Congress Rejects Obama's Claim US Not Engaged In Hostilities In Libya

President Barack Obama's claim that the US is not engaged in hostilities in Libya and that he is thus not in violation of the War Powers act met with outright derision from both Republicans and Democrats.

"We have got drone attacks under way, we're spending $10 million a day," Speaker John Boehner said. "We're part of an effort to drop bombs on Gadhafi's compound. It doesn't pass the straight-face test, in my view, that we're not in the midst of hostilities." Boehner also said that in the continued absence of any Congressional approval, the House will be taking measures to cut off funds for the president's Libyan adventure, which is expected to cost $1.1 billion by September.

Sen. Jim Webb, (D-Va.) the ranking Democrat on the the Armed Services Committee, likewise didn't buy the president's claim.

"Spending a billion dollars and dropping bombs on people sounds like hostilities to me," Webb said in an interview.

Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., called the claims "really totally bizarre." Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Fla., said telling Congress and Americans "that this is not a war insults our intelligence. I won't stand for it and neither will my constituents."

Needless to say, two of the Republicans backing the president and attempting to head of the revolt in Congress are...John McCain and Lindsay Graham, working with John Kerry and Dick Durbin.

In speech on the floor of the Senate, McCain claimed it would be a mistake for the United States to abort the mission.

Speaking directly to his fellow Republicans, McCain asked, "Is this the time to ride to the rescue of the man who President Reagan called the mad dog of the Middle East?"

McCain said he's working with Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry,(D-MA) to cobble together a resolution authorizing the U.S. mission in Libya. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois also said he is working on a joint resolution authorizing force, barring ground troops and setting an end date.

"The convoluted definition of hostilities backs us into a corner," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.

Apparently Senator McCain and his friends have no problem with US forces being used in a war by UN diktat in violation of US law.

Disinformation alert: The AP story has a statement at the end ( 6th paragraph from the bottom) that says: 'Previous presidents, Republicans and Democrats, have largely ignored the Vietnam-era law, which was created as a check on their power to authorize military force.'

That is either an inadvertent misstatement or a deliberate falsehood, as even a cursory fact check will reveal. The US Constitution clearly states that the president is required to ask Congress to declare war, as opposed to quick strikes of short duration ala' Grenada. Even before the law was passed, Presidents Truman and Johnson got resolutions from congress for Korea and Vietnam, and both President Bush's and President Clinton got them for the Gulf War, the Invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan and for Bosnia.

The US has never gone to war, especially under UN Diktat without Congressional approval. President Obama is in clear and egregious violation of the law.

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