It’s Official...James Baker Has Lost His Mind

The New Media Journal ^ | July 11, 2008 | Frank Salvato

[NewMediaJournal]

Anyone familiar with the threat posed by the advancing American Fifth Column understands all too clearly that our Constitution is under attack. Whether it is the insistence that the Constitution is a living document meant to conform to the will of the times or the institution of political correctness – a shadow set of laws effectively usurping the laws of our Constitutional Republic – the American Fifth Column is slowly, incrementally, systematically, chipping away at the wisdom as set forth by our Founders and Framers. With news that a non-governmentally charged commission is introducing a measure that would impose “group think” on the Commander-in-Chief, it is evidenced that the American Fifth Column is on the march.

Recently, a story surfaced regarding the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

The resolution states:

“... the President of The United States of America can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the United States of America is already under attack or serious threat. The War Powers Act requires that the president notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops to military action and forbids troops from remaining for more than 60 days without an authorization of force or a declaration of war.”

This is already a stretch on the authority placed in the Executive Branch by our Framers. Article II, Section 2 of the United State Constitution states:

“The President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called into the actual Service of the United States;...”

[CowboyJay]

Constitutionally speaking, the author off-base on this. I’m sure that this is in some circumspect way a defense of Bush and Iraq, but we have to use our heads, here. Do we think that Republicans will be the only ones ever to reside in the Oval office? Do we want the same usurpations of constitutional authority extended to Obama?

[ksen]

“... the President of The United States of America can send troops into action abroad only by authorization of Congress or if the United States of America is already under attack or serious threat. The War Powers Act requires that the president notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops to military action and forbids troops from remaining for more than 60 days without an authorization of force or a declaration of war.”

The War Powers act acknowledges there is a difference between authorizing the use of force and declaring war. For all the President's talk and the talk of his supporters we have not even started to engage in a war against the people that want to kill us.

Why?

[untrained skeptic]

I'm honestly having a hard time understanding what the author is so upset about.

Congress having a commission with access to national security information does not interfere with the President's role as Commander in Chief. It simply allows Congress to make an informed decision in determining if they should declare war, or if they should exercise their constitutional authority to defund a conflict.

The author recognizes the checks and balances, but then seems to want to deprive Congress of the information they need to fulfill their duty.