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Home Front: Politix
Dhimmicratic Senators warn Bush has no authority on Iran
2007-11-03
WASHINGTON - Thirty US senators wrote to President George W. Bush, warning he had no authority to launch military action against Iran, and expressing concern about the administration’s “provocative” rhetoric. The senators, 29 Democrats and one independent, urged the resolution of disputes with the Islamic republic through diplomacy.
Because that's worked so well thus far ...
“We wish to emphasize that no congressional authority exists for unilateral military action against Iran,” said the letter signed by senators including presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
If Bush wanted he could invoke the War Powers Act, which gives him 90 days. The bombing campaign could be over in 10. Of he could ignore the WPA, like every president since Ford, and just do what has to be done.
Another Democratic presidential candidate, Senator Chris Dodd, signed the letter but Senators Barack Obama and Joseph Biden did not.

The letter warned that a resolution passed by the Senate in September, calling for the designation of IranÂ’s Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist group, should not be used as a pretext for war.

It hit out at “provocative statements and actions” by the administration on Iran, after Bush last month warned Tehran must be barred from nuclear weapons to avoid the prospect of “World War III.” “These comments are counterproductive and undermine efforts to resolve tensions with Iran through diplomacy,” said the letter, coordinated by Virginia Senator Jim Webb.
Say Jim, any thought at all about how 'provocative' the statements and actions from Iran, including the supplying of IEDs to Iranian clients in Iraq, are?
Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, a fierce critic of the administrationÂ’s policies, sent his own letter this week to Bush, reportedly calling on him to open direct talks with Tehran. His staff confirmed the letter had been sent, but declined to release a copy.
Weasel. Brave, brave weasel ...
Posted by:

#14  Anonymoose, okay, you're on. Tell me how to get mullahs' hands twitching to inadvertently push the button before they have nuke warheads mounted on their missiles.
Posted by: twobyfour   2007-11-03 20:38  

#13  Send Jesse as the third, and get a congressional delgation to go with them. Baghdad Jim McDermott and Moron Moran from VA are my leading nominess to escort them to Teheran, the day before we strike.
Posted by: OldSpook   2007-11-03 12:36  

#12  Hell, go for the twofer and send 'em both!
Posted by: Zenster   2007-11-03 11:53  

#11  There is only one man skilled enough for this level of diplomacy. We must send former president Jimmy Carter to Tehran at once!

How bout Al Sharpton instead?
Posted by: Slappy   2007-11-03 11:36  

#10  This goes to a basic requirement that somebody has to initiate overt hostilities against either the US military or the US itself to respond. It has formally been that convenience long before the Ems Dispatch.

It is too problematic to hope that the Iranians will both do this, and do this in an ineffectual manner. Therefore, we should create the circumstances in which they do it.

Ideally, we should arrange for several of their missiles to be fired at the thickest part of our missile defenses, right after we have been drilling our missile defense crews to defend against such an attack.

Our immediate response would be to obliterate their missile launch sites. This would leave no puzzling evidence behind, yet all the major powers would have seen the attack ballistic warnings light up their radar and satellite networks, and would have tracked both the Iranian attacks and the US defense and counterattack.

Problem solved. Carte blanche.
Posted by: Anonymoose   2007-11-03 10:03  

#9  Quislings!
Posted by: JohnQC   2007-11-03 09:35  

#8  Congress has no authority to tell the President what he can do with the military either. All they can do is fund it.
Posted by: DarthVader   2007-11-03 09:16  

#7  Maybe if Bush were to send cruise missiles into Sudan the Democrats would be more in agreement?
Posted by: BrerRabbit   2007-11-03 08:31  

#6  The President can run a Normandy sized assault if he want's, long as he wins before the War Powers Act kicks in... what is that 30 days? 90?

Ummm.... from Wiki (who knows?)

It requires the President to consult with Congress before and during hostilities (Sec. 3); and to remove U.S. armed forces from hostilities if Congress has not declared war or passed a resolution authorizing the use of force within 60 days (Sec.. 5(b)). It grants an additional 30 days upon a formal request by the President, presumably when "unavoidable military necessity" requires additional action for a safe withdrawal.

Sounds like 90 days to me.
Posted by: Thomas Woof   2007-11-03 07:50  

#5  Weasels are actually very fierce little creatures. If you trap on, make sure it is dead before getting in reach of its teeth.
Posted by: Glenmore   2007-11-03 06:50  

#4  I seem to recall that a President can act without congressional authorization if there is a "clear and present danger" to national security. If Iran and its nuclear weapons program doesn't represent such a danger then nothing does.
Posted by: Zenster   2007-11-03 06:16  

#3  Democrats and one independent, urged the resolution of disputes with the Islamic republic through diplomacy.

There is only one man skilled enough for this level of diplomacy. We must send former president Jimmy Carter to Tehran at once!
Posted by: Besoeker   2007-11-03 04:36  

#2  Only 30 donk senators would sign this in the absence of any administration presentations to the public that we ought to take specific action against Iran? Looks like Bush could push an AUMF through Congress if he made the case. I know, big if.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2007-11-03 02:52  

#1  No authority? Iran's tyrant has threatened the USA. The President is US Commander in Chief. While Congress has war making powers, standing National Security orders give the President the authority to act on same.
Posted by: McZoid   2007-11-03 02:13  

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