Congress, Don't Let the Decider Bomb Iran

The Decider. The Deceiver. Duh Bomb - but not in the positive way Randy Jackson means on "American Idol," but rather in the "he might trigger World War III by using "tactical" nuclear weapons on Iran" way.

George Bush is intolerable, and the House and Senate MUST stand up to him. They need to amend their "Congressional Resolution on Iraq (Passed by House and Senate October 2002)" to take BACK their Constitutional right to declare war, and to make clear that to attack Iran at all, but especially with nuclear weapons, is an act of war, and ONLY CONGRESS CAN DECLARE WAR. (Here's a link to the original Resolution: Click here.)

Come on, Senator Arlen Specter, Senator Olympia Snow, Senator Susan Collins, Senator Lindsay Graham - I know you're all sensible enough that you're bothered that the President used that Resolution on Iraq to say that it gave him the right to do ANYTHING connected to "fighting terror," including doing warrantless wiretapping, when that's clearly in direct opposition to an existing law.

And we can expect no help from Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, who clearly doesn't work for the people but works for Bush; famous for having previously redefined torture to allow any damn thing you want to do as long as it doesn't cause organ failure or death, Gonzalez testified to the Judiciary Committee, nodded his placid little head, and said it's his legal opinion that the Resolution gives Bush the right to do warrantless wiretapping, even though it's nowhere mentioned or implied in the Resolution.

Well you can bet even though the Resolution even has the name IRAQ in its title, that Gonzalez would say it's his opinion that the Resolution justifies anything the President does including attacking Iran as long as he says the magic words "I'm fighting the war on Terror." After all, Bush is The Decider. He's duh bomb, better duck and cover.

Bush could decapitate Christianne Amanpour on CNN (though he'd probably prefer to do it on Fox News), and claim he's learned she's part of a sleeper cell and was about to recite a code word - and that would be legal according to Gonzalez, because he was acting as Commander in Chief on the War in Terror.

Senator Lindsay Graham, in the hearings with Gonzalez on the warrantless wiretapping, said out loud he was disturbed by the implications of that point of view - that just about anything is allowed the president because he's fighting the it-can-last-forever "War on Terror"; Gonzalez and Bush basically claim LIMITLESS POWERS for the president. Pretty nifty, huh? But Graham has done nothing with his sensible reaction to that claim, except have it.

I cannot bear for one second longer the passivitiy of the people in the House and Senate.
Come on, Senator Graham, you see the dangers of a runaway King President. Do something to control him.

Come on, Specter, you're smart, you're not going to be running for reelection again -- save the country and the world from these dsyfunctional, delusional people. You know better - I can see it in your face.

Come on, Senator Hilary Clinton, stop being so measured in your words. You think attacking Iran with "tactical" nuclear weapons is a good idea? You think it's moral to attack a country that way when they haven't attacked us? To do it again???

Congressman Murtha and Senator Feingold, you two alone have been brave, so keep going.
Come on, Senator Carl Levin and Senator Joseph Biden and Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator Dianne Feinstein and Senator Robert Byrd and Senator Chuck Schumer and Senator Christopher Dodd and Senator Tom Harkin and Senator Ted Kennedy and Senator John Kerry and Senator Patrick Leahy - you've all been brave and good some of the time, and vague and quiet other times - help us out here, it's a deadly game of chess, BLOCK THE DECIDER, make it clear he can't use that Iraq Resolution to go bomb another country. TAKE BACK YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT TO DELCARE WAR. BE BRAVE, DON'T LET THAT NOT-WELL MAN START WORLD WAR III.

I'm going to quote fellow blogger Cenk Uygur here:

"We might be on the verge of starting World War III and everyone seems decidedly calm. The administration is thinking of dropping nuclear bombs on a Muslim country that did not attack us. What do you think Muslims throughout the world will do in reaction? Do you think they'll be calm?

If you thought they didn't like Danish cartoons, wait till you get a load of them after we start another unprovoked war in another Muslim country.

And this time we use nuclear weapons!

We are going to light this world on fire if we do this. This is not theoretical. The Washington Post is reporting that the plans have already been drawn up and the administration has been advised that it must act within a matter of months."

Here's the link to his full blog on this.

He has written two other Cassandra-like entries on the Post on the possible attacking of Iran. I agree with him. Why is everyone so calm?

And Bush and Rumsfeld "pooh pooh" us and claim it's all hypothetical - doesn't that sound familiar? Remember all the lies of Bush saying he hadn't decided on going to war against Iraq, it was up to Saddam to prove the negative, prove he didn't have weapons of mass destruction.

(How do you prove that? A negative receipt from Home Depot WMD department?)

I looked up the Constitution today. You know, that thing the right-wing Republicans want STRICTLY construed by the Supreme Court, especially as relates to abortion and homosexuality, which are nowhere even mentioned in the Constitution.

But who declares war IS mentioned in the Constitution. And it's not George Washington, and it's not George W. Bush. Here are some clear quotes from the Constitution:

Article. I. Section. 8.
[The Congress shall have Power To] declare War...
Article. II.Section. 1.
The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America. (later on;)Before he enter on the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation:--"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States."

"Preserve, protect and defend the Constitution."

Question: Did Alberto Gonzalez prepare a side letter we don't know about, in which Bush re-defined the Constitution to his liking, just as they previously redefined torture? (And just as they prepared a side letter to accompany his signing the McCain anti-torture bill, making it useless. And Senator McCain, in his new role of being spineless (it doesn't suit him), has said nothing about this side letter which negates his law.)

Oddly, looking at the Constitution, there isn't much description of what the Executive does. But there's a lot that the Constitution says the House and Senate do.

Come on, Senators, DO YOUR JOB. STAND UP TO THIS MAN. HE DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO ATTACK A COUNTRY WITH NUCLEAR WEAPONS. Think of him as a drunk man about to drive a car, saying to Laura, "I can drive, let me do it, I'm the decider." DON'T LET THIS MAN DRIVE, DON'T LET HIM START A WAR ON HIS OWN. Follow the Constitution, reclaim that it's your right to declare war, not his - and STAND UP TO HIM.

Link Here

Brecher and Smith Attack Iran, Ignore the Constitution

During the 2004 election, George W. Bush famously proclaimed that he didn't have to ask anyone's permission to defend America. Does that mean he can attack Iran without having to ask Congress? A new Congressional resolution being drafted by Representative Peter DeFazio, a Democrat from Oregon, can be a vehicle to remind Bush that he can't.

Link Here