Senate neolib-neocon enemies of the Constitution and U.S. Constitutionalism flushed out in Obama war power vote

From:
Unholy Alliance
Neocons and "progressives" -- united at last over Libya, war powers, and the Constitution
(AntiWar.com) -- by Justin Raimondo --

Senators Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have done what no Republican has done since the day Harry Truman sent US troops to Korea without congressional authorization: challenged the authority of the President to unilaterally commit the nation to war. Their resolution read as follows:

"The President does not have the power to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve an actual or imminent threat to the nation."

This “sense of the Senate” resolution was voted down, 90-10, by the Democratic-controlled body, with not one Democrat voting for it. Which seems distinctly odd, because when President Barack Hussein Obama – a candidate for the White House at the time – uttered those very same words, his ostensibly “antiwar” fans cheered uproariously. Today, there are no cheers – just jeers from the Democrats, and, of course, from the neocons. Here‘s Jennifer Rubin, the Washington Post‘s newest neocon columnist, on Rand’s heresy:

“The motion was a petulant one…. First of all, that’s not in the Constitution and is not a viable interpretation of the president’s powers. Second, Congress doesn’t get to circumscribe the powers of the president. And third, we’re in a war (several, actually), and now is not the time to undercut an already less-than-ideal commander in chief.”

Blinded by blood-lust and power worship, neocons like Ms. Rubin can’t even see straight: They read Article I, Section 8, Clause 11 of the Constitution, and, instead, see Louis XIV’s declaration of monarchic supremacy: “L’etat, c’est moi!” Do these people even know what country they’re living in?

Perhaps Rubin would prefer to live in a country that has no Constitution – like Israel, for example. Now there‘s a country with absolutely no reins on its leaders’ war-making powers – having been in a state of perpetual conflict with the indigenous inhabitants since the founding, in 1948, the Israelis could hardly afford such a luxury.

Since neocons are always holding up Israel as a model, why not follow the Israeli example in this matter and dispense with the idea of a written Constitution entirely? Given the future of perpetual warfare the neocons envision for us, this would seem the only practical course. In that event, Rubin would be spared the embarrassment of denying what the Constitution plainly says about who has the power to make war, and, besides, the whole operation would be so much cleaner and streamlined.

Washington is, indeed, another country – almost a parallel universe – where it is considered “dogmatic” – Rubin’s description of Sen. Lee – to even bring up constitutional issues. “It’s a mystery why those eight Republicans would vote to continue discussion over this,” she fumes, while conceding “Some of the no votes may have simply wanted to have a debate.”

Yet there was no debate: the resolution was tabled, and so was the prospect of having a public airing of the pros and cons of intervening in Libya. This is how the neocons like it: they believe the masses are unqualified to even discuss such weighty matters as the question of war and peace, and that only elites – themselves – can be so entrusted. Yes, but aren’t Senators, almost by definition, part of the elite? Well, it’s true, and that explains Rubin’s furious tone: Senators Paul and Lee are supposed to be members of the Club, but the Club has Rules and these two have broken Rule Number 1, which is never hold up the hypocrisy and lawlessness of official Washington to ridicule...MORE...LINK