An amazing statement
Seeking to avoid a showdown over Libya, House GOP leaders have pulled back from a floor vote on a resolution by Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) that would bar U.S. involvement in the NATO-led campaign to topple Muammar Qhadafi.
Citing “lots of unrest on both sides of the aisle,” a senior House GOP aide said Republican leaders are still working through their options.
Another senior Republican staffer said House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) “is concerned that if this were to come to the floor now, it would pass” and could adversely affect the NATO mission in Libya.</i>
Did ya catch that part? The part where House Speaker Boehner essentially said that democracy be damned, we’re gonna have this illegal war, like it or not? And it is an illegal war– illegal the moment Obama started it, more so when the 60 days called for in the War Powers Resolution was up (not that the WPR applies, since it only allows for a president to use force when there is an immediate threat to the United States, which Libya has never posed). And seemingly only Dennis Kucinich has the moral decency and frankly, the stones to actually mention the fact.
In a statement, Kucinich said he was “disappointed that the President and leadership feel the need to buy even more time to shore up support for the War in Libya. It’s not surprising that some are now wondering if a preliminary vote count on my resolution came out in favor of defending the Constitution.”
Exactly. Remember how with great fanfare the Orange Man and his Wrecking Crew opened their tenure at the helm of the House with a reading of the Constitution? Funny, you’d have thought folks so enraptured by the document would actually attempt to give it validity, but perish the thought. Boehner sat on his hands for the Bush presidency as amendments were rendered superfluous, at least he’s consistent now. To his ilk, the Constitution exists as cable news fodder and something to be amended in case Adam and Steve want to marry, but to actually use it as the law of the land, well, that’s just something open to negotiation, apparently.
Because the Kucinich proposal relates to the 1973 War Powers Act, it is considered privileged under House rules, meaning that Kucinich could force a floor vote even if Democratic and Republican leaders are opposed to doing so. The resolution “ripens” next week, making it possible for Kucinich to bring about a vote when Congress returns from next week’s recess.
Kucinich’s resolution, introduced last week, “directs the president to remove the United States Armed Forces from Libya by not later than the date that is 15 days after the date of the adoption”</i>
So what if the resolution is voted upon- and passes? Nobody in their right mind actually thinks Obama would feel compelled by it to actually bring the troops home- he’s proven himself a war criminal over and over again since taking the office- so the bigger question becomes, “Whatcha gonna do about it?” Because it would be a clearly impeachable offense, no dithering on the definition of “is” at this point. It would be Obama’s Iran Contra, only he wouldn’t be able to quash it in some late night, last hour bit of chicanery, as HW Bush did by pardoning all the perps, calling it the criminalization of policy differences. No, this is Obama’s war, no weak tea of “he only inherited it” bullshit to be accepted.
And what of impeachment? Clearly no Dem, save Kucinich, would vote for it- and I’m betting not enough Republicans would either. Despite it being a slam dunk way to rid themselves of their primary foe, it would also put them in line to actually occupy the White House in 2012, which probably fills GOP undies with flop sweat. The GOP may be completely unprincipled whores to corporate power, but they ain’t entirely stupid. They can read a chart as well as the next guy, and realize that with leadership comes responsibility, and if there is anything the GOP considers repellant more than gays, its accepting ownership of their awful method of governance. Nope, “that boy” is going to sit in the White House for two full terms- he’s the best thing they’ve had to run on since abortion. Until 2012 the economy is his problem, all they have to do is bring up go nowhere “budgets” that no sane person would vote for, and hurl invective in the press. As Boehner’s quote shows, they have no stomach for actually governing.
Apparently, only Dennis Kucinich does.
