Friday, June 17, 2011

When is a war not a war?

MANIFESTO

The creatures outside looked from pig to man, and from man to pig,
and from pig to man again; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
— George Orwell, Animal Farm
The semantic gamesmanship the Obamans are displaying these days is both fascinating and horrifying. The War Powers Act's ninety day limit vis-à-vis Libya ends in a few days, but the White House is adamant that
President Obama ha[s] the authority to continue the military campaign without Congressional approval because American involvement [falls] short of full-blown hostilities.
No matter what their intentions are, the Republicans are absolutely correct in this episode, asserting that "the creative arguments made by the White House raise a number of questions that must be further explored."

Legal aide to BO, Harold Koh, who certainly should know better, gives a justification for this non-action that's as half fast as anything the Bushies ever propounded:
"We are not saying the War Powers Resolution is unconstitutional or should be scrapped or that we can refuse to consult Congress. We are saying the limited nature of this particular mission is not the kind of 'hostilities' envisioned by the War Powers Resolution."
So how's that "change" thing going, Barry?

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