Cardin supports Libya resolution
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin is one of 10 senators who signed on to a bipartisan resolution introduced Tuesday that would authorize the U.S. to continue military operations in Libya for one year – even as the Obama administration has maintained it does not need that authorization.
"President Obama made the right decision when he engaged U.S. forces in the international effort to protect innocent civilians from being slaughtered by Qaddafi's forces,” the Maryland Democrat said in a statement. “But the mission cannot go on indefinitely.”
The proposal, which was introduced by Republican Sen. John McCain and Democratic Sen. John Kerry, is the latest effort by restive lawmakers who are concerned about President Barack Obama’s decision to not seek congressional approval for the Libya operation. Republican leaders in the House of Representatives are considering a resolution that would end funding for the effort.
Other sponsors of the Senate resolution include Democrats Carl Levin of Michigan, Richard Durbin of Illinois and Dianne Feinstein of California. Republicans include Jon Kyl of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Roy Blunt of Missouri. Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman, of Connecticut, is also a sponsor.
Cardin, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said it was important to him that the authorization limit the time and scope of the operation, specifically prohibiting the use of any U.S. ground troops. The White House has vowed to not use ground troops.
In fact, the lack of "boots on the ground" is a key justification the White House has used to argue that it does not need authorization from Congress under the Constitution or the 1973 War Powers Resolution for the action in Libya. In a report to Congress last week, the White House said the limited scope of the operation meant the War Powers Resolution does not apply.
The Vietnam-era war-powers resolution is interpreted as allowing a president to initiate military action but requires the military to pull out after 90 days unless Congress approves the action.
Comments
Didn't Obama get a peace prize for preventing war? And how he wants to go against the American people and enter a 3rd war that we don't want. This is the president you voted for ladies and gentlemen, he's no different than Bush.
Posted by: Dom | June 21, 2011 1:57 PM
What? Dom where have you been his entire presidency? What war did Obama prevent that he would have won the Nobel Prize for? The Nobel Prize was presented to Obama, "for his extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples. The Committee has attached special importance to Obama's vision of and work for a world without nuclear weapons."
He's also not taken the country to war, he's lent military air support to NATO on bombing runs. That's drastically different that sending in over 100,000 ground troops to fight in Afganistan and Iraq.
Posted by: Kyle | June 21, 2011 2:40 PM
Dom, I love the sweeping generalizations you make to compare Obama with authorizing the Air Force to help enforce a No-Fly-Zone over Libya vs. Bush strong-arming Congress with patently false information as a precept to invade and conquer what his father would not.
I totally see your logic!
Posted by: Angel | June 21, 2011 3:13 PM
"He's also not taken the country to war, he's lent military air support to NATO on bombing runs. "
What total nonsense! Any country dropping bombs on another is guilty of declaring war!
If your comment is to be taken seriously, if China dropped a few hundred bombs on California, as long as the UN approved, and the President of China said it there were no boots on the ground, it would be fine with you?
Posted by: Anonymous | June 21, 2011 3:54 PM
Kyle, if this is not a war why are our troops that are involved getting COMBAT PAY differential?
"But at the Pentagon, officials have decided it’s unsafe enough there to give troops extra pay for serving in “imminent danger.”
The Defense Department decided in April to pay an extra $225 a month in “imminent danger pay” to service members who fly planes over Libya or serve on ships within 110 nautical miles of its shores."
Posted by: Anonymous | June 21, 2011 4:27 PM
Of course Cardin backs the war in Libya. Like the rest of the Zionists in congress his loyalties do not lay with the United States.
Posted by: Fred | June 21, 2011 7:41 PM
NO WAY!!! What happened to all the peace protests now that it is Obama doing the warmongering? People!!!! Wake up!!! Bombing Libya IS BLOOD FOR OIL. If it wasn't, we sure as he l l would be bombing Syria instead!!!!
Posted by: anonymous | June 22, 2011 2:50 PM
Revolutions are internal matters of a country … the revolution in Gypto was successful internally … people were not killed, cities were not bombed, war was not raged, outside countries didn’t send their forces … whatever was done … it was within the country and by the people … without outside support … that’s a revolution.
Look at the massacre they are carrying out in Tibby … you call that a revolution man … you call that an operation for the people?
Read more:
http://godinthejungle.com/index.php/story-notes/390-saturday-june-18-2011.html
Posted by: samwitwicky | June 24, 2011 8:05 AM