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<span style="white-space: pre;">>> U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson
(R-IL15): “Constitutionally, it is<br>
>> indisputable that Congress must be consulted prior to an
act of war<br>
>> unless there is an imminent threat against this country.
The<br>
>> president has not done so,” Johnson said. “In fact, this
is the<br>
>> same man who questioned President Bush’s constitutional
authority<br>
>> to commit troops to war.”</span><br>
<br>
Tim Johnson is quite right. Obama's action is patently illegal under
the War Powers Resolution of 1973. And killing people illegally is
surely an impeachable offense.<br>
<br>
But Obama did more than "<i>question...</i> President Bush’s
constitutional authority to commit troops to war.” He said, "The
president does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally
authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve
stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation." He was right.<br>
<br>
Obama is aware of the difficulty. His 21 March 2011 letter to both
houses of Congress twists and turns to try to suggest that Qaddafi
is "an actual or imminent threat to the nation." Of course he
isn't. --CGE<br>
<br>
<br>
On 3/25/11 3:03 PM, Jenifer Cartwright wrote:<br>
<span style="white-space: pre;">> The current language used [to
justify not consulting Congress]<br>
> focuses on short duration and skips the eminent threat to the<br>
> homeland stuff. Let's see if that's gonna play... --Jenifer<br>
> <br>
> --- On *Tue, 3/22/11, Robert Naiman
/<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org"><naiman@justforeignpolicy.org></a>/*<br>
> wrote:<br>
> <br>
> <br>
> From: Robert Naiman <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:naiman@justforeignpolicy.org"><naiman@justforeignpolicy.org></a>
Subject: Re:<br>
> [Peace-discuss] Johnson opposes military action in Libya To:
"Karen<br>
> Medina" <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:kmedina67@gmail.com"><kmedina67@gmail.com></a> Cc:
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:peace-discuss@anti-war.net">peace-discuss@anti-war.net</a> Date:<br>
> Tuesday, March 22, 2011, 6:18 PM<br>
> <br>
> Kucinich has pledged to introduce an amendment to any funding<br>
> vehicle that would defund military operations in Libya -
i.e., pretty<br>
> similar to what Tim Johnson is proposing. He is circulating a
letter<br>
> to that effect; the last time I looked, Paul, Jones, and
Stark had<br>
> signed it.<br>
> <br>
> On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 5:53 PM, Karen Medina
<<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:kmedina67@gmail.com">kmedina67@gmail.com</a><br>
> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:/mc/compose?to=kmedina67@gmail.com"></mc/compose?to=kmedina67@gmail.com></a>> wrote:<br>
>> Good going, Tim Johnson. I am curious to see what
Kucinich does. <br>
>> -karen medina<br>
>> <br>
>> On Tue, Mar 22, 2011 at 3:52 PM, Rohn Koester<br>
>> <<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:rohnkoester@hotmail.com">rohnkoester@hotmail.com</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:/mc/compose?to=rohnkoester@hotmail.com"></mc/compose?to=rohnkoester@hotmail.com></a>><br>
>> wrote:<br>
>>> Johnson opposes military action in Libya<br>
>>> <br>
>>> Tue, 03/22/2011 - 11:30am | Tom Kacich<br>
>>> <br>
>>> U.S. Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Urbana, who already opposes
U.S.<br>
>>> involvement in wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, today
said he would<br>
>>> introduce legislation to de-fund military action in
Libya.<br>
>>> <br>
>>> The six-term Republican said he would work with Rep.
Justin<br>
>>> Amash, R-Mich., a freshman congressman, to draft
legislation<br>
>>> declaring the action unconstitutional.<br>
>>> <br>
>>> “Constitutionally, it is indisputable that Congress
must be<br>
>>> consulted prior to an act of war unless there is an
imminent<br>
>>> threat against this country. The president has not
done so,”<br>
>>> Johnson said. “In fact, this is the same man who
questioned<br>
>>> President Bush’s constitutional authority to commit
troops to <br>
>>> war.”<br>
>>> <br>
>>>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2011-03-22/johnson-opposes-military-action-libya.html">http://www.news-gazette.com/news/politics-and-government/2011-03-22/johnson-opposes-military-action-libya.html</a><br>
><br>
</span><br>
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