It's been a long road, getting from the beginning of the Obama presidency to here. At first, I reluctantly accepted the fact that he was president. I fell for the proverbial snake-charming music of Obama's middle-of-the-road policies and the political ideals embodied in The Audacity of Hope, which if it is a sincere work, may remain one of the most poignant critical works on twentieth-century American poltics.
Unfortunately, unlike books, people change based on the circumstances with which they are presented. President Obama, who once seemed a political dove in a world of rats, has departed from his adherence to liberalism (and I mean classical political liberalism without any connection to modern "liberals"). I am referring to his refusal to seek congressional approval for the war in Libya under the War Powers Act of 1973. Charlie Savage writes the following in the New York Times: "The theory Mr. Obama embraced holds that American forces have not been in “hostilities” as envisioned by the War Powers Resolution..." (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/18/world/africa/18powers.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&hp)
But as John Boehner, who I am loath to admit has a point, argues: "We’re spending $10 million a day. We’re part of an effort to drop bombs on Qaddafi’s compounds. It just doesn’t pass the straight-face test, in my view, that we’re not in the midst of hostilities.” Mr. Boehner is correct, we are clearly at war with Libya. While it is a war that clearly has merit, sidestepping the process of constitutional approval places the legislature in a subordinate position to the executive. The necessary balance of powers envisioned in our constitution and given expression in the War Powers Act is destroyed. This sets a dangerous precedent for the expansion of executive power.
After all, even the cowboy-turned-President George Bush (whose somewhat authoritarian image earned him the moniker King George) sought congressional approval for the military actions he approved as president. The president should not be able to avoid congressional approval and this is one issue over which this rattlesnake is forced to part ways with the Pied Piper President and say "don't tread on me."
