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Jeffrey T. Kuhner Archive
Friday, March 25, 2011

Obama’s illegal war is last straw: Impeachment is
the only solution

President Obama has lost his legitimacy to remain in office. The Libyan war has exposed the administration’s lawlessness and rampant criminality. If Republicans and conservatives are serious about restoring constitutional government, they will demand that Mr. Obama be impeached.

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The war is going badly. The coalition is cracking; the strategic aims of the military intervention are not clear; Russia, China, India and Brazil oppose it; the Arab League is condemning the deaths of innocent Libyans caused by Operation Odyssey Dawn; and it appears that Moammar Gadhafi will succeed in clinging to power — defying the international community and humiliating the United States. Mr. Obama has called for Col. Gadhafi to step down. He has staked American prestige and power on helping bring about that end. The failure to achieve this will render America a paper tiger on the world stage. We will no longer be feared or respected.

NATO forces launched air strikes in order to enforce a no-fly zone over Libya. The goal: to prevent Col. Gadhafi’s forces from slaughtering civilians. As Gadhafi loyalists marched toward the rebel stronghold of Benghazi, Mr. Obama decided to implement an American rescue mission. This mission, however, differs from previous ones in Kuwait, Bosnia and Kosovo. The United States is not taking the lead; rather, it is following the French and British. America is no longer acting like a superpower but a poodle of Paris and London.

Mr. Obama has engaged U.S. forces — risking precious blood and treasure — without a clear strategy for victory. He recklessly has allowed his country to be sucked into a conflict without a real national debate or consensus. His policy is shoddy, half-baked and irresponsible. It is amateur hour at the White House.

The most disturbing aspect, however, is the intervention’s lack of constitutional and legal authority. It is an illegal war. The Constitution clearly stipulates that only Congress can authorize the use of military force. Unless American territory has been invaded or U.S. citizens have been directly attacked, the president must first ask for congressional approval before ordering any kind of military action. To do otherwise is to behave like a despot.

That is why the Founding Fathers insisted that going to war could be sanctioned only by the people’s representatives. The most serious act of any state is to use military force — to demand that countrymen risk their lives on behalf of their nation. Hence, congressional input and approval is necessary as a fundamental check and balance against an imperial president.

Mr. Obama claims he does not need congressional authority. His behavior reflects contempt for the rule of law and American democracy. His arbitrary will trumps legal restraints. Unless he is stopped and removed from office, we are a constitutional republic in name only.

His blatant abuse of power is illegal, immoral and hypocritical. During the war in Iraq, then-Sen. Barack Obama criticized President George W. Bush for not asking Congress for a formal declaration of war. On Dec. 20, 2007, Mr. Obama said in a speech that 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.”

Mr. Obama has less legal and moral justification for his Libyan campaign than Mr. Bush did in Iraq. Mr. Bush received congressional authorization for the use of force; Mr. Obama has not. Mr. Bush forged a broad coalition of nearly three-dozen countries to topple Saddam Hussein; Mr. Obama’s coalition is much narrower, with fewer countries. Mr. Bush’s goal was regime change; Mr. Obama’s is to protect some civilians from Col. Gadhafi’s airplanes but not from his tanks or artillery — which makes no sense.

Moreover, what “imminent threat” does Col. Gadhafi’s regime pose to the United States? None. He is a capricious killer who rightly is reviled by most of the Libyan people. Yet it is their war, not ours. America should use military force only to protect its vital national interests.

Also, Mr. Obama further insults the nation by asking for a resolution from the United Nations Security Council instead of seeking the approval of the American people. His actions demonstrate that he thinks a supranational institution, such as the United Nations, supersedes Congress. He also is tacitly relegating the Constitution to second-class status, especially compared to the U.N. charter. His actions undermine America’s national sovereignty and make our foreign policy hostage to a virulently anti-American international body. Mr. Obama has betrayed his country, his constitutional oath of office and his duty as commander in chief.

The Libyan war is part of a pattern of Mr. Obama’s unethical and criminal behavior. He passed Obamacare against the express will of the American people, systematically abusing the political process even though the federal government has no constitutional authority to take over health care. He has appointed countless policy “czars” possessing sweeping Cabinet-level powers without Senate consent or oversight. His cronies have directly sought to manipulate or interfere in Democratic primary campaigns on behalf of pro-Obama candidates — a flagrant violation of the law.

Mr. Obama is a socialist thug. Since entering office, he has engaged in a massive, almost unprecedented power grab. He thinks he is above the law, that he can cavalierly circumvent the limits imposed by the Constitution. Only one remedy will teach him that he cannot do so: impeachment.


Jeffrey T. Kuhner is a radio talk show personality and a columnist at The Washington Times and WorldTribune.com.


Comments


Comments


HEAR! HEAR! Calls for impeachment are SO on the mark, and the arguments for such an initiative could not be better presented. Thank you for speaking up so passionately and persuasively . . . for bringing reality to the table.

Hal Alpiar      5:45 p.m. / Monday, March 28, 2011


Wow, what a hypocrite. I'm sure you thought that when Reagan went into Grenada or H.W. invaded Panama. By the way, there is a 0% chance of Obama being impeached.

Coop13      11:48 a.m. / Saturday, March 26, 2011


As the great one, Mark Levin, has pointed out correctly, when an undocumented Obama is installed in the White House, he has Constitutional authority to send troops just like Thomas Jefferson did into Africa in the Barbary Pirates. So in that, this is not an illegal war, it is just what the Framers allowed. For the record, Congress should be impeached for not demanding curbs on Mr. Obama in his adventurism for International Socialist wars which is what this is all about. John Boehner is the most incompetent person in Washington and Harry Reid has the most incompetent brain in Washington. They have let the country down and should be made to answer for it. What Mr. Obama has done though in being criminal is attempting to induce Turkey, Saudi Arabia and now NATO to arm Libyan communists with American weaponry. This is but a long list of Obama crimes and violations of his Oath of Office, for what are high crimes against the people of these United States. As stated, Mr. Obama as undocumented leader sanctioned by the Supreme Court and Congress can make war, as Congress controls the funding and declarations of all out war. What is required to fix this, is what I have stated all along in these spineless Obamites in Congress and Justice, and that is the appointment of a Judge Parker to call on a True Grit historical fact. Judge Parker would be free to indict this entire mob, haul them away under his federal marshals and that leaves the American nation free from all this impeachment upheaval and delay. Start with undocumented Obama, his Aaron Burr Biden co conspirator, and work the Judge's way to Eric Holder who is propping up this crime syndicate and cuff Boehner, Pelosi, Reid and McConnell for their complicity. It then falls to the nation's Governors to appoint legislative replacements. As for Obama's replacement, it probably would in pecking order since his entire regime is criminal fall to Michele Bachmann as she is the senior GOP'er only speaking for America. So forget the impeachment as a President Palin is going to have to send in the Rough Riders to clean up these deliberate and planned acts of Obama against America, just arrest him and this is solved today. Can we all say Amen.

Lame Cherry      4:02 p.m. / Friday, March 25, 2011

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