Amen to that.

(February 12, 2015 at 11:58 am)Parkers Tan Wrote: The WPA should be repealed.

If we are to send Americans into combat, then the Congress should have to approve it.

Huh? It has always been that way. I think you mistake war as being any armed tactic response, war is a matter of size just like city is a matter of population. Every president I have been alive to see has taken small actions to some degree. "War" means massive troops, not drones or support of other country's troops.

Small actions such as air support, training other's troops and drone strikes even by EO have limits and are subject to oversight by both congress and courts. Now if you want to argue that is over used that would be the same argument as the use of the filibuster.

I should have been clearer: Congress should have to approve it with a declaration of war. Thanks for catching that.

WPA makes it far too easy for a President to commit troops on the short-term to combat. And Congressionally-approved commitments of troops without war being declared still make it easier to dodge things like the Geneva Conventions, thereby tempting our leaders to order atrocities as we've seen happen in the so-called "War on Terror"

(February 12, 2015 at 3:12 pm)Parkers Tan Wrote: I should have been clearer: Congress should have to approve it with a declaration of war. Thanks for catching that.

WPA makes it far too easy for a President to commit troops on the short-term to combat. And Congressionally-approved commitments of troops without war being declared still make it easier to dodge things like the Geneva Conventions, thereby tempting our leaders to order atrocities as we've seen happen in the so-called "War on Terror"

Well then make that argument. I look at the totality of our war policy since our founding and from the start America outside WW1 and WW2 has been horrible in it's decision making other than the sane ones who pull us out after making the mistakes.

Obama is stuck because he is holding a baton passed to him that every president has used.