Posted on 09/11/2013 1:08:47 PM PDT by markomalley
A little taste of what might have been during a McCain presidency.
The senior Republican acknowledged the decision would be a difficult one, but he said he did not think members of his own party would try to remove President Obama from office if he acted in the vital national interest.
Theyre not going to impeach the president. Theyre not that crazy, he told reporters after the event
I think that, one, that the president of the United States should go back, if this fails, this Russian initiative, and convince the American people again, McCain said. Then I think the president has to decide whats in our vital national interest.
If he launched an attack on Syria without the endorsement of Congress, it would be vastly more complicated if Congress had already acted. If he acted without the agreement of Congress, you could make the argument before the resolution was passed that he is acting as other president have.
Didnt McCain himself disingenuously endorse impeachment if Obama decided to put boots on the ground in Syria? If hes willing to impeach over using ground troops, which might be a logical strategic step if the U.S. launches an attack and then things escalate, why is it crazy to impeach him for defying the will of Congress and the public to launch the war in the first place?
I went to the Journals website to look for video of what he said but couldnt find the bit quoted above. What I did find is Maverick saying that O either should have bombed Assad straightaway or sought approval from Congress without first stating that hed decided as commander-in-chief that a strike was necessary. Hes quick to note, though, that presidents, among them Ronald Reagan, have been bombing first and seeking approval later for ages with little objection from Republicans. Thats his (obligatory) jab at Rand Paul, of course, which conveniently sidesteps the question of whether there should have been objection in previous cases. Presumably, by McCains logic, Republicans are bound to sign off on waterboarding if Obama brings it back because theyve supported it before, after all. He also notes that the War Powers Act authorizes the president to bomb without permission for a short time before coming to Congress for authorization. Thats true if theres a national emergency created by attack upon the United States. Otherwise, per the Act, there needs to be a declaration of war or an AUMF. If McCain thinks the Act is unconstitutional because it steps on the presidents Article II prerogatives as commander-in-chief, thats fine, but then I dont know why he thinks it was okay for O to come to Congress before an attack. Effectively, he wants the president to decide when the country goes to war. You would think that institutional pride, if nothing else, would push a guy whos been in the Senate for nearly 30 years to not want the chamber reduced to the level of a rubber stamp whose disapproval can be ignored if need be. But here we are.
Naturally, his sidekick Lindsey Graham is gung ho for this idea too:
LINDSEY GRAHAM: You know, theres probably a reason 225 times presidents didnt come to Congress. I dont know if Id come to talk with us. Quite frankly. The president has mismanaged this from day one about what were trying to do, the goals were trying to achieve. I think he made an unbelievably compelling case that we need to act here and compare that to the unbelievably small response were going to give.
So at the end of the day, if I were the president I would act after this speech if diplomacy fell apart and I wouldnt come back to Congress.
JESSICA YELLIN: Do you think he
GRAHAM: Because if he does his credibility as a world leader is completely shot. You cant address the world and talk to your enemies and your friends in the tone he did and do nothing.
McCain also revealed that hes having dinner tonight with Ted Cruz(!). Oh, and he dismissed Russias proposal on Syria, which has now been written up and is in U.S. hands, as a stalling tactic. Which, unfortunately, is true.
Better put a stake in his heart if you expect to keep him down.
Does AZ have a recall provision? Now would be a great chance to get rid of the old fool.
So McCain knows it's an impeachable offense...
I wish they did, we are now stuck with this lunatic for another 4 years.
More and more ga-ga every day.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.