Timothy Birdnow

We are about to run up against the War Powers Act. The WPA (which was an acronym from the Great Depression meaning Works Progress Administration, often sneeringly referred to as "We Piddle Around") sets time limits for the President to take foreign military action before seeking a resolution from Congress. Trump is approaching that deadline and if Congress fails to act he will be forced to end the war with Iran.

That is what the Iranian regime is counting on.

What I would like to know is, why doesn't Congress act? The Congress declares war, and John Thune and Mike "Tiny" Johnson could and should promote a war declaration now, not when the ciris hits. So why isn't they?

Johnson could maybe get one through and guys like Thomas Massie would be hard pressed to vote against it given the entire argument he and his anti-war ilk have made is based on Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution. A war declaration would eliminate his entire argument. He would be forced to argue against it based on other considerations, such as degree of difficulty. But that would be a harder sell, much harder. Trump has already shown we can do it, we just need the time.

Another consideration is the Senate. While the Constitution says you only need a simple majority in the Senate the reality is, with the "zombie filibuster" the Democrats could veto it without a Supermajority (and getting a simple majority might prove difficult). Naturally John Thune won't change the rules for it to pass. If he would just require a talking filibuster he might be able to get it but Thune refuses to do so. He has to go.

At any rate somebody needs to introduce War Declaration bills and now. Make these jerks vote on it.

Iran has been wise in not hitting us with a big terrorist attack, I might add. It's in their interest to do so and they have sleepers here, but it would put great pressure on these war dove types to support the President and Iran appears aware of that. Also, with the DHS funding issue in play, it would humiliate the Democrats and likely prevent them from winning in November. Iran is playing the long game and rightly so.

That's why they are stalling so much.

The Founding Fathers built a series of checks and balances into our government to address conditions of the day and they worked beautifully and still serve us. However, they could not forsee America becoming the World's lone superpower and the need for speed. Back then communications were slow and state governments were very important and we had a great ocean between us and our nearest enemies and so they sought to slow down and gum up the works in the Federal government precisely to make the states strong and the People stronger. It was wise, but unfortunately what they put in place is now strangling decisive action and long term commitment. Our political system punishes careful, long term strategizing. We are the hare in the tortoise and the hare. We have the power to move quickly but just as quickly stop and graze. Iran is playing the tortoise now and we are about to be stopped in finishing them off by our own rules.

For the record I am not a war hawk and I oppose any action by the U.S. in places like the Ukraine or other such spots. But there are some things that cannot be tolerated, that require military action. Iran has been asking for it for a long, long time and Trump is trying to affect real change. He could just kick the can down the road again but that would be foolish. But it would be politically expedient.

I don't want to make fundamental changes that empower our government, on the contrary I want our government restricted as much as possible. But the War Powers Act is probably unconstitutional and I don't know why Trump hasn't made an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court over it by now. And I don't know why his allies haven't introduced a declaration of war; at least it would force Congress to vote yea or nay and show where everybody stands.

If Trump is not allowed to finish the job we will always have to be looking over our shoulders. Iran will wait patiently and pay us back, make no mistake about it. When someone threatens you you can either run, hide, or beat the crap out of them. Iran is threatening us and has for a long time. We've hidden mostly. That has been a failed strategy. Now we only have the option of beating the crap out of them. Running is impossible and now hiding is too.

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