Posted on 03/25/2011 9:12:47 AM PDT by Libloather
Democrats back calls for Obama to explain strategy
LARA MARLOWE in Washington
The Irish Times - Friday, March 25, 2011
US ROLE: AMID GROWING calls for President Barack Obama to explain his strategy to Congress and the nation, leading Democrats say questions about the Libyan war raised by the Republican speaker of the house John Boehner are “legitimate”.
Deputy national security adviser Denis McDonough told CNN that a letter sent by Mr Boehner to the White House on Wednesday contained “a very legitimate set of questions”.
Democratic senator Sherrod Brown said Mr Obama “needs to face the nation and . . . tell Congress what the endgame is and how this is going to play out”.
In an opinion piece published by Bloomberg News, Michael Waldman, chief speechwriter for former president Bill Clinton, criticised Mr Obama for what he called “cursory” remarks on US involvement in Libya. “At no time so far has he spoken to the country, at length, about why he felt it necessary to take this military action at this moment,” he wrote.
Mr Obama was more successful in securing support internationally than from Republicans and Democrats in Congress. “Your administration has consulted extensively on these same matters with foreign entities such as the UN and the Arab League,” wrote Mr Boehner in his letter to the president.
“I respect your authority as commander-in-chief and support our troops as they carry out their mission. But I and many other members of the House of Representatives are troubled that US military resources were committed to war without clearly defining for the American people, the Congress and our troops what the mission in Libya is and what America’s role is in achieving that mission.”
He called the administration’s explanations “limited” and “contradictory”. Among the issues he raised under seven bullet-points were the apparent contradiction between Mr Obama’s stated goal that Muammar Gadafy “must go” and UN Security Council resolution 1973, which “makes clear that regime change is not part of this mission”.
He also asked whether there were “clear lines of authority and responsibility and a chain of command”; what the US would do “if the coalition dissolves or partners continue to disengage”; what was the administration’s “engagement strategy for the opposition forces”; when would the US hand control over to other nations; and how much the conflict would cost.
Senator Richard Lugar, the ranking Republican on the senate foreign relations committee, has written to Senator John Kerry, its chairman, to request hearings on the Libyan war when Congress reconvenes next week.
Leading Democratic senators have stood by Mr Obama in the Libyan crisis but House Democrats have not. Second-ranking Democratic representative Steny Hoyer said: “In some sense the criticism is apt” because “I don’t think there was a lot of consultation”.
A statement by four liberal Democratic representatives calling for an immediate halt to the bombing said: “We will fight in Congress to ensure the US does not become embroiled in yet another destabilising military quagmire in Libya with no clear exit plan or diplomatic strategy for peace.”
Democratic representative Dennis Kucinich has spoken of impeaching Mr Obama for allegedly violating the war powers resolution of 1973, which requires the president to seek authorisation from Congress for military action.
He was on vacation! Sheesh!
Hey Obama, there’s a humaintarian crisis brewing in Syria. Are you going to start bombing there too?
Barry hit the links.
I don’t think this is the kind of cooperation in the House that President Obama had in mind.
“”Hey Obama, there’s a humaintarian crisis brewing in Syria. Are you going to start bombing there too?””
That’s certainly going to be interesting to watch. I think this jerk returned to DC and is hiding under a desk hoping it will all go away. He WILL NOT WANT to do the same thing in Syria he’s doing in Lybia.
He should give his explanation just before the hood goes on.
Thanks Libloather.
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