ all means reasonably necessary to seize outside the geographic boundaries of the United States and its territories the person and property of Osama bin Laden, of any al Qaeda co-conspirator, and of any conspirator with Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda who are responsible for the air piratical aggressions and depredations perpetrated upon the United States of America on September 11, 2001, and for any planned future air piratical aggressions and depredations or other acts of war upon the United States of America and her people.

<...>

Ron Paul and his son talk a good game, but they're full of shit. From Rand Paul's bogus budget:

War funding from 2001 to 2010 has cost the taxpayer $1.109 trillion. That amount doesn’t include the $159 billion that will likely be spent funding the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq for FY2011. The proposal seeks to reduce war funding for FY2011 by $16 billion, in other words to provide $144 billion (President Obama has requested $117 billion for FY2012, $27 billion dollars below our proposed level).

It's OK to authorize war as long as it comes with sending vigilantes to kill Muslims. Oh, and Iraq, how can one be against the war when they're calling for more funding of it than Obama?

[JTFrog]

8. +1 n/t

[CakeGrrl]

9. +1

[Tarheel_Dem]

14. +1.

:applause:

[great white snark]

17. +1. It would have warmed the cockles of my heart if he did.

[Thrill]

10. The Attention Whore's last stand

[polmaven]

12. I wouldn't be too sure...

There is still a year and 1/2 to go in his term, before his district is eliminated.

[young but wise]

18. +1000

[ProSense]

11. Actions on Libya: February 23 - June 15

Here

[Name removed]

13. Deleted message

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[great white snark]

16. How could President Obama "end the war in Libya?"

Don't you mean end U.S. involvement?

[ZombieHorde]

19. This lawsuit will probably be bigger than DK is cool/DK is not cool.

This may affect many lives in the near future, and prevent or encourage more wars farther in the future.

[Cali_Democrat]

20. +1000

I don't know why people are making this about Kucinich. This is about the war powers act and congressional authorization for war.

Kucinich is leading the charge and perhaps that's why people are throwing a hissy fit. His name is in the title of the article and I guess that produces a knee-jerk reaction.

[paulk]

21. attacking the messenger has become the most popular method

of defending Obama among his more ardent supporters... which is too bad, because this is certainly an issue that deserves more attention than yet another knee jerk defence of our President.

[Name removed]

22. Deleted message

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