Pin the war on the donkey

[ProSense]

Lincoln Chafee is concerned that the same 74 Senators voted against the Levin Amendment voted for the IWR. There were several resolutions.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES PURSUANT TO A NEW UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION.

(a) AUTHORIZATION.--Pursuant to a resolution of the United Nations Security Council described in section 2(2) that is adopted after the enactment of this joint resolution, and subject to subsection (b), the President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States to destroy, remove, or render harmless Iraq's weapons of mass destruction, nuclear weapons-usable material, ballistic missiles with a range greater than 150 kilometers, and related facilities, if Iraq fails to comply with the terms of the Security Council resolution.

(b) REQUIREMENTS.--Before the authority granted in subsection (a) is exercised, the President shall make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that the United States has used appropriate diplomatic and other peaceful means to obtain compliance by Iraq with a resolution of the United Nations Security Council described in section 2(2) and that those efforts have not been and are not likely to be successful in obtaining such compliance.

The IWR:

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION FOR USE OF UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES.

(a) AUTHORIZATION- The President is authorized to use the Armed Forces of the United States as he determines to be necessary and appropriate in order to--

(1) defend the national security of the United States against the continuing threat posed by Iraq; and

(2) enforce all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions regarding Iraq.

(b) PRESIDENTIAL DETERMINATION- In connection with the exercise of the authority granted in subsection (a) to use force the President shall, prior to such exercise or as soon thereafter as may be feasible, but no later than 48 hours after exercising such authority, make available to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate his determination that--

Check out how Senators voted. Note Clinton, Biden and Edwards voted no on Levin and Durbin. Feingold voted against Levin's amendment and the IWR, but voted for Durbin's.

There were a lot of resolutions and people had different reasons for voting the way they did. That is why there are three aye votes (Feinstein, Kohl and Rockefeller) for both. It wasn't because they were for and against war. Saying that this was a vote for war when the IWR clearly stated as one of it's criteria that the UN resolution must be adhered to, is false.

Seems Chaffee also voted against Kerry-Feingold. He lost his seat because of his position on Iraq. He should have taken a more forceful stance when he was in the Senate.

Four letters from the NYT...

Three supporting Chaffee:

As the 2008 election approaches, we must also not forget that many of the senators voting in favor of the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq harbored presidential ambitions (John Kerry, John Edwards, Hillary Rodham Clinton, John McCain) and were plainly influenced by a fear that such ambitions might be thwarted if they voted against the resolution and the war later turned out to be a success.

(Yeah they're the same as McCain. :sarcasm: )

In other words, a quarter of the brave dissenters who voted against the war are no longer leading the fight in the Senate.

(I wonder why, when the country is clearly against the war? Are they leading the fight outside the Senate?)

So much for the claims of some presidential candidates that “we were all fooled.” Many were not. We lost a wonderful nonpartisan voice of reason when Senator Chafee was defeated. We will miss him.

(I'm glad a Democrat won.)

One that does not:

Lincoln D. Chafee’s article about the war resolution was disappointing. Does he really think that other wording would have prevented this president from going to war to “save” us?

As I remember it, liberals accepted the war resolution so we could reasonably demand that the United Nations do something about Iraq. The Security Council then unanimously required that inspectors be readmitted, we flexed our muscles (as permitted by this Congressional resolution) and Iraq complied. That is, the resolution worked!

Then, rather than wait a few additional months of controlled inspection, President Bush chose to “go it alone.”

Since the times required some trust in the promises of the president, I do not understand why the timid Democrats should now apologize for their vote. The resolution accomplished its purpose; a different president could have made this a much better and safer world.

(I completely agree.)

Chafee seems to be doing his best to now give Bush an out by claiming that Congress supported the war. He lost his Senate seat for a reason, a good one.

[ProSense]

1. One could apologize

for trusting Bush, but voting yes or no on the IWR (any version) is less a factor in the carnage in Iraq, than having remained conspicuously silent or timid in terms of speaking out against the immoral war.

[karynnj]

2. Chaffee has written similar things for other newspapers - per other threads

This is very likely an attempt to undermine Hillary's reason for voting. (Edwards voted against all the amendments and was basically ok with going to war - and his 2008 answer is that he said he was wrong and that he is sorry).

It does seem to me like we would be at war under either of these amendments - especially with signing statements. The initial UN resolution was referenced by Bush when he went to war as it was.

Given the flack Kerry got after the first debate when referring to a global test of what was a valid reason to go to war (The characteristics Kerry explained showed he was speaking of the concept of "just war" and didn't want to make it specific to Christianity.)

Voting for this amendment would have been as giving the UN the decision to commit us to war - which it wasn't.

[ProSense]

3. Agree, there were a lot of issues. n/t

[Clarkie1]

4. The Congress passed the IWR and gave up thier constitutional power

and duty. There was never an imminent threat, and they were wrong to cede war powers to the executive.