Sen. Tim Kaine on "illegal" Syria strike: "We have a president, not a king"

[steve from amherst]

Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Virginia, is calling out President Trump's authorization to launch a precision missile strike in Syria last week as an "illegal military act," slamming the administration for not coming to lawmakers on Capitol Hill first to seek congressional approval to carry out such a strike. 

"We have a president, not a king, and the Constitution says it's Congress that gets to declare war, not the president," Kaine told "CBS This Morning" on Monday. Kaine suggested that if Mr. Trump "thinks he can do this without Congress, then he believes he can do anything without Congress." 

He added, "What the president can do is defend the U.S. against imminent attack but if it's a matter of going on offense, against a sovereign nation of Syria, he's got to come to Congress. Especially since they've laid out that they've known for months about these chemical weapons attacks."

Kaine said that the president's strike was "one I'd likely support" if he had first brought it Congress, but stressed the administration's lack of clear strategy as an underlying issue. 

"A military action isn't an end, it's a means to an end," Kaine said. 

He questioned, "What's the strategy, why are we there, that's how you know a military action makes sense or not, but what the administration hasn't done is come and present to us and you saw the president 10 days ago say we're getting out of Syria and then last Friday night were dropping bombs on Syria, so we need to have that strategic discussion."

Kaine's comments come after French President Emmanuel Macron said on Sunday that he had "convinced" Mr. Trump to stay in Syria despite the president decreeing he would be pulling out troops in the region. 

The White House, however, said in a statement that nothing has changed: "The U.S. mission has not changed -- the President has been clear that he wants U.S. forces to come home as quickly as possible. We are determined to completely crush ISIS and create the conditions that will prevent its return. In addition we expect our regional allies and partners to take greater responsibility both militarily and financially for securing the region"

"This is the month, April and May on the Armed Services Committee, we write the Defense Authorization bill for the year and there's going to be ample opportunity to pin the administration down on this," said Kaine on the present course in Syria

[f7ben]

Where was his outrage while Obama dropped 20,000 bombs per year on 7 different sovereign nations.......fucking piece of shit

[Cold War]

Faggots ... all of them.  I can't turn any of these assholes off fast enough.

[Ez ryder]

I don't remember Clinton getting permission  to bomb the asprin factory or oboma asking about all his bombs . 

[Anler]

15 minutes ago, f7ben said:

Where was his outrage while Obama dropped 20,000 bombs per year on 7 different sovereign nations.......fucking piece of shit

Military just does whatever they want, faggot. What are you Canadian? 

[MiSledder]

This dipshit almost got elected too

[Zambroski]

Goodness!  Imagine a world where "wire to wire" was possible.

 

[Cold War]

" I would of supported it if he only asked"

STFU. 

So sick of  "it's our duty" ....."it's our responsibility" !!

You STFU too. 

[Rod]

Tim kaine lol remember when retard Hillary tried to make him VP

[Snake]

6 minutes ago, Rod Johnson said:

Tim kaine lol remember when retard Hillary tried to make him VP

She's still not the President by the way.

 

[spin_dry]

They all do it. They’re all the same 

[F3600]

Tim Kaine is a twat, and raised a douchebag as well.

[DriftBusta]

13 hours ago, MiSledder said:

This dipshit almost got elected too

Biggest clown ever.  No one ever mentions him, but he's another reason Hilary lost.  His kids a dirtbag, and he looked like some bumbling small town mayor up there against Pence in the debates.

[Cold War]

Yup, what idiot made that call?  Why not grab a gay minority?    

[f7ben]

Kaine was promised the nod over a year before it was announced. He struck a deal with the cunt and wasserman when he was DNC chair or something ......its all dirty 

[Highmark]

 

 

[Snoslinger]

for the record, "bombing runs" in foreign countries fall under the rule that allows defense against security threats. like terrorist training camps in yemen. the only other authorization that allows a strike is when congress permits it. when Obama sent missiles into Syria the first time, it was against isis, which was legal. when he wanted to do it in retaliation for the use of chemical weapons, he tried to get approval from congress and it was declined.

trump did not follow the rules, or his own advice he made years ago. Syria using chemical weapons was not a threat to us.

that is the difference in all this

 

 

Edited April 17, 2018 by Snoslinger

[Snoslinger]

as skidmark welcher likes to say...

 

 

 

 

*crickets*

 

[Dave]

16 minutes ago, Snoslinger said:

for the record, "bombing runs" in foreign countries fall under the rule that allows defense against security threats. like terrorist training camps in yemen. the only other authorization that allows a strike is when congress permits it. when Obama sent missiles into Syria the first time, it was against isis, which was legal. when he wanted to do it in retaliation for the use of chemical weapons, he tried to get approval from congress and it was declined.

trump did not follow the rules, or his own advice he made years ago. Syria using chemical weapons was not a threat to us.

that is the difference in all this

 

 

Better take that up with uk and and france as well.

[Highmark]

 

 In 1995 and 1999, President Bill Clinton ordered air strikes against Bosnian Serb and Serbian forces to prevent ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo, respectively. None of these operations were authorized by Congress.

In 2011, President Barack Obama ordered air strikes against the military and government of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. This air campaign lasted about seven months, even though Congress had not endorsed it. The Obama administration argued that the operation was not bound by the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day limit because the absence of U.S. troops on the ground in Libya meant the U.S. had not entered into hostilities.

Obama also launched the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) without gaining direct congressional assent for the campaign. In this case, the administration maintained that the campaign was covered by Congress’ 2001 authorization targeting individuals responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and its 2002 authorization of the use of force against Iraq.

[Snoslinger]

5 minutes ago, DAVE said:

Better take that up with uk and and france as well.

why, are they supposed to fall under our rules?

 

3 minutes ago, Highmark said:

 

 In 1995 and 1999, President Bill Clinton ordered air strikes against Bosnian Serb and Serbian forces to prevent ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo, respectively. None of these operations were authorized by Congress.

In 2011, President Barack Obama ordered air strikes against the military and government of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. This air campaign lasted about seven months, even though Congress had not endorsed it. The Obama administration argued that the operation was not bound by the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day limit because the absence of U.S. troops on the ground in Libya meant the U.S. had not entered into hostilities.

Obama also launched the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) without gaining direct congressional assent for the campaign. In this case, the administration maintained that the campaign was covered by Congress’ 2001 authorization targeting individuals responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and its 2002 authorization of the use of force against Iraq.

while that may be true, Libya also had lots of US blood on their hands

ftr, I don't have a problem with sending some missiles into Syria. but make no doubt it, trump didn't follow the rules, is a fucking hypocrite, and the gop gives him a pass on it.

[T1R9sledder]

25 minutes ago, Snoslinger said:

for the record, "bombing runs" in foreign countries fall under the rule that allows defense against security threats. like terrorist training camps in yemen. the only other authorization that allows a strike is when congress permits it. when Obama sent missiles into Syria the first time, it was against isis, which was legal. when he wanted to do it in retaliation for the use of chemical weapons, he tried to get approval from congress and it was declined.

trump did not follow the rules, or his own advice he made years ago. Syria using chemical weapons was not a threat to us.

that is the difference in all this

 

 

 

6 minutes ago, Highmark said:

 

 In 1995 and 1999, President Bill Clinton ordered air strikes against Bosnian Serb and Serbian forces to prevent ethnic cleansing in Bosnia and Kosovo, respectively. None of these operations were authorized by Congress.

In 2011, President Barack Obama ordered air strikes against the military and government of Libyan dictator Muammar Qaddafi. This air campaign lasted about seven months, even though Congress had not endorsed it. The Obama administration argued that the operation was not bound by the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day limit because the absence of U.S. troops on the ground in Libya meant the U.S. had not entered into hostilities.

Obama also launched the U.S. military campaign against the Islamic State (IS) without gaining direct congressional assent for the campaign. In this case, the administration maintained that the campaign was covered by Congress’ 2001 authorization targeting individuals responsible for the Sept. 11 attacks and its 2002 authorization of the use of force against Iraq.

[Dave]

2 minutes ago, Snoslinger said:

why, are they supposed to fall under our rules?

 

 

Selective outrage....

[Jimmy Snacks]

1 minute ago, DAVE said:

Selective outrage....

No Shit...leave it to Slinger the hack to justify Clintons and Obamas actions while criticizing Trump...fucking clown.

[Highmark]

Just now, Snoslinger said:

why, are they supposed to fall under our rules?

 

while that may be true, Libya also had lots of US blood on their hands

ftr, I don't have a problem with sending some missiles into Syria. but make no doubt it, trump didn't follow the rules, is a fucking hypocrite, and the gop gives him a pass on it.

So then Clinton and Obama never followed the rules either?

I actually supported Clinton in Bosnia back then.   I wouldn't today just like I don't support Trump in Syria but for different reasons.  Did not support Obama in Libya.  I thought we learned a lesson on what a power vacuum ended up creating.    

I will admit there is a distinct different between attacking terrorists and a sovereign nation but to say this POTUS didn't have the legal right when Truman, Reagan, Clinton, Obama all did is not right.