John Bresnahan and Jonathan Allen
Politico
3/19/2011
A hard-core group of liberal House Democrats is questioning the constitutionality of U.S. missile strikes against Libya, with one lawmaker raising the prospect of impeachment during a Democratic Caucus conference call on Saturday.
Reps. Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.), Donna Edwards (Md.), Mike Capuano (Mass.), Dennis Kucinich (Ohio), Maxine Waters (Calif.), Rob Andrews (N.J.), Sheila Jackson Lee (Texas), Barbara Lee (Calif.) and Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.) “all strongly raised objections to the constitutionality of the president’s actions” during that call, said two Democratic lawmakers who took part.
Kucinich, who wanted to bring impeachment articles against both former President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney over Iraq — only to be blocked by his own leadership — asked why the U.S. missile strikes aren’t impeachable offenses.
Kucinich also questioned why Democratic leaders didn’t object when President Barack Obama told them of his plan for American participation in enforcing the Libyan no-fly zone during a White House Situation Room meeting on Friday, sources told POLITICO.
And liberals fumed that Congress hadn’t been formally consulted before the attack and expressed concern that it would lead to a third U.S. war in the Muslim world…
…While Defense Secretary Robert Gates led administration opponents of any U.S. role in the anti-Qadhafi operation, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton backed calls from the French and British governments for a NATO-led effort to assist the Libyan rebels. The Clinton clique eventually prevailed in the debate, and Clinton then worked with U.S. allies to craft a U.N. Security Council resolution authorizing the mission…
The complete article is at Politico.
H/T American Power:
…The only problem, again, is that these are not “liberal” Democrats. They’re communists, members of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — Michael Capuano, Barbara Lee, Jerald Nadler, Maxine Waters — and pathetic neo-communist hangers-on, like Rep. DennisKucinich…
Also at Politico, Boehner backs Obama on Libya but wants more info on U.S. mission
Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) is backing the U.S. intervention in Libya but wants President Batack Obama to “better explain” to the American people and Congress the scope and scale of the U.S. commitment.
Boehner issued this statement on Sunday afternoon:
“The United States has a moral obligation to stand with those who seek freedom from oppression and self-government for their people. It’s unacceptable and outrageous for Qadhafi to attack his own people, and the violence must stop.
“The President is the commander-in-chief, but the administration has a responsibility to define for the American people, the Congress, and our troops what the mission in Libya is, better explain what America’s role is in achieving that mission, and make clear how it will be accomplished. Before any further military commitments are made, the administration must do a better job of communicating to the American people and to Congress about our mission in Libya and how it will be achieved.”
Related: Arab League criticizes allied airstrikes on Libya
CAIRO (AP) — The head of the Arab League has criticized international strikes on Libya, saying they caused civilian deaths.
The Arab League’s support for a no-fly zone last week helped overcome reluctance in the West for action in Libya. The U.N. authorized not only a no-fly zone but also “all necessary measures” to protect civilians.
Amr Moussa says the military operations have gone beyond what the Arab League backed…
How Obama Turned France Into a Leading World Power
America’s Democratic Allies Shine
The 3 a.m. phone call finally came, and who was there to pick it up, Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton? The answer: Nicolas Sarkozy. A headline in today’s New York Times says it all: “Libya Calls Cease-Fire After Britain and France Vow Action ‘Soon.’” Well, almost all. The teaser gives some important color: “America’s role was unclear.”
Libyans rang up Washington mid-slaughter to find call-forwarding had been activated…
