Starting Wars

My position: Ironically the same as President Obama's before he was elected. "The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation." (Obama, before he was elected. From a Boston Globe survey of presidential candidates on executive power.)

Obama just launched an act of war against Libya without a congressional declaration of war as required by the Constitution. President Barack Obama authorized limited military action against Libya Saturday, saying Moammar Gadhafi's continued assault on his own people left the U.S. and its international partners with no other choice. The Pentagon said 112 cruise missiles were launched from US and UK ships and subs, hitting ...

At one time Obama supposedly taught constitutional law. As a senator he is quoted as declaring that a U.S. President doesn't have the authority to execute an act of warwithout a congressional declaration of war. Yet again he is violating his oath of office.

Here is the oath our U.S. President is required to take:

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 theConstitution of the United States.

Here's a discussion on this topic on Facebook.

Here's a New American article with some good tidbits.

Someone suggested that the War Powers Resolution of 1973 justified this action. This doesn't appear to be the case in my review of the resolution. It allows the President to

(c) Presidential executive power as Commander-in-Chief; limitation

The constitutional powers of the President as Commander-in-Chief to introduce United States Armed Forces into hostilities, or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances, are exercised only pursuant to

(1) a declaration of war,

(2) specific statutory authorization, or

(3) a national emergency created by attack upon the United States, its territories or possessions, or its armed forces.