White House Makes Case To Senate Panel For Involvement in Libya

Obama Adviser Makes Case To Senate Panel For Involvement in Libya -- Washington Post

A State Department lawyer arrived on Capitol Hill Tuesday with two difficult tasks: Convince a Senate committee that the Obama administration didn’t need Congress’s approval for its military operations in Libya.

Then: Convince the Senate to give Obama that approval anyway.

He didn’t seem to make a lot of headway on either front.

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More News On The White House Making the Case For Its Involvement In Libya

State Dept. legal adviser says Obama acting lawfully in ordering military attacks on Libya -- Washington Post
Administration pleads for Libya approval -- Washington Times
Administration lawyer: 'Hostilities' an 'ambiguous term of art' -- MSNBC
War Powers Resolution doesn't apply to Libya, key official says -- CNN
Obama administration lawyer defends Libya action -- Reuters
Obama aide, GOP joust over Libya authority -- USA Today
Corker: W.H. Libya argument 'cute' -- Politico

President Obama Overruled Lawyers On Libya Air War

President Obama overruled lawyers on Libya. Photo: REUTERS

2 Top Lawyers Lost to Obama in Libya War Policy Debate -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — President Obama rejected the views of top lawyers at the Pentagon and the Justice Department when he decided that he had the legal authority to continue American military participation in the air war in Libya without Congressional authorization, according to officials familiar with internal administration deliberations.

Jeh C. Johnson, the Pentagon general counsel, and Caroline D. Krass, the acting head of the Justice Department’s Office of Legal Counsel, had told the White House that they believed that the United States military’s activities in the NATO-led air war amounted to “hostilities.” Under the War Powers Resolution, that would have required Mr. Obama to terminate or scale back the mission after May 20.

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Update: Obama overruled lawyers on Libya air war -- The Telegraph

My Comment: President Obama's view point is there for all to see ..... constitution and law .... what constitution and law?

Talk about hubris.

Congress And the White House Disagree Over The War Powers Act On Libya

'It Doesn't Pass The Straight Face Test': Republican Speaker Pours Scorn On Obama Claim Of Authority For Libya Mission -- The Daily Mail

* Dawn raids by Nato strike Gaddafi's Tripoli compound
* Cameron declares 'time is running out' for Libyan leader

The Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has slammed President Barack Obama's claim he can carry on military action in Libya without a vote from Congress.

The administration had claimed American forces were not facing the 'hostilities' that would force the President to seek Congressional approval for the campaign.

'Yet we've got drone attacks under way. We're spending $10 million a day, part of an effort to drop bombs on [Colonel] Gaddafi's compound,' said John Boehner, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

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More News On Congress And President Obama Differing ON the Authority Of The War Powers Act

Boehner: Congress has power to cut Libya funds -- Yahoo News/Reuters
House Speaker challenges Obama argument on Libya -- Yahoo News/AP
Boehner threatens Libya funding -- Politico
Boehner: Obama’s Libya report ‘doesn’t pass the straight-face test’ -- Washington Post
Boehner blasts Obama claims on Libya -- USA Today
Congressmen Claim Obama In Violation of War-Powers Doctrine -- Wall Street Journal
Lawmakers push back against White House's defense of involvement in Libya -- CBS
Boehner: US Congress has "power of purse" on Libya -- Reuters

Libya operation will proceed despite pressure from Congress, Obama aide says -- L.A. Times
Obama Defends Libya Intervention -- Wall Street Journal
White House Defends Legality Of Libya Mission -- Radio Free Europe
White House defends legality of actions in Libya -- SFGate/McClatchy News
Obama: Action in Libya legal -- AJC/Washington Post
Obama insists Libya action legal -- Yahoo News/AFP
Obama White House on the defensive over Libya attacks -- Chicago Sun Times
Obama agenda: White House makes it case on Libya -- MSNBC

Obama's unauthorized war on Libya costs $9,421,000 a day: Are you getting your money's worth? -- L.A. Times
Obama Fails to Justify the Legality of War in Libya -- Conor Friedersdorf, The Atlantic
Boehner, Obama dance in the Libyan shadows -- Jay Bookman, AJC

My Comment: Congress has the power to cut all Libyan war funding (yes, it is a war) .... but they are not going to do it. This is all bark from Congress .... an no bite. The only way that Congress will reprimand the President and cut his funding is if he treats them with utter contempt and arrogance .... but I very much doubt that he is not going to push them that far.

Members Of Congress Sue President Obama Over Libya Military Operations

Rep. Dennis Kucinich speaks with reporters after a meeting at the White House June 2. (Andrew Harrer, Bloomberg)

Lawmakers Sue President Obama Over Libya -- Politico

A bipartisan group of House members announced on Wednesday that it is filing a lawsuit charging that President Obama made an illegal end-run around Congress when he approved U.S military action against Libya.

“With regard to the war in Libya, we believe that the law was violated. We have asked the courts to move to protect the American people from the results of these illegal policies,” said Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), who led the 10-member anti-war coalition with Rep. Walter Jones (R-N.C.).

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More News On President Obama Being Sued By Members Of Congress

Lawmakers Sue President Obama Over "Illegal Libya War" -- ABC News
Kucinich files suit over U.S. involvement in Libya -- Bloomberg
Congress Clashes With Another President Over War Powers -- Time
Lawmakers File Suit Against Obama Administration Over Libya Operation -- FOX News
President Obama to defend military involvement in Libya -- CNN
Obama team to defend legality of Libya operation -- USA Today
Kucinich To Sue Obama For Violating War Powers Act In Libya -- Huffington post

My Comment: I have to give kudos to President Obama on this issue .... he has been successful in uniting the left of the Democrat Party with the right of the Republican Party. I doubt that this lawsuit will succeed, but it is a political embarrassment to the President and his anti-war base.

President Obama Warned By Boehner On Libya Operations And The War Powers Act

Boehner Gives Obama Friday Deadline On Libya -- Washington Times

Stepping up a simmering constitutional conflict, House Speaker John A. Boehner warned President Obama on Tuesday that unless he gets authorization from Congress for his military deployment in Libya, he will be in violation of the War Powers Resolution.

In a letter sent Tuesday afternoon, Mr. Boehner, the top Republican in the constitutional chain of succession, said Mr. Obama must provide a clear justification by Friday for committing troops to Libya.

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More News On Libya And The War Powers Resolution

Boehner Warns Obama on Libya Operations -- New York Times
Boehner pushes for War Powers explanation -- Washington Post
Boehner Warns Obama to Act By Sunday or Risk Violating War Powers Act -- ABC News
House Republican leader Boehner warns Obama over Libya -- Reuters
White House to provide lawmakers with more details on Libya -- L.A. Times
Boehner warning to Obama over Libya mission -- BBC
Barack Obama challenged over legality of Libya campaign -- The Telegraph
Boehner warns Obama Libya war may violate US law -- AFP
Boehner says Obama must seek authorization for Libya operation -- L.A. Times
Congressional opposition rising to Libya role -- Financial Times

U.S. Congress Formally Gives Approval To President Obama's Request For Military Operations In Libya

Senators Introduce First Bipartisan Resolution On Libya Mission -- CNN

Washington (CNN) -- Veteran U.S. Sens. John Kerry, D-Massachusetts, and John McCain, R-Arizona, formally introduced a bipartisan resolution Monday expressing Congress' support for U.S. military action in Libya, laying the groundwork for what could be the first congressional action on the mission since it began more than two months ago.

However, the resolution falls short of explicitly giving the president congressional authorization for U.S. military involvement in Libya.

This past Friday marked a 60-day deadline that, under the War Powers Act, required President Barack Obama to get congressional authorization for the war in Libya or begin to withdraw troops.

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More News On Congress Giving President Obama Congressional Approval For Military Involvement In Libya's Civil War

Senators back US operations in Libya -- Financial Times
Senators endorse limited US engagement in Libya -- AFP
US senators write resolution backing Libya action -- Reuters
Senate parties agree on Libya resolution -- AP
Senators introduce resolution to support use of force in Libya -- Washington Post
Senators Back 'Limited' U.S. Involvement In Libya -- NPR
Toothless War Powers -- Jamie Dupree, AJC
Illegal war? Congress doesn't care -- Gene Healy, Washington Examiner
Has Obama Breached His Constitutional Power in Libya? -- David Paul Kuhn, Real Clear World

White House On War Powers Deadline On Libya: No Need to Get Congressional Authorization

White House On War Powers Deadline: 'Limited' US Role in Libya Means No Need To Get Congressional Authorization -- ABC News

In an effort to satisfy those arguing he needs to seek congressional authorization to continue US military activity in accordance with the War Powers Resolution, President Obama wrote a letter to congressional leaders this afternoon suggesting that the role is now so “limited” he does not need to seek congressional approval.

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More News On The White House Saying That It Does Not Need Congressional Authorization

Obama, on Libya deadline, welcomes Congress support -- Reuters
White House skips legal deadline on Libya -- AP
Obama urges Congress backing for Libya action -- AFP
Obama misses deadline for congressional approval of Libya operations -- Washington Post
Obama Backs U.S. Congress Resolution on Libya Military Mission -- Bloomberg
Obama asks Congress for resolution on Libya -- L.A. Times
Congress Leaves Without OK For Libya Operation -- NPR
Expect Libya War Resolution Monday -- FOX News

My Comment: If President Bush had done this .... the media would be going into convulsions, the Democrats would be screaming to the top of the rafters, and the anti-war movement would be mobilizing for a million person march.

But .... President Bush is not President ....

President Obama Is Breaking The Law Over The Libyan Civil War Intervention

President Obama's Libya Intervention Hits 60-Day Legal Limit -- ABC News

The legal license President Obama used to justify U.S. military intervention in Libya expires today, and there's little sign the White House is working quickly to get it renewed.

Exactly two months ago, Obama notified Congress of his unilateral decision to engage in "limited military action" to help defend the Libyan people from attacks by their leader, Moammar Gadhafi.

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More News On The White House Hitting The 60-Day Legal Limit On It's Libyan Intervention

Obama, Congress Not Likely to Engage on Libya Yet -- USA Today
US senators challenge Obama on Libya -- AFP
Lawmakers largely silent on war powers authority in Libya -- The Hill
GOP Senators Question Obama on War Powers -- American Spectator
Senate letter seeks Obama compliance with War Powers Act -- Washington Examiner
Is President Obama About to Break the Law? -- ABC News
Is Obama about to break the law? -- CNN
Will the White House ignore the War Powers Resolution? -- Josh Rogin, The Cable/Foreign Policy
War Powers & Libya -- Jamie Dupree, AJC
Libya and the War Powers Abdication -- John C. Yoo and Robert J. Delahunty, Wall Street Journal
Will the War Powers Resolution Die On Friday? -- KT McFarland, FOX News
U.S. Presence in Libya Is Pushing the Legal Boundaries -- Adam Clark Estes, Atlantic Wire
The illegal war in Libya -- Glenn Greenwald, Salon
Good Riddance to the War Powers Act -- John R. Guardiano, American Spectator
Death of the War Powers Act? -- Bruce Ackerman and Oona Hathaway, Washington Post

My Comment: A debate is needed for two reasons .... (1) It is the law, and (2) because if the situation on the ground in Libya is any indication, this war has all the signs of going on for quite a while.