Criticizing Obama, Kucinich credits Bush for asking Congress to go to war

[Freddie Stubbs]

Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) on Thursday ripped President Obama while giving credit to former President George W. Bush for asking Congress to authorize the war in Iraq.

The anti-war Democrat, criticizing Obama's handling of the conflict in Libya, noted that Bush formally consulted Congress on the Iraq war in 2002.

"President Bush came to Congress...President Obama doesn't feel like he needs to come to Congress," Kucinich said during an interview on C-SPAN's "Washington Journal" program. Kucinich pointed out he was strongly opposed to the Iraq war.

Along with other lawmakers, Kucinich this week filed a lawsuit against the Obama administration on the Libyan conflict, claiming the president violated the law by not securing congressional approval.

more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/166789-criticizing-obama-kucinich-credits-bush-for-asking-congress-to-go-war

[Lurks Often]

1. This should be interesting

:popcorn: Awaiting the fireworks

[woo me with science]

13. LOL.

The cognitive dissonance may make some heads explode. :rofl:

[VeryConfused]

2. Dennis has shown his true colors

and his complete and utter ignorance of our nation's history and Constitution

[paparush]

5. Please elaborate.

Help me overcome my own complete and utter ignorance of our nation's history and Constitution because I have no idea what you are referring to.

[VeryConfused]

20. Dennis' waste of the taxpayer's money

with his frivolousness lawsuit against the President

[Cali_Democrat]

23. The real waste of tax payer money is the billions spent in Iraq, Afghanistan and Libya

Those wars have done nothing to benefit the United States. Bin Laden was caught through the use of intelligence, not military might.

[Harmony Blue]

28. Well said

Total waste of money indeed.

[paparush]

33. Cali - Fantastic.

[Vicar In A Tutu]

22. He's a GOP plant.

And indeed one of their very best congressmen. In real terms, however, he's the worst ever to occupy such a role, and by a long, long way.

[Jakes Progress]

31. Would you care

to give examples of that ignorance? Or does the ignorance lie elsewhere?

[ProSense]

3. So

Kucinich wasn't serious about impeaching Bush?

Clownish!

Does this mean that Bush isn't a war criminal?

[Thrill]

4. Way to go Democrats

Keep enabling Republicans

[paparush]

6. The man stands on his principles. I'll give him that.

[sharp_stick]

7. It's not easy either

that guy's principles move around like a dingy in a hurricane.

[MadMaddie]

9. Ha...brilliant!

[Tarheel_Dem]

12. >>>>>

:spray:

[paparush]

21. Didn't Dennis vote against invading Iraq? He consistently voted against funding the war.

He also brought articles of impeachment against Bush & Cheney.

Seems pretty consistent (for a politician).

[krabigirl]

27. He did. Him and a few others.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. yes he did...

but cheerleaders will be along soon to tell us why we are wrong.

[Ikonoklast]

11. Ask people in Cleveland about back when Dennis wasn't above playing racial politics

as a city councilman.

Get back to me on that.

Some of us still remember THAT Dennis Kucinich.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. * may have gone to Congress and bellyached, but

I don't remember a formal declaration of war by Congress. Just a blank military check to do "whatever is necessary" to fight terror.

[robcon]

10. Iraq War Resolution was passed by Congress in 2002.

http://articles.cnn.com/2002-10-11/politics/iraq.us_1_biological-weapons-weapons-inspectors-iraq?_s=PM:ALLPOLITICS

[no_hypocrisy]

14. Not a Congressional Declaration of War.

Congress unconstitutionally passed the buck by not declaring war itself. It authorized the Executive Branch prospectively to declare war.

[robcon]

15. That's what Kucinich was referring to. Bush asked Congress first.

No one, AFAIK (especially Kucinich), has argued that it was a formal declaration of war - only that Bush asked Congress for authorization.

[NorthCarolina]

16. You're wasting your time.

Facts schmacts...this is just about bashing Kucinich, an outspoken evil LIBERAL.

[no_hypocrisy]

17. Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 11

The Congress shall have the power . . . to declare War.

"Shall" is mandatory, not discretionary.

The Constitution is explicit that it isn't the President who can declare war; it is solely the Congress. And Congress cannot delegate its constitutional authority and responsibility.

[Abq_Sarah]

29. Since war can't be paid for without the congress

You can take any vote appropriating money to fund a war as a defacto declaration.

The Constitution doesn't stipulate how war must be declared but it does stipulate how it must be paid for.

[Lurks Often]

18. Congress has not declared war since WWII

see Korea, Vietnam, Iraq (both times), Kosovo, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, Libya, Greece and probably a couple of more that I don't remember.

[no_hypocrisy]

19. That's my point.

Congress deferred its constitutional duty to authorize "war" for over 70 years. By using semantics of "policing" and "military action", this country has incurred unimaginable costs, civilians have been killed, raw materials plundered. The Constitution wanted a Congress to declare War after a well-reasoned debate of all issues as to avoid rushing into such a grave endeavor. That's why it didn't give war powers to an individual in the Executive Branch.

The War Powers Act was a feeble attempt to address non-war military actions. It gives powers to the Executive in violation of the Constitution. And controversies remain unresolved.

[yurbud]

24. I think that's meant primarily as irony.

[center rising]

25. Hey Dennis, do me a favor STFU!!

[Jakes Progress]

32. Yeah, Dennis. Fuck the Constitution.

I mean after all. The man looks so good in a bathing suit.

[krabigirl]

26. He is right though, like it or not it is the truth.