Presidential Power
There's a story on Slashdot right now that links to a page that tries to show that most Presidents were against the President using force without Congressional approval, implying that Bush did go to war without that approval:
But this is an entirely ridiculous notion. Congress approved the use of force in Iraq. Period. End of story. Read the bill that was passed in October 2002. Kerry and most of the rest of Congress voted to authorize Bush to use force in Iraq. This is not debatable. You can debate the wisdom of that decision, but you cannot debate whether Congress approved the use of force, unless you want to be laughed at for not knowing what you're talking about.
Before 1950, no President or member of Congress believed that the executive branch could wage war without debate in Congress, when such debate was possible.
But this is an entirely ridiculous notion. Congress approved the use of force in Iraq. Period. End of story. Read the bill that was passed in October 2002. Kerry and most of the rest of Congress voted to authorize Bush to use force in Iraq. This is not debatable. You can debate the wisdom of that decision, but you cannot debate whether Congress approved the use of force, unless you want to be laughed at for not knowing what you're talking about.
"It is the common fate of the indolent to see their rights become a prey to the active. The condition upon which God hath given liberty to man is eternal vigilance; which condition if he break, servitude is at once the consequence of his crime and the punishment of his guilt."
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