[FreeTally]

The unanswerable question: What was so hard about declaring war the way the Constitution spells out?

Anytime the government does not follow the constitution by the letter, and makes up some specious argument to get to the same end without following the constitution, we must be very wary.

[freeeee]

What was so hard about declaring war the way the Constitution spells out?

You're getting close to the real issue here.

I would rephrase the question as "Why won't Congress declare war, and why doesn't the administration want them to?"

The administration didn't ask Congress to drop its pending declaration of war for no good reason. Are we afraid to ask why?

Is an insurance policy good enough reason to ingore the Constitution? We blow billions on everything under the sun, how about compensating the WTC owners if the insurance policy becomes invalid if Congress does its duty?

Or is there an even more insidious reason, one we're all wary of: A real declaration of war means that one day, war powers would end. And some people desperately don't want that to ever happen.

[steve50]

"Of future presidents, we can have no confidence in the man. We must bind him down in chains, the chains of the Constitution." Thomas Jefferson

We have failed to do this for too long, we will pay the price

[RBroadfoot]

Here's an example of a REAL Declaration of War:

Congressional Declaration of War on Japan
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
December 8, 1941
JOINT RESOLUTION Declaring that a state of war exists between the Imperial Government of Japan and the Government and the people of the United States and making provisions to prosecute the same.

Whereas the Imperial Government of Japan has committed unprovoked acts of war against the Government and the people of the United States of America: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the state of war between the United States and the Imperial Government of Japan which has thus been thrust upon the United States is hereby formally declared; and the President is hereby authorized and directed to employ the entire naval and military forces of the United States and the resources of the Government to carry on war against the Imperial Government of Japan; and, to bring the conflict to a successful termination, all of the resources of the country are hereby pledged by the Congress of the United States.

Approved, December 8, 1941, 4:10 p.m. E.S.T.

1) It's a joint resolution declaring the existance of a state of war.
2) It concisely explains the reasons for the existance of a state of war.
3) It explicitly describes with whom a state of war exists.
4) It makes a FORMAL declaration of war and commits the resources of the nation to bring it to successful conclusion.


Congress' WPA resolution only does #1 and #2. It only vaguely does #3 and does not do #4. It is not a formal declaration of war.

Certainly, a state of war exists, but there has not been a formal declaration of war. BTW, where does the War Powers Act authorize suspension of habeas corpus and other rights guaranteed by the Constitution?