Executive power
16/June/2006 05:33 Filed in: War and
Peace
Bill Frist,
Senate Majority leader was being interviewed
yesterday by Chris Matthews on Hardball and they were
discussing the new resolutions in the House and
Senate being debated regarding terrorism. The
resolutions basically state that Americans must
support the war on terror until it is over. In light
of growing tension in Iran, Matthews asked Frist
point blank if the President now had authority to
invade Iran without approval of congress. Frist
refused to answer. The President claimed power to
invade Iraq based on approval of Congress to go after
Saddam specifically the year before. But now, the
"war on terror" resolutions seem to be giving the
executive even greater power. As long as they can
claim an invasion is "terror related" the President
can declare war from now until the end of time. Not
since the phrase "clear and present danger" was
twisted to increase executive authority, has anything
given the President so much power. Did the
constitutional authors foresee this when they said
that only congress can declare war? With the number
of American dead approaching the exact number that
actually died on 9/11 in the twin towers, how much
will Americans put up with to maintain their "way of
life?"