DEMOCRATS ELEVATE POLITICAL PRIORITIES OVER AMERICAN INTERESTS

The Democratic party push for a congressional debate and vote on a war powers bill at a time when American troops are engaged in battle was disingenuous and destructive.

President Trump fulfilled all the requirements of the War Powers Act of 1973 which allows the executive 60 days as long as he reports regularly to Congress. The Democrats knew they would lose the mostly party line vote. It was a political grandstanding stunt intended to harm President Trump and the war effort.

Presidents have initiated military strikes without congressional approval on numerous occasions.  Recent examples include Bill Clinton who initiated strikes in Kosovo for humanitarian reasons in 1999 and in Sudan and Afghanistan for counterterrorism. Clinton also placed 20,000 troops on the ground in Haiti in 1994 to restore a president ousted by a coup.  Barack Obama intervened in the Libyan civil war for eight months and ordered drone strikes in Pakistan. None of these actions occurred with congressional approval. Presidents have often invoked article II powers granted to the executive by the constitution.

Concern about delineation of powers between president and congress is legitimate. But to insist on a political confrontation when American forces are engaged in one of the most critical defensive wars in modern history is a disgrace.

Most Democratic congressmen are American patriots and friends of Israel. It is hard to believe that they do not comprehend the overwhelming necessity of destroying Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities. Should Trump have waited for Congress to obstruct action until it is too late to stop Iran’s nuclear program or its development of intercontinental missiles designed to strike the United States? Do we need another North Korea equipped with nuclear weapons and led by a madman? What if the war powers resolution had passed and a feckless Congress refused to approve of the war? When American and Israeli intelligence pinpointed 40 Iranian military and political leaders at the same moment on the morning of February 28, should Congress then call a committee meeting to discuss whether a strike should occur? Should our intelligence operations be exposed for all to see? How would our President then prosecute this existential war against Iran, with one or both hands tied behind our backs?

Moreover, is legality more important than morality? Even if one could construct a legalistic argument against the American strike on Iran, it is impossible to argue a coherent moral case against an American-Israeli attack on a regime that has murdered over 1000 Americans and over 30,000 of its own people. When the mullahs shout Death to America and sacrifice their entire economy to carrying out the threat, you better believe they mean it.

I am sure that most Democrats care about the future of the United States and the future of Israel. However their recent actions reveal that individual concerns about political career and standing in the Democratic party (unhinged by hatred of Trump and increasing hostility to Israel) may have overwhelmed better instincts and common sense.

It is not too late to stand up for what I suspect most Democrats know is the right thing to do. And that is to declare unequivocal support for the President’s actions until the Iranian criminal regime is militarily and politically castrated.

Once this is accomplished, Congress can argue the pros and cons of presidential power to initiate military strikes later this year or after the next election.

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)