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March 22, 2011

Obama Criticized For Failing to Consult Congress on Libya Attacks 
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President Obama is coming under criticism from several Democratic and
Republican lawmakers for failing to consult Congress before Obama sent
U.S. warplanes to attack Libya. Obama did not officially notify Congress
until Monday-two days after the attack began. Jim Webb, the Democratic
Senator from Virginia and former U.S. Navy Secretary, told MSNBC that
Obama's actions were the way that the system is supposed to work.

Senator Jim Webb: "We have been sort of on auto-pilot for almost 10
years now in terms of presidential authority in conducting these type of
military operations, absent the meaningful participation of the
Congress. We have not had a debate, I know that there was some
justification put in to place because of concern for civilian
casualties, but this isn't the way the system is supposed to work."

Meanwhile, Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio said President Obama
may have committed an impeachable offense for not consulting Congress
before the air strikes. Kucinich said that Obama's actions were
unconstitutional, according to the President's own constitutional
interpretation. In 2007, then-Senator Obama said: "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."



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